Studies of the Ge(100) Surface Using a Low Energy Positron Beam: The Effects of Surface Reconstructions on Positron Trapping and Annihilation Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazleev, N. G.; Weiss, A. H.

2008-03-01

Positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES) has been applied to study the Ge(100) surface. The PAES spectrum from the Ge(100) surface displays several strong Auger peaks corresponding to M4,5N1N2,3 , M2,3M4,5M4,5 , M2,3M4,5V, and M1M4,5M4,5 Auger transitions. The integrated peak intensities of Auger transitions are used to obtain experimental annihilation probabilities for the Ge 3d and 3p core level electrons. The experimental results are analyzed by performing calculations of positron surface states and annihilation characteristics of surface trapped positrons with relevant Ge core-level electrons for the reconstructed Ge(100)-p(2x1), Ge(100)-p(2x2), and Ge(100)-c(4x2) surfaces. Estimates of positron binding energy, work function, and annihilation characteristics reveal their sensitivity to surface reconstruction of the topmost layers of clean Ge(100). These results are compared to the ones obtained for the reconstructed Si(100)-(2x1) and Si(100)-p(2x2) surfaces. A comparison with PAES data reveals an agreement with theoretical core annihilation probabilities for the Auger transitions considered.

Impact of semi-annihilation of ℤ{sub 3} symmetric dark matter with radiative neutrino masses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aoki, Mayumi; Toma, Takashi

2014-09-08

We investigate a ℤ{sub 3} symmetric model with two-loop radiative neutrino masses. Dark matter in the model is either a Dirac fermion or a complex scalar as a result of an unbroken ℤ{sub 3} symmetry. In addition to standard annihilation processes, semi-annihilation of the dark matter contributes to the relic density. We study the effect of the semi-annihilation in the model and find that those contributions are important to obtain the observed relic density. The experimental signatures in dark matter searches are also discussed, where some of them are expected to be different from the signatures of dark matter inmore » ℤ{sub 2} symmetric models.« less

Impact of semi-annihilation of Z{sub 3} symmetric dark matter with radiative neutrino masses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aoki, Mayumi; Toma, Takashi, E-mail: mayumi@hep.s.kanazawa-u.ac.jp, E-mail: takashi.toma@durham.ac.uk

2014-09-01

We investigate a Z{sub 3} symmetric model with two-loop radiative neutrino masses. Dark matter in the model is either a Dirac fermion or a complex scalar as a result of an unbroken Z{sub 3} symmetry. In addition to standard annihilation processes, semi-annihilation of the dark matter contributes to the relic density. We study the effect of the semi-annihilation in the model and find that those contributions are important to obtain the observed relic density. The experimental signatures in dark matter searches are also discussed, where some of them are expected to be different from the signatures of dark matter inmore » Z{sub 2} symmetric models.« less

Applications of slow positrons to cancer research: Search for selectivity of positron annihilation to skin cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jean, Y. C.; Li, Ying; Liu, Gaung; Chen, Hongmin; Zhang, Junjie; Gadzia, Joseph E.

2006-02-01

Slow positrons and positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) have been applied to medical research in searching for positron annihilation selectivity to cancer cells. We report the results of positron lifetime and Doppler broadening energy spectroscopies in human skin samples with and without cancer as a function of positron incident energy (up to 8 μm depth) and found that the positronium annihilates at a significantly lower rate and forms at a lower probability in the samples having either basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) than in the normal skin. The significant selectivity of positron annihilation to skin cancer may open a new research area of developing positron annihilation spectroscopy as a novel medical tool to detect cancer formation externally and non-invasively at the early stages.

Light dark matter through assisted annihilation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dey, Ujjal Kumar; Maity, Tarak Nath; Ray, Tirtha Sankar, E-mail: ujjal@cts.iitkgp.ernet.in, E-mail: tarak.maity.physics@gmail.com, E-mail: tirthasankar.ray@gmail.com

2017-03-01

In this paper we investigate light dark matter scenarios where annihilation to Standard Model particles at tree-level is kinematically forbidden. In such cases annihilation can be aided by massive Standard Model-like species, called assisters , in the initial state that enhances the available phase space opening up novel tree-level processes. We investigate the feasibility of such non-standard assisted annihilation processes to reproduce the observed relic density of dark matter. We present a simple scalar dark matter-scalar assister model where this is realised. We find that if the dark matter and assister are relatively degenerate the required relic density can bemore » achieved for a keV-MeV scale dark matter. We briefly discuss the cosmological constraints on such dark matter scenarios.« less

The Distribution and Annihilation of Dark Matter Around Black Holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnittman, Jeremy D.

2015-01-01

We use a Monte Carlo code to calculate the geodesic orbits of test particles around Kerr black holes, generating a distribution function of both bound and unbound populations of dark matter (DM) particles. From this distribution function, we calculate annihilation rates and observable gamma-ray spectra for a few simple DM models. The features of these spectra are sensitive to the black hole spin, observer inclination, and detailed properties of the DM annihilation cross-section and density profile. Confirming earlier analytic work, we find that for rapidly spinning black holes, the collisional Penrose process can reach efficiencies exceeding 600%, leading to a high-energy tail in the annihilation spectrum. The high particle density and large proper volume of the region immediately surrounding the horizon ensures that the observed flux from these extreme events is non-negligible.

Cosmological Implications of Electroweak Monopole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Y. M.

2018-01-01

In this talk we review the basic features of the electroweak monopole, and estimate the remnant electroweak monopole density of the standard model in the present universe. We show that, although the electroweak phase transition is of the first order, the monopole production comes from the thermal fluctuations of the Higgs field after the phase transition, not the vacuum bubble collisions during the phase transition. Moreover, most of the monopoles produced initially are annihilated as soon as created, and this annihilation continues very long time, longer than the muon pair annihilation time. As the result the remnant monopole density at present universe becomes very small, of 10-11 of the critical density, too small to be the dark matter. We discuss the physical implications of our results on the ongoing monopole detection experiments.

Low energy positrons as probes of reconstructed semiconductor surfaces.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazleev, Nail G.; Weiss, Alex H.

2007-03-01

Positron probes of semiconductor surfaces that play a fundamental role in modern science and technology are capable to non-destructively provide information that is both unique to the probe and complimentary to that extracted using other more standard techniques. We discuss recent progress in studies of the reconstructed Si(100), Si(111), Ge(100), and Ge(111) surfaces, clean and exposed to hydrogen and oxygen, using a surface characterization technique, Positron-Annihilation-Induced Auger-Electron Spectroscopy (PAES). Experimental PAES results are analyzed by performing first-principles calculations of positron surface states and annihilation probabilities of surface-trapped positrons with relevant core electrons for the reconstructed surfaces, taking into account discrete lattice effects, the electronic reorganization due to bonding, and charge redistribution effects at the surface. Effects of the hydrogen and oxygen adsorption on semiconductor surfaces on localization of positron surface state wave functions and annihilation characteristics are also analyzed. Theoretical calculations confirm that PAES intensities, which are proportional to annihilation probabilities of the surface trapped positrons that results in a core hole, are sensitive to the crystal face, surface structure and elemental content of the semiconductors.

Positron probes of the Ge(1 0 0) surface: The effects of surface reconstructions and electron positron correlations on positron trapping and annihilation characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazleev, N. G.; Jung, E.; Weiss, A. H.

2007-08-01

Positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES) has been applied to study the Ge(1 0 0) surface. The high-resolution PAES spectrum from the Ge(1 0 0) surface displays several strong Auger peaks corresponding to M4,5N1N2,3, M2,3M4,5M4,5, M2,3M4,5V and M1M4,5M4,5 Auger transitions. The integrated peak intensities of Auger transitions are used to obtain experimental annihilation probabilities for the Ge 3d and 3p core level electrons. These experimental results are analyzed by performing calculations of positron surface states and annihilation characteristics of surface trapped positrons with relevant Ge core-level electrons for the non-reconstructed and reconstructed Ge(1 0 0)-p(2 × 1), Ge(1 0 0)-p(2 × 2) and Ge(1 0 0)-c(4 × 2) surfaces. It is found that the positron surface state wave function extends into the Ge lattice in the regions where atoms are displaced from their ideal terminated positions due to reconstructions. Estimates of the positron binding energy and the positron annihilation characteristics reveal their sensitivity to the specific atomic structure of the topmost layers of Ge(1 0 0). A comparison with PAES data reveals an agreement with theoretical core annihilation probabilities for the Auger transitions considered.

Formation of the 0.511.-MeV line in solar flares. [statistical mechanics of line spectra for gamma rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crannell, C. J.; Joyce, G.; Ramaty, R.; Werntz, C.

1976-01-01

The gamma-ray line produced at 0.51-MeV was studied and is shown to be the result of either of free annihilation of positrons with electrons or of the decay of positronium by 2-photon emission. Positron annihilation from the bound state of positronium may also proceed by 3-photon emission, resulting in a continuum with energies up to 0.51-MeV. Accurate calculations of the rates of free annihilation and positronium formation in a solar-flare plasma are presented. Estimates of the positronium-formulation rates by charge exchange and the rates of dissociation and quenching are also considered. The temperature and density dependence of the ratio of 3-photon to 2-photon emission was obtained. It is shown that when the ratio of free electrons to neutral atoms in the plasma is approximately unity or greater, the Doppler width of the 0.51-MeV line is a function of the temperature of the annihilation region. For the small ion densities characteristics of the photosphere, the width is predominantly a function of the density.

Observation of rapid exciton-exciton annihilation in monolayer molybdenum disulfide.

PubMed

Sun, Dezheng; Rao, Yi; Reider, Georg A; Chen, Gugang; You, Yumeng; Brézin, Louis; Harutyunyan, Avetik R; Heinz, Tony F

2014-10-08

Monolayer MoS2 is a direct-gap two-dimensional semiconductor that exhibits strong electron-hole interactions, leading to the formation of stable excitons and trions. Here we report the existence of efficient exciton-exciton annihilation, a four-body interaction, in this material. Exciton-exciton annihilation was identified experimentally in ultrafast transient absorption measurements through the emergence of a decay channel varying quadratically with exciton density. The rate of exciton-exciton annihilation was determined to be (4.3 ± 1.1) × 10(-2) cm(2)/s at room temperature.

What the Milky Way's dwarfs tell us about the Galactic Center extended gamma-ray excess

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keeley, Ryan E.; Abazajian, Kevork N.; Kwa, Anna; Rodd, Nicholas L.; Safdi, Benjamin R.

2018-05-01

The Milky Way's Galactic Center harbors a gamma-ray excess that is a candidate signal of annihilating dark matter. Dwarf galaxies remain predominantly dark in their expected commensurate emission. In this work we quantify the degree of consistency between these two observations through a joint likelihood analysis. In doing so we incorporate Milky Way dark matter halo profile uncertainties, as well as an accounting of diffuse gamma-ray emission uncertainties in dark matter annihilation models for the Galactic Center extended gamma-ray excess (GCE) detected by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. The preferred range of annihilation rates and masses expands when including these unknowns. Even so, using two recent determinations of the Milky Way halo's local density leaves the GCE preferred region of single-channel dark matter annihilation models to be in strong tension with annihilation searches in combined dwarf galaxy analyses. A third, higher Milky Way density determination, alleviates this tension. Our joint likelihood analysis allows us to quantify this inconsistency. We provide a set of tools for testing dark matter annihilation models' consistency within this combined data set. As an example, we test a representative inverse Compton sourced self-interacting dark matter model, which is consistent with both the GCE and dwarfs.

A dark matter model that reconciles tensions between the cosmic-ray e± excess and the gamma-ray and CMB constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Qian-Fei; Bi, Xiao-Jun; Lin, Su-Jie; Yin, Peng-Fei

2017-10-01

The cosmic-ray (CR) e± excess observed by AMS-02 can be explained by dark matter (DM) annihilation. However, the DM explanation requires a large annihilation cross section which is strongly disfavored by other observations, such as the Fermi-LAT gamma-ray observation of dwarf galaxies and the Planck observation of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Moreover, the DM annihilation cross section required by the CR e± excess is also too large to generate the correct DM relic density with thermal production. In this work we use the Breit-Wigner mechanism with a velocity dependent DM annihilation cross section to reconcile these tensions. If DM particles accounting for the CR e± excess with v ∼ O (10-3) are very close to a resonance in the physical pole case, their annihilation cross section in the Galaxy reaches a maximal value. On the other hand, the annihilation cross section would be suppressed for DM particles with smaller relative velocities in dwarf galaxies and at recombination, which may affect the gamma-ray and CMB observations, respectively. We find a proper parameter region that can simultaneously explain the AMS-02 results and the thermal relic density, while satisfying the Fermi-LAT and Planck constraints.

High-resolution Auger-electron spectroscopy induced by positron annihilation on Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pd, and Au

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hugenschmidt, C.; Mayer, J.; Schreckenbach, K.

2010-04-01

Positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES) enables almost background free, non-destructive surface analysis with high surface selectivity. The Auger-spectrometer at the high intense positron source NEPOMUC now allows to record positron annihilation induced Auger spectra within a short data acquisition time of 10-80 minutes. With a new hemispherical electron energy analyzer and due to the exceptional peak to noise ratio, we succeeded to measure Auger-transitions such as the M2,3V V double peak of nickel with high energy resolution. The relative Auger-electron intensities are obtained by the analysis of the recorded positron annihilation induced Auger spectra for the surfaces of Fe, Ni, Cu, Pd and Au. It is demonstrated, that high-resolution PAES allows to determine experimentally the relative surface core annihilation probability of various atomic levels.

Optical Rogue Waves in Vortex Turbulence.

PubMed

Gibson, Christopher J; Yao, Alison M; Oppo, Gian-Luca

2016-01-29

We present a spatiotemporal mechanism for producing 2D optical rogue waves in the presence of a turbulent state with creation, interaction, and annihilation of optical vortices. Spatially periodic structures with bound phase lose stability to phase unbound turbulent states in complex Ginzburg-Landau and Swift-Hohenberg models with external driving. When the pumping is high and the external driving is low, synchronized oscillations are unstable and lead to spatiotemporal vortex-mediated turbulence with high excursions in amplitude. Nonlinear amplification leads to rogue waves close to turbulent optical vortices, where the amplitude tends to zero, and to probability density functions (PDFs) with long tails typical of extreme optical events.

Constraint on the velocity dependent dark matter annihilation cross section from gamma-ray and kinematic observations of ultrafaint dwarf galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yi; Bi, Xiao-Jun; Yin, Peng-Fei; Zhang, Xinmin

2018-03-01

Searching for γ rays from dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) is a promising approach to detect dark matter (DM) due to the high DM densities and low baryon components in dSphs. The Fermi-LAT observations from dSphs have set stringent constraints on the velocity independent annihilation cross section. However, the constraints from dSphs may change in velocity dependent annihilation scenarios because of the different velocity dispersions in galaxies. In this work, we study how to set constraints on the velocity dependent annihilation cross section from the combined Fermi-LAT observations of dSphs with the kinematic data. In order to calculate the γ ray flux from the dSph, the correlation between the DM density profile and velocity dispersion at each position should be taken into account. We study such correlation and the relevant uncertainty from kinematic observations by performing a Jeans analysis. Using the observational results of three ultrafaint dSphs with large J-factors, including Willman 1, Reticulum II, and Triangulum II, we set constraints on the p-wave annihilation cross section in the Galaxy as an example.

Studies of the oxidized Cu(100) surface using positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maddox, W.; Fazleev, N. G.; Nadesalingam, M. P.; Weiss, A. H.

2008-03-01

We discuss recent progress in studies of an oxidized Cu(100) single crystal subjected to vacuum annealing over a temperature range from 293K to 1073K using positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES). The PAES measurements show a large monotonic increase in the intensity of the positron annihilation induced Cu M2,3 VV Auger peak as the sample is subjected to a series of isochronal anneals in vacuum up to annealing temperature 573 K. The intensity then decreases monotonically as the annealing temperature is increased to 873 K. Experimental PAES results are analyzed by performing calculations of positron surface states and annihilation probabilities of surface-trapped positrons with relevant core electrons taking into account the charge redistribution at the surface, surface reconstructions, and electron-positron correlations effects. The effects of oxygen adsorption and surface reconstruction on localization of positron surface state wave functions and annihilation characteristics are analyzed. Possible explanations are provided for the observed behavior of the intensity of positron annihilation induced Cu M2,3VV Auger peak with changes of the annealing temperature.

Kinetics of Schottky defect formation and annihilation in single crystal TlBr.

PubMed

Bishop, Sean R; Tuller, Harry L; Kuhn, Melanie; Ciampi, Guido; Higgins, William; Shah, Kanai S

2013-07-28

The kinetics for Schottky defect (Tl and Br vacancy pair) formation and annihilation in ionically conducting TlBr are characterized through a temperature induced conductivity relaxation technique. Near room temperature, defect generation-annihilation was found to take on the order of hours before equilibrium was reached after a step change in temperature, and that mechanical damage imparted on the sample rapidly increases this rate. The rate limiting step to Schottky defect formation-annihilation is identified as being the migration of lower mobility Tl (versus Br), with an estimate for source-sink density derived from calculated diffusion lengths. This study represents one of the first investigations of Schottky defect generation-annihilation kinetics and demonstrates its utility in quantifying detrimental mechanical damage in radiation detector materials.

Relativistic Dark Matter at the Galactic Center

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Amin, Mustafa A.; /Stanford U., Phys. Dept. /KIPAC, Menlo Park; Wizansky, Tommer

2007-11-16

In a large region of the supersymmetry parameter space, the annihilation cross section for neutralino dark matter is strongly dependent on the relative velocity of the incoming particles. We explore the consequences of this velocity dependence in the context of indirect detection of dark matter from the galactic center. We find that the increase in the annihilation cross section at high velocities leads to a flattening of the halo density profile near the galactic center and an enhancement of the annihilation signal.

Generation and decay dynamics of triplet excitons in Alq3 thin films under high-density excitation conditions.

PubMed

Watanabe, Sadayuki; Furube, Akihiro; Katoh, Ryuzi

2006-08-31

We studied the generation and decay dynamics of triplet excitons in tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) thin films by using transient absorption spectroscopy. Absorption spectra of both singlet and triplet excitons in the film were identified by comparison with transient absorption spectra of the ligand molecule (8-hydroxyquinoline) itself and the excited triplet state in solution previously reported. By measuring the excitation light intensity dependence of the absorption, we found that exciton annihilation dominated under high-density excitation conditions. Annihilation rate constants were estimated to be gammaSS = (6 +/- 3) x 10(-11) cm3 s(-1) for single excitons and gammaTT = (4 +/- 2) x 10(-13) cm3 s(-1) for triplet excitons. From detailed analysis of the light intensity dependence of the quantum yield of triplet excitons under high-density conditions, triplet excitons were mainly generated through fission from highly excited singlet states populated by singlet-singlet exciton annihilation. We estimated that 30% of the highly excited states underwent fission.

Dark gamma-ray bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brdar, Vedran; Kopp, Joachim; Liu, Jia

2017-03-01

Many theories of dark matter (DM) predict that DM particles can be captured by stars via scattering on ordinary matter. They subsequently condense into a DM core close to the center of the star and eventually annihilate. In this work, we trace DM capture and annihilation rates throughout the life of a massive star and show that this evolution culminates in an intense annihilation burst coincident with the death of the star in a core collapse supernova. The reason is that, along with the stellar interior, also its DM core heats up and contracts, so that the DM density increases rapidly during the final stages of stellar evolution. We argue that, counterintuitively, the annihilation burst is more intense if DM annihilation is a p -wave process than for s -wave annihilation because in the former case, more DM particles survive until the supernova. If among the DM annihilation products are particles like dark photons that can escape the exploding star and decay to standard model particles later, the annihilation burst results in a flash of gamma rays accompanying the supernova. For a galactic supernova, this "dark gamma-ray burst" may be observable in the Čerenkov Telescope Array.

Positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weiss, Alex; Koymen, A. R.; Mehl, David; Jensen, K. O.; Lei, Chun; Lee, K. H.

1990-01-01

Recently, Weiss et al. have demonstrated that it is possible to excite Auger transitions by annihilating core electrons using a low energy (less than 30eV) beam of positrons. This mechanism makes possible a new electron spectroscopy, Positron annihilation induced Auger Electron Spectroscopy (PAES). The probability of exciting an Auger transition is proportional to the overlap of the positron wavefunction with atomic core levels. Since the Auger electron energy provides a signature of the atomic species making the transition, PAES makes it possible to determine the overlap of the positron wavefunction with a particular element. PAES may therefore provide a means of detecting positron-atom complexes. Measurements of PAES intensities from clean and adsorbate covered Cu surfaces are presented which indicate that approx. 5 percent of positrons injected into CU at 25eV produce core annihilations that result in Auger transitions.

Constraints on an annihilation signal from a core of constant dark matter density around the milky way center with H.E.S.S.

PubMed

Abramowski, A; Aharonian, F; Ait Benkhali, F; Akhperjanian, A G; Angüner, E O; Backes, M; Balenderan, S; Balzer, A; Barnacka, A; Becherini, Y; Becker Tjus, J; Berge, D; Bernhard, S; Bernlöhr, K; Birsin, E; Biteau, J; Böttcher, M; Boisson, C; Bolmont, J; Bordas, P; Bregeon, J; Brun, F; Brun, P; Bryan, M; Bulik, T; Carrigan, S; Casanova, S; Chadwick, P M; Chakraborty, N; Chalme-Calvet, R; Chaves, R C G; Chrétien, M; Colafrancesco, S; Cologna, G; Conrad, J; Couturier, C; Cui, Y; Davids, I D; Degrange, B; Deil, C; deWilt, P; Djannati-Ataï, A; Domainko, W; Donath, A; Drury, L O'C; Dubus, G; Dutson, K; Dyks, J; Dyrda, M; Edwards, T; Egberts, K; Eger, P; Espigat, P; Farnier, C; Fegan, S; Feinstein, F; Fernandes, M V; Fernandez, D; Fiasson, A; Fontaine, G; Förster, A; Füßling, M; Gabici, S; Gajdus, M; Gallant, Y A; Garrigoux, T; Giavitto, G; Giebels, B; Glicenstein, J F; Gottschall, D; Grondin, M-H; Grudzińska, M; Hadasch, D; Häffner, S; Hahn, J; Harris, J; Heinzelmann, G; Henri, G; Hermann, G; Hervet, O; Hillert, A; Hinton, J A; Hofmann, W; Hofverberg, P; Holler, M; Horns, D; Ivascenko, A; Jacholkowska, A; Jahn, C; Jamrozy, M; Janiak, M; Jankowsky, F; Jung-Richardt, I; Kastendieck, M A; Katarzyński, K; Katz, U; Kaufmann, S; Khélifi, B; Kieffer, M; Klepser, S; Klochkov, D; Kluźniak, W; Kolitzus, D; Komin, Nu; Kosack, K; Krakau, S; Krayzel, F; Krüger, P P; Laffon, H; Lamanna, G; Lefaucheur, J; Lefranc, V; Lemière, A; Lemoine-Goumard, M; Lenain, J-P; Lohse, T; Lopatin, A; Lu, C-C; Marandon, V; Marcowith, A; Marx, R; Maurin, G; Maxted, N; Mayer, M; McComb, T J L; Méhault, J; Meintjes, P J; Menzler, U; Meyer, M; Mitchell, A M W; Moderski, R; Mohamed, M; Morå, K; Moulin, E; Murach, T; de Naurois, M; Niemiec, J; Nolan, S J; Oakes, L; Odaka, H; Ohm, S; Opitz, B; Ostrowski, M; Oya, I; Panter, M; Parsons, R D; Paz Arribas, M; Pekeur, N W; Pelletier, G; Petrucci, P-O; Peyaud, B; Pita, S; Poon, H; Pühlhofer, G; Punch, M; Quirrenbach, A; Raab, S; Reichardt, I; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Renaud, M; de Los Reyes, R; Rieger, F; Romoli, C; Rosier-Lees, S; Rowell, G; Rudak, B; Rulten, C B; Sahakian, V; Salek, D; Sanchez, D A; Santangelo, A; Schlickeiser, R; Schüssler, F; Schulz, A; Schwanke, U; Schwarzburg, S; Schwemmer, S; Sol, H; Spanier, F; Spengler, G; Spies, F; Stawarz, Ł; Steenkamp, R; Stegmann, C; Stinzing, F; Stycz, K; Sushch, I; Tavernet, J-P; Tavernier, T; Taylor, A M; Terrier, R; Tluczykont, M; Trichard, C; Valerius, K; van Eldik, C; van Soelen, B; Vasileiadis, G; Veh, J; Venter, C; Viana, A; Vincent, P; Vink, J; Völk, H J; Volpe, F; Vorster, M; Vuillaume, T; Wagner, S J; Wagner, P; Wagner, R M; Ward, M; Weidinger, M; Weitzel, Q; White, R; Wierzcholska, A; Willmann, P; Wörnlein, A; Wouters, D; Yang, R; Zabalza, V; Zaborov, D; Zacharias, M; Zdziarski, A A; Zech, A; Zechlin, H-S

2015-02-27

An annihilation signal of dark matter is searched for from the central region of the Milky Way. Data acquired in dedicated on-off observations of the Galactic center region with H.E.S.S. are analyzed for this purpose. No significant signal is found in a total of ∼9  h of on-off observations. Upper limits on the velocity averaged cross section, ⟨σv⟩, for the annihilation of dark matter particles with masses in the range of ∼300  GeV to ∼10  TeV are derived. In contrast to previous constraints derived from observations of the Galactic center region, the constraints that are derived here apply also under the assumption of a central core of constant dark matter density around the center of the Galaxy. Values of ⟨σv⟩ that are larger than 3×10^{-24}  cm^{3}/s are excluded for dark matter particles with masses between ∼1 and ∼4  TeV at 95% C.L. if the radius of the central dark matter density core does not exceed 500 pc. This is the strongest constraint that is derived on ⟨σv⟩ for annihilating TeV mass dark matter without the assumption of a centrally cusped dark matter density distribution in the search region.

Positron annihilation lifetime measurements of austenitic stainless and ferritic/martensitic steels irradiated in the SINQ target irradiation program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, K.; Xu, Q.; Yoshiie, T.; Dai, Y.; Kikuchi, K.

2012-12-01

Titanium-doped austenitic stainless steel (JPCA) and reduced activated ferritic/martensitic steel (F82H) irradiated with high-energy protons and spallation neutrons were investigated by positron annihilation lifetime measurements. Subnanometer-sized (<˜0.8 nm) helium bubbles, which cannot be observed by transmission electron microscopy, were detected by positron annihilation lifetime measurements for the first time. For the F82H steel, the positron annihilation lifetime of the bubbles decreased with increasing irradiation dose and annealing temperature because the bubbles absorb additional He atoms. In the case of JPCA steel, the positron annihilation lifetime increased with increasing annealing temperature above 773 K, in which case the dissociation of complexes of vacancy clusters with He atoms and the growth of He bubbles was detected. He bubble size and density were also discussed.

Exciton-exciton annihilation in a disordered molecular system by direct and multistep Förster transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fennel, Franziska; Lochbrunner, Stefan

2015-10-01

Exciton annihilation dynamics in a disordered organic model system is investigated by ultrafast absorption spectroscopy. We show that the temporal evolution of the exciton density can be quantitatively understood by applying Förster energy transfer theory to describe the diffusion of the excitons as well as the annihilation step itself. To this end, previous formulations of Förster theory are extended to account for the inhomogeneous distribution of the S0-S1 transition energies resulting in an effective exciton diffusion constant. Two annihilation pathways are considered, the direct transfer of an exciton between two excited molecules and diffusive motion by multiple transfer steps towards a second exciton preceding the annihilation event. One pathway can be emphasized with respect to the other by tuning the exciton diffusion constant via the chromophore concentration. The investigated system allows one to extract all relevant parameters for the description and provides in this way a proof that the annihilation dynamics can be entirely understood and modeled by Förster energy transfer.

Survivorship of male and female Bactrocera dorsalis in the field and the effect of male annihilation technique

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Male Annihilation Technique (MAT) is a key component of the Oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae) management because of the “strong” attraction of males to the lure methyl eugenol. The optimal application density for MAT has not been investigated for this economically ...

CLUMPY: A code for γ-ray signals from dark matter structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charbonnier, Aldée; Combet, Céline; Maurin, David

2012-03-01

We present the first public code for semi-analytical calculation of the γ-ray flux astrophysical J-factor from dark matter annihilation/decay in the Galaxy, including dark matter substructures. The core of the code is the calculation of the line of sight integral of the dark matter density squared (for annihilations) or density (for decaying dark matter). The code can be used in three modes: i) to draw skymaps from the Galactic smooth component and/or the substructure contributions, ii) to calculate the flux from a specific halo (that is not the Galactic halo, e.g. dwarf spheroidal galaxies) or iii) to perform simple statistical operations from a list of allowed DM profiles for a given object. Extragalactic contributions and other tracers of DM annihilation (e.g. positrons, anti-protons) will be included in a second release.

Positron annihilation lifetime characterization of oxygen ion irradiated rutile TiO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luitel, Homnath; Sarkar, A.; Chakrabarti, Mahuya; Chattopadhyay, S.; Asokan, K.; Sanyal, D.

2016-07-01

Ferromagnetic ordering at room temperature has been induced in rutile phase of TiO2 polycrystalline sample by O ion irradiation. 96 MeV O ion induced defects in rutile TiO2 sample has been characterized by positron annihilation spectroscopic techniques. Positron annihilation results indicate the formation of cation vacancy (VTi, Ti vacancy) in these irradiated TiO2 samples. Ab initio density functional theoretical calculations indicate that in TiO2 magnetic moment can be induced either by creating Ti or O vacancies.

Antiproton powered propulsion with magnetically confined plasma engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lapointe, Michael R.

1989-01-01

Matter-antimatter annihilation releases more energy per unit mass than any other method of energy production, making it an attractive energy source for spacecraft propulsion. In the magnetically confined plasma engine, antiproton beams are injected axially into a pulsed magnetic mirror system, where they annihilate with an initially neutral hydrogen gas. The resulting charged annihilation products transfer energy to the hydrogen propellant, which is then exhausted through one end of the pulsed mirror system to provide thrust. The calculated energy transfer efficiencies for a low number density (10(14)/cu cm) hydrogen propellant are insufficient to warrant operating the engine in this mode. Efficiencies are improved using moderate propellant number densities (10(16)/cu cm), but the energy transferred to the plasma in a realistic magnetic mirror system is generally limited to less than 2 percent of the initial proton-antiproton annihilation energy. The energy transfer efficiencies are highest for high number density (10(18)/cu cm) propellants, but plasma temperatures are reduced by excessive radiation losses. Low to moderate thrust over a wide range of specific impulse can be generated with moderate propellant number densities, while higher thrust but lower specific impulse may be generated using high propellant number densities. Significant mass will be required to shield the superconducting magnet coils from the high energy gamma radiation emitted by neutral pion decay. The mass of such a radiation shield may dominate the total engine mass, and could severely diminish the performance of antiproton powered engines which utilize magnetic confinement. The problem is compounded in the antiproton powered plasma engine, where lower energy plasma bremsstrahlung radiation may cause shield surface ablation and degradation.

Temperature and depth dependence of positron annihilation parameters in YBa2Cu3O7-x and La1.85Sr0.15CuO4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynn, K. G.; Usmar, S. G.; Nielsen, B.; van der Kolk, G. J.; Kanazawa, I.; Sferlazzo, P.; Moodenbaugh, A. R.

1988-02-01

The temperature dependence of the positron annihilation parameters for YBa2Cu3O7-x x=0.7, 0.4 and 0.0 and La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 were measured. The depth dependence of the YBa2Cu3O7 was studied using a variable-energy positron beam showing a strong depth dependence in the Doppler line-shape extending up to an average depth of ˜5.0 μm. It was found that a transition in the Doppler line-shape parameter, ``S'', was associated with the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) in YBa2Cu3O7-x x=0.4 and 0.0 while no transition was observed in the nonsuperconducting YBa2Cu3O6.3. Positron lifetime parameters in YBa2Cu3O7 were found to be consistent with positrons localized at open volume regions (probably unoccupied crystallographic sites) in this material with a lifetime of 210 psec at 300 K. These results indicate that the electron density at these unoccupied sites increases, using a free electron model, approximately 9% between 100 and 12 K.

Generalization of the Kohn-Sham system that can represent arbitrary one-electron density matrices

DOE PAGES

Hubertus J. J. van Dam

2016-04-27

Density functional theory is currently the most widely applied method in electronic structure theory. The Kohn-Sham method, based on a fictitious system of noninteracting particles, is the workhorse of the theory. The particular form of the Kohn-Sham wave function admits only idempotent one-electron density matrices whereas wave functions of correlated electrons in post-Hartree-Fock methods invariably have fractional occupation numbers. Here we show that by generalizing the orbital concept and introducing a suitable dot product as well as a probability density, a noninteracting system can be chosen that can represent the one-electron density matrix of any system, even one with fractionalmore » occupation numbers. This fictitious system ensures that the exact electron density is accessible within density functional theory. It can also serve as the basis for reduced density matrix functional theory. Moreover, to aid the analysis of the results the orbitals may be assigned energies from a mean-field Hamiltonian. This produces energy levels that are akin to Hartree-Fock orbital energies such that conventional analyses based on Koopmans' theorem are available. Lastly, this system is convenient in formalisms that depend on creation and annihilation operators as they are trivially applied to single-determinant wave functions.« less

Probing dark matter annihilation in the Galaxy with antiprotons and gamma rays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cuoco, Alessandro; Heisig, Jan; Korsmeier, Michael

2017-10-01

A possible hint of dark matter annihilation has been found in Cuoco, Korsmeier and Krämer (2017) from an analysis of recent cosmic-ray antiproton data from AMS-02 and taking into account cosmic-ray propagation uncertainties by fitting at the same time dark matter and propagation parameters. Here, we extend this analysis to a wider class of annihilation channels. We find consistent hints of a dark matter signal with an annihilation cross-section close to the thermal value and with masses in range between 40 and 130 GeV depending on the annihilation channel. Furthermore, we investigate in how far the possible signal is compatiblemore » with the Galactic center gamma-ray excess and recent observation of dwarf satellite galaxies by performing a joint global fit including uncertainties in the dark matter density profile. As an example, we interpret our results in the framework of the Higgs portal model.« less

Studies of Oxidation of the Cu(100) Surface Using Low Energy Positrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazleev, N. G.; Maddox, W. B.; Nadesalingam, M.; Rajeshwar, K.; Weiss, A. H.

2009-03-01

Changes in the surface of an oxidized Cu(100) single crystal resulting from vacuum annealing have been investigated using positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES). PAES measurements show a large increase in the intensity of the positron annihilation induced Cu M2,3VV Auger peak as the sample is subjected to a series of isochronal anneals in vacuum up to annealing temperature 300° C. The intensity then decreases monotonically as the annealing temperature is increased to ˜600° C. Experimental PAES results are analyzed by performing calculations of positron surface states and annihilation probabilities of surface-trapped positrons with relevant core electrons taking into account the charge redistribution at the surface, surface reconstructions, and electron-positron correlations effects. Possible explanation for the observed behavior of the intensity of positron annihilation induced Cu M2,3VV Auger peak with changes of the annealing temperature is proposed.

Studies of oxidation of the Cu(100) surface using low energy positrons.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maddox, W. B.; Fazleev, N. G.; Weiss, A. H.

2009-03-01

Changes in the surface of an oxidized Cu(100) single crystal resulting from vacuum annealing have been investigated using positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES). PAES measurements show a large increase in the intensity of the positron annihilation induced Cu M2,3VV Auger peak as the sample is subjected to a series of isochronal anneals in vacuum up to annealing temperature 300^o C. The intensity then decreases monotonically as the annealing temperature is increased to ˜600^o C. Experimental PAES results are analyzed by performing calculations of positron surface states and annihilation probabilities of surface-trapped positrons with relevant core electrons taking into account the charge redistribution at the surface, surface reconstructions, and electron-positron correlations effects. Possible explanation for the observed behavior of the intensity of positron annihilation induced Cu M2,3VV Auger peak with changes of the annealing temperature is proposed.

Influence of excitons interaction with charge carriers on photovoltaic parameters in organic solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Głowienka, Damian; Szmytkowski, Jędrzej

2018-03-01

We report on theoretical analysis of excitons annihilation on charge carriers in organic solar cells. Numerical calculations based on transient one-dimensional drift-diffusion model have been carried out. An impact of three quantities (an annihilation rate constant, an exciton mobility and a recombination reduction factor) on current density and concentrations of charge carriers and excitons is investigated. Finally, we discuss the influence of excitons interaction with electrons and holes on four photovoltaic parameters (a short-circuit current, an open-circuit voltage, a fill factor and a power conversion efficiency). The conclusion is that the annihilation process visibly decreases the efficiency of organic photocells, if the annihilation rate constant is greater than 10-15m3s-1 .

SiO 2/SiC interface proved by positron annihilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maekawa, M.; Kawasuso, A.; Yoshikawa, M.; Itoh, H.

2003-06-01

We have studied positron annihilation in a Silicon carbide (SiC)-metal/oxide/semiconductor (MOS) structure using a monoenergetic positron beam. The Doppler broadening of annihilation quanta were measured as functions of the incident positron energy and the gate bias. Applying negative gate bias, significant increases in S-parameters were observed. This indicates the migration of implanted positrons towards SiO 2/SiC interface and annihilation at open-volume type defects. The behavior of S-parameters depending on the bias voltage was well correlated with the capacitance-voltage ( C- V) characteristics. We observed higher S-parameters and the interfacial trap density in MOS structures fabricated using the dry oxidation method as compared to those by pyrogenic oxidation method.

Theoretical calculations of positron annihilation characteristics in inorganic solids -- Recent advances and problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sob, M.; Sormann, H.; Kuriplach, J.

Principles and applications of positron annihilation spectroscopy to electronic structure and defect studies are briefly reviewed and some recent advances and pending problems are illustrated by specific examples. In particular, it turns out that the sensitivity of calculated momentum densities of electron-positron annihilation pairs (MDAP) to the choice of electron crystal potential is higher or comparable to its sensitivity with respect to the choice of description of the electron-positron interaction. As a result, it is very hard to distinguish between various electron-positron interaction theories on the basis of the comparison of theoretical and experimental MDAPs. Furthermore, the positron affinity is determined theorttically for several systems having a band gap (semiconductors, insulators). It appears that the calculated positron affinities are significantly underestimated when compared to experimental data and, apparently, electron-positron interactions in such systems are not described satisfactorily by contemporary theoretical approaches. The above examples are related rather to electronic structure studies, but positrons are often used to investigate various open-volume defects in solids, which is dealt with in the last illustration. A non-selfconsistent computational technique suitable for the theoretical examination of configurations having large number (thousands) of non-equivalent atoms has been updated recently to treat non-periodic solids. It is based on the superposition of atomic densities in order to approximate the electronic density of the system studied. Though the charge redistribution due to selfconsistency effects is neglected, positron annihilation characteristics are determined quite reasonably. This allows for studying properties of extended defects like grain boundaries (and other interfaces), dislocations, precipitates, etc., which is very helpful when interpreting experimental positron annihilation data. Our technique is demonstrated for the case of nanocrystalline Ni where realistic atomic configurations are taken from large-scale molecular dynamics simulations.

Effect of black holes in local dwarf spheroidal galaxies on gamma-ray constraints on dark matter annihilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez-Morales, Alma X.; Profumo, Stefano; Queiroz, Farinaldo S.

2014-11-01

Recent discoveries of optical signatures of black holes in dwarf galaxies indicates that low-mass galaxies can indeed host intermediate massive black holes. This motivates the assessment of the resulting effect on the host dark matter density profile, and the consequences for the constraints on the plane of the dark matter annihilation cross section versus mass, stemming from the nonobservation of gamma rays from local dwarf spheroidals with the Fermi Large Area Telescope. We compute the density profile using three different prescriptions for the black hole mass associated with a given spheroidal galaxy, and taking into account the cutoff to the density from dark matter pair-annihilation. We find that the limits on the dark matter annihilation rate from observations of individual dwarfs are enhanced by factors of a few up to 1 06 , depending on the specific galaxy, on the black hole mass prescription, and on the dark matter particle mass. We estimate limits from combined observations of a sample of 15 dwarfs, for a variety of assumptions on the dwarf black hole mass and on the dark matter density profile prior to adiabatic contraction. We find that if black holes are indeed present in local dwarf spheroidals, then, independent of assumptions, (i) the dark matter interpretation of the Galactic center gamma-ray excess would be conclusively ruled out, (ii) wino dark matter would be excluded up to masses of about 3 TeV, and (iii) vanilla thermal relic weakly interacting massive particles must be heavier than 100 GeV.

Exciton dynamics and annihilation in WS2 2D semiconductors.

PubMed

Yuan, Long; Huang, Libai

2015-04-28

We systematically investigate the exciton dynamics in monolayered, bilayered, and trilayered WS2 two-dimensional (2D) crystals by time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) spectroscopy. The exciton lifetime when free of exciton annihilation was determined to be 806 ± 37 ps, 401 ± 25 ps, and 332 ± 19 ps for WS2 monolayer, bilayer, and trilayer, respectively. By measuring the fluorescence quantum yields, we also establish the radiative and nonradiative lifetimes of the direct and indirect excitons. The exciton decay in monolayered WS2 exhibits a strong excitation density-dependence, which can be described using an exciton-exciton annihilation (two-particle Auger recombination) model. The exciton-exciton annihilation rate for monolayered, bilayered, and trilayered WS2 was determined to be 0.41 ± 0.02, (6.00 ± 1.09) × 10(-3) and (1.88 ± 0.47) × 10(-3) cm(2) s(-1), respectively. Notably, the exciton-exciton annihilation rate is two orders of magnitude faster in the monolayer than in the bilayer and trilayer. We attribute the much slower exciton-exciton annihilation rate in the bilayer and trilayer to reduced many-body interaction and phonon-assisted exciton-exciton annihilation of indirect excitons.

Positron annihilation spectroscopy investigation of vacancy defects in neutron-irradiated 3 C -SiC

DOE PAGES

Hu, Xunxiang; Koyanagi, Takaaki; Katoh, Yutai; ...

2017-03-10

We described positron annihilation spectroscopy characterization results for neutron-irradiated 3 C -SiC, with a specific focus on explaining the size and character of vacancy clusters as a complement to the current understanding of the neutron irradiation response of 3 C -SiC. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy was used to capture the irradiation temperature and dose dependence of vacancy defects in 3 C -SiC following neutron irradiation from 0.01 to 31 dpa in the temperature range from 380C °to 790C .° The neutral and negatively charged vacancy clusters were identified and quantified. The results suggest that the vacancy defects that were measuredmore » by positron annihilation spectroscopy technique contribute very little to the transient swelling of SiC. Additionally, we used coincidence Doppler broadening measurement to investigate the chemical identity surrounding the positron trapping sites.Finally, we found that silicon vacancy-related defects dominate in the studied materials and the production of the antisite defect C Si may result in an increase in the probability of positron annihilation with silicon core electrons.« less

When the universe expands too fast: relentless dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Eramo, Francesco; Fernandez, Nicolas; Profumo, Stefano

2017-05-01

We consider a modification to the standard cosmological history consisting of introducing a new species phi whose energy density red-shifts with the scale factor a like ρphi propto a-(4+n). For 0n>, such a red-shift is faster than radiation, hence the new species dominates the energy budget of the universe at early times while it is completely negligible at late times. If equality with the radiation energy density is achieved at low enough temperatures, dark matter can be produced as a thermal relic during the new cosmological phase. Dark matter freeze-out then occurs at higher temperatures compared to the standard case, implying that reproducing the observed abundance requires significantly larger annihilation rates. Here, we point out a completely new phenomenon, which we refer to as relentless dark matter: for large enough n, unlike the standard case where annihilation ends shortly after the departure from thermal equilibrium, dark matter particles keep annihilating long after leaving chemical equilibrium, with a significant depletion of the final relic abundance. Relentless annihilation occurs for n >= 2 and n >= 4 for s-wave and p-wave annihilation, respectively, and it thus occurs in well motivated scenarios such as a quintessence with a kination phase. We discuss a few microscopic realizations for the new cosmological component and highlight the phenomenological consequences of our calculations for dark matter searches.

Self-trapping limited exciton diffusion in a monomeric perylene crystal as revealed by femtosecond transient absorption microscopy.

PubMed

Yago, Tomoaki; Tamaki, Yoshiaki; Furube, Akihiro; Katoh, Ryuzi

2008-08-14

Self-trapping and singlet-singlet annihilation of the free excitons in a monomeric (beta) perylene crystal were studied by using femtosecond transient absorption microscopy. The free exciton generated by the photo-excitation of the beta-perylene crystal relaxed to the self-trapped exciton with a rate constant of 7 x 10(10) s(-1). The singlet-singlet annihilation of the free exciton observed under the high excitation density conditions was competed with the self-trapping of the free exciton; we estimated the annihilation rate constant for the free exciton to be 1 x 10(-8) cm(3) s(-1) from the excitation density dependence of the free exciton decay. After self-trapping of the free exciton, no annihilation was observed in the 100 ps time range, suggesting that the diffusion coefficient was reduced drastically by self-trapping. The results show that the major factor limiting the exciton diffusion in the beta-perylene crystal is a relaxation of the free exciton to the self-trapped exciton, and not the lifetime of the exciton. Though the singlet-singlet annihilation rate constants and fluorescence lifetime of the beta-perylene crystal are similar to those of the anthracene crystal, the estimated exciton diffusion length (2 nm) in the beta-perylene crystal is much smaller than that (100 nm) in the anthracene crystal as a result of the exciton self-trapping.

Target annihilation by diffusing particles in inhomogeneous geometries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassi, Davide

2009-09-01

The survival probability of immobile targets annihilated by a population of random walkers on inhomogeneous discrete structures, such as disordered solids, glasses, fractals, polymer networks, and gels, is analytically investigated. It is shown that, while it cannot in general be related to the number of distinct visited points as in the case of homogeneous lattices, in the case of bounded coordination numbers its asymptotic behavior at large times can still be expressed in terms of the spectral dimension d˜ and its exact analytical expression is given. The results show that the asymptotic survival probability is site-independent of recurrent structures (d˜≤2) , while on transient structures (d˜>2) it can strongly depend on the target position, and such dependence is explicitly calculated.

Electron and positron states in HgBa2CuO4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbiellini, B.; Jarlborg, T.

1994-08-01

Local-density-calculations of the electronic structure of HgBa2CuO4 have been performed with the self-consistent linear muffin-tin orbital method. The positron-density distribution and its sensitivity due to different potentials are calculated. The annihilation rates are computed in order to study the chemical bonding and to predict the Fermi-surface signal. Comparisons are made with previous calculations on other high-Tc copper oxides concerning the Fermi-surface properties and electron-positron overlap. We discuss the possibility of observing the Fermi surface associated with the Cu-O planes in positron-annihilation experiments.

Element specificity of ortho-positronium annihilation for alkali-metal loaded SiO2 glasses.

PubMed

Sato, K; Hatta, T

2015-03-07

Momentum distributions associated with ortho-positronium (o-Ps) pick-off annihilation photon are often influenced by light elements, as, e.g., carbon, oxygen, and fluorine. This phenomenon, so-called element specificity of o-Ps pick-off annihilation, has been utilized for studying the elemental environment around the open spaces. To gain an insight into the element specificity of o-Ps pick-off annihilation, the chemical shift of oxygen 1s binding energy and the momentum distributions associated with o-Ps pick-off annihilation were systematically investigated for alkali-metal loaded SiO2 glasses by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and positron-age-momentum correlation spectroscopy, respectively. Alkali metals introduced into the open spaces surrounded by oxygen atoms cause charge transfer from alkali metals to oxygen atoms, leading to the lower chemical shift for the oxygen 1s binding energy. The momentum distribution of o-Ps localized into the open spaces is found to be closely correlated with the oxygen 1s chemical shift. This correlation with the deepest 1s energy level evidences that the element specificity of o-Ps originates from pick-off annihilation with orbital electrons, i.e., dominantly with oxygen 2p valence electrons and s electrons with lower probability.

Observation of interface defects in thermally oxidized SiC using positron annihilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dekker, James; Saarinen, Kimmo; Ólafsson, Halldór; Sveinbjörnsson, Einar Ö.

2003-03-01

Positron annihilation has been applied to study thermally oxidized 4H- and 6H-SiC. The SiC/SiO2 interface is found to contain a high density of open-volume defects. The positron trapping at the interface defects correlates with the charge of the interface determined by capacitance-voltage experiments. For oxides grown on n-SiC substrates, the positron annihilation characteristics at these defects are nearly indistinguishable from those of a silicon/oxide interface, with no discernable contribution from C-related bonds or carbon clusters. These results indicate that those defects at the SiC/oxide interface, which are visible to positrons, are similar to those at the Si/oxide interface. The positron annihilation characteristics suggest that these defects are vacancies surrounded by oxygen atoms.

Positron annihilation in a metal-oxide semiconductor studied by using a pulsed monoenergetic positron beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uedono, A.; Wei, L.; Tanigawa, S.; Suzuki, R.; Ohgaki, H.; Mikado, T.; Ohji, Y.

1993-12-01

The positron annihilation in a metal-oxide semiconductor was studied by using a pulsed monoenergetic positron beam. Lifetime spectra of positrons were measured as a function of incident positron energy for a polycrystalline Si(100 nm)/SiO2(400 nm)/Si specimen. Applying a gate voltage between the polycrystalline Si film and the Si substrate, positrons implanted into the specimen were accumulated at the SiO2/Si interface. From the measurements, it was found that the annihilation probability of ortho-positronium (ortho-Ps) drastically decreased at the SiO2/Si interface. The observed inhibition of the Ps formation was attributed to an interaction between positrons and defects at the SiO2/Si interface.

The Madelung Picture as a Foundation of Geometric Quantum Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddiger, Maik

2017-10-01

Despite its age, quantum theory still suffers from serious conceptual difficulties. To create clarity, mathematical physicists have been attempting to formulate quantum theory geometrically and to find a rigorous method of quantization, but this has not resolved the problem. In this article we argue that a quantum theory recursing to quantization algorithms is necessarily incomplete. To provide an alternative approach, we show that the Schrödinger equation is a consequence of three partial differential equations governing the time evolution of a given probability density. These equations, discovered by Madelung, naturally ground the Schrödinger theory in Newtonian mechanics and Kolmogorovian probability theory. A variety of far-reaching consequences for the projection postulate, the correspondence principle, the measurement problem, the uncertainty principle, and the modeling of particle creation and annihilation are immediate. We also give a speculative interpretation of the equations following Bohm, Vigier and Tsekov, by claiming that quantum mechanical behavior is possibly caused by gravitational background noise.

When the universe expands too fast: relentless dark matter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

D'Eramo, Francesco; Fernandez, Nicolas; Profumo, Stefano, E-mail: fderamo@ucsc.edu, E-mail: nfernan2@ucsc.edu, E-mail: profumo@ucsc.edu

We consider a modification to the standard cosmological history consisting of introducing a new species φ whose energy density red-shifts with the scale factor a like ρ{sub φ} ∝ a {sup −(4+} {sup n} {sup )}. For 0 n >, such a red-shift is faster than radiation, hence the new species dominates the energy budget of the universe at early times while it is completely negligible at late times. If equality with the radiation energy density is achieved at low enough temperatures, dark matter can be produced as a thermal relic during the new cosmological phase. Dark matter freeze-out thenmore » occurs at higher temperatures compared to the standard case, implying that reproducing the observed abundance requires significantly larger annihilation rates. Here, we point out a completely new phenomenon, which we refer to as relentless dark matter: for large enough n , unlike the standard case where annihilation ends shortly after the departure from thermal equilibrium, dark matter particles keep annihilating long after leaving chemical equilibrium, with a significant depletion of the final relic abundance. Relentless annihilation occurs for n ≥ 2 and n ≥ 4 for s -wave and p -wave annihilation, respectively, and it thus occurs in well motivated scenarios such as a quintessence with a kination phase. We discuss a few microscopic realizations for the new cosmological component and highlight the phenomenological consequences of our calculations for dark matter searches.« less

Theoretical aspects of studies of oxide and semiconductor surfaces using low energy positrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazleev, N. G.; Maddox, W. B.; Weiss, A. H.

2011-01-01

This paper presents the results of a theoretical study of positron surface and bulk states and annihilation characteristics of surface trapped positrons at the oxidized Cu(100) single crystal and at both As- and Ga-rich reconstructed GaAs(100) surfaces. The variations in atomic structure and chemical composition of the topmost layers of the surfaces associated with oxidation and reconstructions and the charge redistribution at the surfaces are found to affect localization and spatial extent of the positron surface-state wave functions. The computed positron binding energy, work function, and annihilation characteristics reveal their sensitivity to charge transfer effects, atomic structure and chemical composition of the topmost layers of the surfaces. Theoretical positron annihilation probabilities with relevant core electrons computed for the oxidized Cu(100) surface and the As- and Ga-rich reconstructed GaAs(100) surfaces are compared with experimental ones estimated from the positron annihilation induced Auger peak intensities measured from these surfaces.

Studies of Oxidation of the Cu(100) Surface Using Low Energy Positrons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fazleev, N. G.; Kazan State University, Kazan 420008; Maddox, W. B.

2009-03-10

Changes in the surface of an oxidized Cu(100) single crystal resulting from vacuum annealing have been investigated using positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES). PAES measurements show a large increase in the intensity of the positron annihilation induced Cu M{sub 2,3}VV Auger peak as the sample is subjected to a series of isochronal anneals in vacuum up to annealing temperature 300 deg. C. The intensity then decreases monotonically as the annealing temperature is increased to {approx}600 deg. C. Experimental PAES results are analyzed by performing calculations of positron surface states and annihilation probabilities of surface-trapped positrons with relevant coremore » electrons taking into account the charge redistribution at the surface, surface reconstructions, and electron-positron correlations effects. Possible explanation for the observed behavior of the intensity of positron annihilation induced Cu M{sub 2,3}VV Auger peak with changes of the annealing temperature is proposed.« less

Oscillation of neutrinos produced by the annihilation of dark matter inside the Sun

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Esmaili, Arman; School of Physics, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences; Farzan, Yasaman

2010-06-01

The annihilation of dark matter particles captured by the Sun can lead to a neutrino flux observable in neutrino detectors. Considering the fact that these dark matter particles are nonrelativistic, if a pair of dark matter annihilates to a neutrino pair, the spectrum of neutrinos will be monochromatic. We show that in this case, even after averaging over the production point inside the Sun, the oscillatory terms of the oscillation probability do not average to zero. This leads to interesting observable features in the annual variation of the number of muon track events. We show that smearing of the spectrummore » due to thermal distribution of dark matter inside the Sun is too small to wash out this variation. We point out the possibility of studying the initial flavor composition of neutrinos produced by the annihilation of dark matter particles via measuring the annual variation of the number of {mu}-track events in neutrino telescopes.« less

Stop co-annihilation in the minimal supersymmetric standard model revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierce, Aaron; Shah, Nausheen R.; Vogl, Stefan

2018-01-01

We reexamine the stop co-annihilation scenario of the minimal supersymmetric standard model, wherein a binolike lightest supersymmetric particle has a thermal relic density set by co-annihilations with a scalar partner of the top quark in the early universe. We concentrate on the case where only the top partner sector is relevant for the cosmology, and other particles are heavy. We discuss the cosmology with focus on low energy parameters and an emphasis on the implications of the measured Higgs boson mass and its properties. We find that the irreducible direct detection signal correlated with this cosmology is generically well below projected experimental sensitivity, and in most cases lies below the neutrino background. A larger, detectable, direct detection rate is possible, but is unrelated to the co-annihilation cosmology. LHC searches for compressed spectra are crucial for probing this scenario.

Triplet exciton diffusion in fac-tris(2-phenylpyridine) iridium(III)-cored electroluminescent dendrimers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namdas, Ebinazar B.; Ruseckas, Arvydas; Samuel, Ifor D. W.; Lo, Shih-Chun; Burn, Paul L.

2005-02-01

We have studied triplet-triplet annihilation in neat films of electrophosphorescent fac-tris(2-phenylpyridine) iridium(III) [Ir(ppy)3]-cored dendrimers containing phenylene- and carbazole-based dendrons with 2-ethylhexyloxy surface groups using time-resolved photoluminescence. From measured annihilation rates, the limiting current densities above which annihilation would dominate in dendrimer light-emitting devices are found to be >1A/cm2. The triplet exciton diffusion length varies in the range of 2-10 nm depending on the dendron size. The distance dependence of the nearest-neighbor hopping rate shows that energy transfer is dominated by the exchange mechanism.

Harmonizing the MSSM with the Galactic Center excess

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butter, Anja; Murgia, Simona; Plehn, Tilman; Tait, Tim M. P.

2017-08-01

The minimal supersymmetric setup offers a comprehensive framework to interpret the Fermi-LAT Galactic Center excess. Taking into account experimental, theoretical, and astrophysical uncertainties we can identify valid parameter regions linked to different annihilation channels. They extend to dark matter masses above 250 GeV. There exists a very mild tension between the observed relic density and the annihilation rate in the center of our Galaxy for specific channels. The strongest additional constraints come from the new generation of direct detection experiments, ruling out much of the light and intermediate dark matter mass regime and giving preference to heavier dark matter annihilating into a pair of top quarks.

Dark matter annihilation in the circumgalactic medium at high redshifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schön, S.; Mack, K. J.; Wyithe, J. S. B.

2018-03-01

Annihilating dark matter (DM) models offer promising avenues for future DM detection, in particular via modification of astrophysical signals. However, when modelling such potential signals at high redshift, the emergence of both DM and baryonic structure, as well as the complexities of the energy transfer process, needs to be taken into account. In the following paper, we present a detailed energy deposition code and use this to examine the energy transfer efficiency of annihilating DM at high redshift, including the effects on baryonic structure. We employ the PYTHIA code to model neutralino-like DM candidates and their subsequent annihilation products for a range of masses and annihilation channels. We also compare different density profiles and mass-concentration relations for 105-107 M⊙ haloes at redshifts 20 and 40. For these DM halo and particle models, we show radially dependent ionization and heating curves and compare the deposited energy to the haloes' gravitational binding energy. We use the `filtered' annihilation spectra escaping the halo to calculate the heating of the circumgalactic medium and show that the mass of the minimal star-forming object is increased by a factor of 2-3 at redshift 20 and 4-5 at redshift 40 for some DM models.

Cosmic-ray antiprotons, positrons, and gamma rays from halo dark matter annihilation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rudaz, S.; Stecker, F. W.

1988-01-01

The subject of cosmic ray antiproton production is reexamined by considering other choices for the nature of the Majorana fermion chi other than the photino considered in a previous article. The calculations are extended to include cosmic-ray positrons and cosmic gamma rays as annihilation products. Taking chi to be a generic higgsino or simply a heavy Majorana neutrino with standard couplings to the Z-zero boson allows the previous interpretation of the cosmic antiproton data to be maintained. In this case also, the annihilation cross section can be calculated independently of unknown particle physics parameters. Whereas the relic density of photinos with the choice of parameters in the previous paper turned out to be only a few percent of the closure density, the corresponding value for Omega in the generic higgsino or Majorana case is about 0.2, in excellent agreement with the value associated with galaxies and one which is sufficient to give the halo mass.

Studies of Positrons Trapped at Quantum-Dot Like Particles Embedded in Metal Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazleev, N. G.; Nadesalingam, M. P.; Weiss, A. H.

2009-03-01

Experimental studies of the positron annihilation induced Auger electron (PAES) spectra from the Fe-Cu alloy surfaces with quantum-dot like Cu nanoparticles embedded in Fe show that the PAES signal from Cu increase rapidly as the concentration of Cu is enhanced by vacuum annealing. These measurements indicate that almost 75% of positrons that annihilate with core electrons due so with Cu even though the surface concentration of Cu as measured by EAES is only 6%. This result suggests that positrons become localized at sites at the surface containing high concentration of Cu atoms before annihilation. These experimental results are investigated theoretically by performing calculations of the "image-potential" positron surface states and annihilation characteristics of the surface trapped positrons with relevant Fe and Cu core-level electrons for the clean Fe(100) and Cu(100) surfaces and for the Fe(100) surface with quantum-dot like Cu nanoparticles embedded in the top atomic layers of the host substrate. Estimates of the positron binding energy and positron annihilation characteristics reveal their strong sensitivity to the nanoparticle coverage. Computed core annihilation probabilities are compared with experimental ones estimated from the measured Auger peak intensities. The observed behavior of the Fe and Cu PAES signal intensities is explained by theoretical calculations as being due to trapping of positrons in the regions of Cu nanoparticles embedded in the top atomic layers of Fe.

The Effects of Surface Reconstruction and Electron-Positron Correlation on the Annihilation Characteristics of Positrons Trapped at Semiconductor Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazleev, N. G.; Jung, E.; Weiss, A. H.

2009-03-01

Experimental positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES) data from Ge(100) and Ge(111) surfaces display several strong Auger peaks corresponding to M4,5N1N2,3, M2,3M4,5M4,5, M2,3M4,5V, and M1M4,5M4,5 Auger transitions. The integrated peak intensities of Auger transitions have been used to obtain experimental annihilation probabilities for the Ge 3d and 3p core electrons. The experimental data were analyzed by performing theoretical studies of the effects of surface reconstructions and electron-positron correlations on image potential induced surface states and annihilation characteristics of positrons trapped at the reconstructed Ge(100) and Ge(111) surfaces. Calculations of positron surface states and annihilation characteristics have been performed for Ge(100) surface with (2×1), (2×2), and (4×2) reconstructions, and for Ge(111) surface with c(2×8) reconstruction. Estimates of the positron binding energy and annihilation characteristics reveal their sensitivity to the specific atomic structure of the topmost layers of the semiconductor and to the approximations used to describe electron-positron correlations. The results of these theoretical studies are compared with the ones obtained for the reconstructed Si(100)-(2×1) and Si(111)-(7×7) surfaces.

Asymmetric thermal-relic dark matter: Sommerfeld-enhanced freeze-out, annihilation signals and unitarity bounds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baldes, Iason; Petraki, Kalliopi, E-mail: iason.baldes@desy.de, E-mail: kpetraki@lpthe.jussieu.fr

Dark matter that possesses a particle-antiparticle asymmetry and has thermalised in the early universe, requires a larger annihilation cross-section compared to symmetric dark matter, in order to deplete the dark antiparticles and account for the observed dark matter density. The annihilation cross-section determines the residual symmetric component of dark matter, which may give rise to annihilation signals during CMB and inside haloes today. We consider dark matter with long-range interactions, in particular dark matter coupled to a light vector or scalar force mediator. We compute the couplings required to attain a final antiparticle-to-particle ratio after the thermal freeze-out of themore » annihilation processes in the early universe, and then estimate the late-time annihilation signals. We show that, due to the Sommerfeld enhancement, highly asymmetric dark matter with long-range interactions can have a significant annihilation rate, potentially larger than symmetric dark matter of the same mass with contact interactions. We discuss caveats in this estimation, relating to the formation of stable bound states. Finally, we consider the non-relativistic partial-wave unitarity bound on the inelastic cross-section, we discuss why it can be realised only by long-range interactions, and showcase the importance of higher partial waves in this regime of large inelasticity. We derive upper bounds on the mass of symmetric and asymmetric thermal-relic dark matter for s -wave and p -wave annihilation, and exhibit how these bounds strengthen as the dark asymmetry increases.« less

Temperature dependence of positron annihilation parameters in Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundar, C. S.; Bharathi, A.; Ching, W. Y.; Jean, Y. C.; Hor, P. H.; Meng, R. L.; Huang, Z. J.; Chu, C. W.

1990-08-01

The results of positron lifetime and Doppler broadened line-shape parameter measurements as a function of temperature, across Tc, in the Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O superconductors are presented. The bulk lifetime in the normal state is found to decrease with the increase in the number of CuO2 layers. Different temperature dependencies of the annihilation parameters are observed in the various Tl systems containing different numbers of CuO2 layers. In the Tl2Ba2Ca2Cu3O10 system, an increase in lifetime is observed below Tc, whereas in Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8, a decrease in lifetime is seen below Tc. In the Tl2Ba2CuO6 system, the lifetime is observed to be temperature independent. The different temperature variations of positron annihilation parameters are discussed in the light of the positron density distribution, obtained with use of the results of the self-consistent orthogonalized linear combination of atomic orbitals band-structure calculations. It is argued that the different temperature dependencies of the annihilation parameters is related to the positron density distribution within the unit cell and arise due to local charge transfer in the vicinity of the CuO2 layer in the superconducting state.

Going through a quantum phase

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shapiro, Jeffrey H.

1992-01-01

Phase measurements on a single-mode radiation field are examined from a system-theoretic viewpoint. Quantum estimation theory is used to establish the primacy of the Susskind-Glogower (SG) phase operator; its phase eigenkets generate the probability operator measure (POM) for maximum likelihood phase estimation. A commuting observables description for the SG-POM on a signal x apparatus state space is derived. It is analogous to the signal-band x image-band formulation for optical heterodyne detection. Because heterodyning realizes the annihilation operator POM, this analogy may help realize the SG-POM. The wave function representation associated with the SG POM is then used to prove the duality between the phase measurement and the number operator measurement, from which a number-phase uncertainty principle is obtained, via Fourier theory, without recourse to linearization. Fourier theory is also employed to establish the principle of number-ket causality, leading to a Paley-Wiener condition that must be satisfied by the phase-measurement probability density function (PDF) for a single-mode field in an arbitrary quantum state. Finally, a two-mode phase measurement is shown to afford phase-conjugate quantum communication at zero error probability with finite average photon number. Application of this construct to interferometric precision measurements is briefly discussed.

Searching for Dark Matter Annihilation in the Smith High-Velocity Cloud

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drlica-Wagner, Alex; Gomez-Vargas, German A.; Hewitt, John W.; Linden, Tim; Tibaldo, Luigi

2014-01-01

Recent observations suggest that some high-velocity clouds may be confined by massive dark matter halos. In particular, the proximity and proposed dark matter content of the Smith Cloud make it a tempting target for the indirect detection of dark matter annihilation. We argue that the Smith Cloud may be a better target than some Milky Way dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies and use gamma-ray observations from the Fermi Large Area Telescope to search for a dark matter annihilation signal. No significant gamma-ray excess is found coincident with the Smith Cloud, and we set strong limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section assuming a spatially extended dark matter profile consistent with dynamical modeling of the Smith Cloud. Notably, these limits exclude the canonical thermal relic cross section (approximately 3 x 10 (sup -26) cubic centimeters per second) for dark matter masses less than or approximately 30 gigaelectronvolts annihilating via the B/B- bar oscillation or tau/antitau channels for certain assumptions of the dark matter density profile; however, uncertainties in the dark matter content of the Smith Cloud may significantly weaken these constraints.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farina, Marco; Pappadopulo, Duccio; Ruderman, Joshua T.

A hidden sector with a mass gap undergoes an epoch of cannibalism if number changing interactions are active when the temperature drops below the mass of the lightest hidden particle. During cannibalism, the hidden sector temperature decreases only logarithmically with the scale factor. We consider the possibility that dark matter resides in a hidden sector that underwent cannibalism, and has relic density set by the freeze-out of two-to-two annihilations. We identify three novel phases, depending on the behavior of the hidden sector when dark matter freezes out. During the cannibal phase, dark matter annihilations decouple while the hidden sector ismore » cannibalizing. During the chemical phase, only two-to-two interactions are active and the total number of hidden particles is conserved. During the one way phase, the dark matter annihilation products decay out of equilibrium, suppressing the production of dark matter from inverse annihilations. We map out the distinct phenomenology of each phase, which includes a boosted dark matter annihilation rate, new relativistic degrees of freedom, warm dark matter, and observable distortions to the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background.« less

Phases of cannibal dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farina, Marco; Pappadopulo, Duccio; Ruderman, Joshua T.; Trevisan, Gabriele

2016-12-01

A hidden sector with a mass gap undergoes an epoch of cannibalism if number changing interactions are active when the temperature drops below the mass of the lightest hidden particle. During cannibalism, the hidden sector temperature decreases only logarithmically with the scale factor. We consider the possibility that dark matter resides in a hidden sector that underwent cannibalism, and has relic density set by the freeze-out of two-to-two annihilations. We identify three novel phases, depending on the behavior of the hidden sector when dark matter freezes out. During the cannibal phase, dark matter annihilations decouple while the hidden sector is cannibalizing. During the chemical phase, only two-to-two interactions are active and the total number of hidden particles is conserved. During the one way phase, the dark matter annihilation products decay out of equilibrium, suppressing the production of dark matter from inverse annihilations. We map out the distinct phenomenology of each phase, which includes a boosted dark matter annihilation rate, new relativistic degrees of freedom, warm dark matter, and observable distortions to the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background.

Mitigating direct detection bounds in non-minimal Higgs portal scalar dark matter models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, Subhaditya; Ghosh, Purusottam; Maity, Tarak Nath; Ray, Tirtha Sankar

2017-10-01

The minimal Higgs portal dark matter model is increasingly in tension with recent results form direct detection experiments like LUX and XENON. In this paper we make a systematic study of simple extensions of the Z_2 stabilized singlet scalar Higgs portal scenario in terms of their prospects at direct detection experiments. We consider both enlarging the stabilizing symmetry to Z_3 and incorporating multipartite features in the dark sector. We demonstrate that in these non-minimal models the interplay of annihilation, co-annihilation and semi-annihilation processes considerably relax constraints from present and proposed direct detection experiments while simultaneously saturating observed dark matter relic density. We explore in particular the resonant semi-annihilation channel within the multipartite Z_3 framework which results in new unexplored regions of parameter space that would be difficult to constrain by direct detection experiments in the near future. The role of dark matter exchange processes within multi-component Z_3× Z_3^' } framework is illustrated. We make quantitative estimates to elucidate the role of various annihilation processes in the different allowed regions of parameter space within these models.

Indirect detection constraints on s- and t-channel simplified models of dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpenter, Linda M.; Colburn, Russell; Goodman, Jessica; Linden, Tim

2016-09-01

Recent Fermi-LAT observations of dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Milky Way have placed strong limits on the gamma-ray flux from dark matter annihilation. In order to produce the strongest limit on the dark matter annihilation cross section, the observations of each dwarf galaxy have typically been "stacked" in a joint-likelihood analysis, utilizing optical observations to constrain the dark matter density profile in each dwarf. These limits have typically been computed only for singular annihilation final states, such as b b ¯ or τ+τ- . In this paper, we generalize this approach by producing an independent joint-likelihood analysis to set constraints on models where the dark matter particle annihilates to multiple final-state fermions. We interpret these results in the context of the most popular simplified models, including those with s- and t-channel dark matter annihilation through scalar and vector mediators. We present our results as constraints on the minimum dark matter mass and the mediator sector parameters. Additionally, we compare our simplified model results to those of effective field theory contact interactions in the high-mass limit.

Phases of cannibal dark matter

DOE PAGES

Farina, Marco; Pappadopulo, Duccio; Ruderman, Joshua T.; ...

2016-12-13

A hidden sector with a mass gap undergoes an epoch of cannibalism if number changing interactions are active when the temperature drops below the mass of the lightest hidden particle. During cannibalism, the hidden sector temperature decreases only logarithmically with the scale factor. We consider the possibility that dark matter resides in a hidden sector that underwent cannibalism, and has relic density set by the freeze-out of two-to-two annihilations. We identify three novel phases, depending on the behavior of the hidden sector when dark matter freezes out. During the cannibal phase, dark matter annihilations decouple while the hidden sector ismore » cannibalizing. During the chemical phase, only two-to-two interactions are active and the total number of hidden particles is conserved. During the one way phase, the dark matter annihilation products decay out of equilibrium, suppressing the production of dark matter from inverse annihilations. We map out the distinct phenomenology of each phase, which includes a boosted dark matter annihilation rate, new relativistic degrees of freedom, warm dark matter, and observable distortions to the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background.« less

Searching For Dark Matter Annihilation In The Smith High-Velocity Cloud

DOE PAGES

Drlica-Wagner, Alex; Gómez-Vargas, Germán A.; Hewitt, John W.; ...

2014-06-27

Recent observations suggest that some high-velocity clouds may be confined by massive dark matter halos. In particular, the proximity and proposed dark matter content of the Smith Cloud make it a tempting target for the indirect detection of dark matter annihilation. We argue that the Smith Cloud may be a better target than some Milky Way dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies and use γ-ray observations from the Fermi Large Area Telescope to search for a dark matter annihilation signal. No significant γ-ray excess is found coincident with the Smith Cloud, and we set strong limits on the dark matter annihilation crossmore » section assuming a spatially extended dark matter profile consistent with dynamical modeling of the Smith Cloud. Notably, these limits exclude the canonical thermal relic cross section (~3 × 10 -26 cm3 s -1) for dark matter masses . 30 GeV annihilating via the b¯b or τ⁺τ⁻ channels for certain assumptions of the dark matter density profile; however, uncertainties in the dark matter content of the Smith Cloud may significantly weaken these constraints.« less

Evaluation of structural vacancies for 1/1-Al-Re-Si approximant crystals by positron annihilation spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, K.; Suzuki, H.; Kitahata, H.; Matsushita, Y.; Nozawa, K.; Komori, F.; Yu, R. S.; Kobayashi, Y.; Ohdaira, T.; Oshima, N.; Suzuki, R.; Takagiwa, Y.; Kimura, K.; Kanazawa, I.

2018-01-01

The size of structural vacancies and structural vacancy density of 1/1-Al-Re-Si approximant crystals with different Re compositions were evaluated by positron annihilation lifetime and Doppler broadening measurements. Incident positrons were found to be trapped at the monovacancy-size open space surrounded by Al atoms. From a previous analysis using the maximum entropy method and Rietveld method, such an open space is shown to correspond to the centre of Al icosahedral clusters, which locates at the vertex and body centre. The structural vacancy density of non-metallic Al73Re17Si10 was larger than that of metallic Al73Re15Si12. The observed difference in the structural vacancy density reflects that in bonding nature and may explain that in the physical properties of the two samples.

Study of defects in an electroresistive Au/La2/3Sr1/3MnO3/SrTiO3(001) heterostructure by positron annihilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferragut, R.; Dupaquier, A.; Brivio, S.; Bertacco, R.; Egger, W.

2011-09-01

Defects in an ultrathin Au/La2/3Sr1/3MnO3/SrTiO3 (Au/LSMO/STO) heterostructure displaying electroresistive behavior were studied using variable energy positron annihilation spectroscopy. Vacancy-like defects were found to be the dominant positron traps in the LSMO and STO thin perovskite oxides with a number density >1017 cm-3 and 2 × 1017 cm-3 in the STO substrate. High defect density was revealed by strong positron trapping at the Au/LSMO interface. Oxygen deficiency in LSMO would be the main source of these traps. Besides, a low density of sub-nano voids of ˜6 Å was found in the substrate and in the thin LSMO/STO films.

Chemical Quenching of Positronium in CuO/Al2O3 Catalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hong-Jun; Liu, Zhe-Wen; Chen, Zhi-Quan; Wang, Shao-Jie

2011-01-01

CuO/Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by mixing CuO and γ-Al2O3 nanopowders. Microstructure and chemical environment of the catalysts are characterized by positron annihilation spectroscopy. The positron annihilation lifetime measurements reveal two long lifetime components τ3 and τ4, which correspond to ortho-positronium (o-Ps) annihilating in microvoids and large pores, respectively. With increasing CuO content from 0 to 40 wt%, both τ4 and its intensity I4 show significant decrease, which indicates quenching effect of o-Ps. The para-positronium (p-Ps) intensities derived from multi-Gaussian fitting of the coincidence Doppler broadening spectra also decreases gradually with increasing CuO content. This excludes the possibility of spin-conversion of positronium. Therefore, the chemical quenching by CuO is probably responsible for the decrease of o-Ps lifetime. Variation in the o-Ps annihilation rate λ4 (1/τ4) as a function of CuO content can be well fitted by a straight line, and the slope of the fitting line is (1.83 ± 0.05) × 10-7 s-1.

The Effects of Surface Reconstruction and Electron-Positron Correlation on the Annihilation Characteristics of Positrons Trapped at Semiconductor Surfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fazleev, N. G.; Department of Physics, Kazan State University, Kazan 420008; Jung, E.

2009-03-10

Experimental positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES) data from Ge(100) and Ge(111) surfaces display several strong Auger peaks corresponding to M{sub 4,5}N{sub 1}N{sub 2,3}, M{sub 2,3}M{sub 4,5}M{sub 4,5}, M{sub 2,3}M{sub 4,5}V, and M{sub 1}M{sub 4,5}M{sub 4,5} Auger transitions. The integrated peak intensities of Auger transitions have been used to obtain experimental annihilation probabilities for the Ge 3d and 3p core electrons. The experimental data were analyzed by performing theoretical studies of the effects of surface reconstructions and electron-positron correlations on image potential induced surface states and annihilation characteristics of positrons trapped at the reconstructed Ge(100) and Ge(111) surfaces. Calculationsmore » of positron surface states and annihilation characteristics have been performed for Ge(100) surface with (2x1), (2x2), and (4x2) reconstructions, and for Ge(111) surface with c(2x8) reconstruction. Estimates of the positron binding energy and annihilation characteristics reveal their sensitivity to the specific atomic structure of the topmost layers of the semiconductor and to the approximations used to describe electron-positron correlations. The results of these theoretical studies are compared with the ones obtained for the reconstructed Si(100)-(2x1) and Si(111)-(7x7) surfaces.« less

Dark matter searches with Cherenkov telescopes: nearby dwarf galaxies or local galaxy clusters?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sánchez-Conde, Miguel A.; Cannoni, Mirco; Gómez, Mario E.

2011-12-01

In this paper, we compare dwarf galaxies and galaxy clusters in order to elucidate which object class is the best target for gamma-ray DM searches with imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). We have built a mixed dwarfs+clusters sample containing some of the most promising nearby dwarf galaxies (Draco, Ursa Minor, Wilman 1 and Segue 1) and local galaxy clusters (Perseus, Coma, Ophiuchus, Virgo, Fornax, NGC 5813 and NGC 5846), and then compute their DM annihilation flux profiles by making use of the latest modeling of their DM density profiles. We also include in our calculations the effect of DM substructure.more » Willman 1 appears as the best candidate in the sample. However, its mass modeling is still rather uncertain, so probably other candidates with less uncertainties and quite similar fluxes, namely Ursa Minor and Segue 1, might be better options. As for galaxy clusters, Virgo represents the one with the highest flux. However, its large spatial extension can be a serious handicap for IACT observations and posterior data analysis. Yet, other local galaxy cluster candidates with more moderate emission regions, such as Perseus, may represent good alternatives. After comparing dwarfs and clusters, we found that the former exhibit annihilation flux profiles that, at the center, are roughly one order of magnitude higher than those of clusters, although galaxy clusters can yield similar, or even higher, integrated fluxes for the whole object once substructure is taken into account. Even when any of these objects are strictly point-like according to the properties of their annihilation signals, we conclude that dwarf galaxies are best suited for observational strategies based on the search of point-like sources, while galaxy clusters represent best targets for analyses that can deal with rather extended emissions. Finally, we study the detection prospects for present and future IACTs in the framework of the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model. We find that the level of the annihilation flux from these targets is below the sensitivities of current IACTs and the future CTA.« less

Dark Matter Searches with Cherenkov Telescopes: Nearby Dwarf Galaxies or Local Galaxy Clusters?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanchez-Conde, Miguel A.; /KIPAC, Menlo Park /SLAC /IAC, La Laguna /Laguna U., Tenerife; Cannoni, Mirco

2012-06-06

In this paper, we compare dwarf galaxies and galaxy clusters in order to elucidate which object class is the best target for gamma-ray DM searches with imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). We have built a mixed dwarfs+clusters sample containing some of the most promising nearby dwarf galaxies (Draco, Ursa Minor, Wilman 1 and Segue 1) and local galaxy clusters (Perseus, Coma, Ophiuchus, Virgo, Fornax, NGC 5813 and NGC 5846), and then compute their DM annihilation flux profiles by making use of the latest modeling of their DM density profiles. We also include in our calculations the effect of DM substructure.more » Willman 1 appears as the best candidate in the sample. However, its mass modeling is still rather uncertain, so probably other candidates with less uncertainties and quite similar fluxes, namely Ursa Minor and Segue 1, might be better options. As for galaxy clusters, Virgo represents the one with the highest flux. However, its large spatial extension can be a serious handicap for IACT observations and posterior data analysis. Yet, other local galaxy cluster candidates with more moderate emission regions, such as Perseus, may represent good alternatives. After comparing dwarfs and clusters, we found that the former exhibit annihilation flux profiles that, at the center, are roughly one order of magnitude higher than those of clusters, although galaxy clusters can yield similar, or even higher, integrated fluxes for the whole object once substructure is taken into account. Even when any of these objects are strictly point-like according to the properties of their annihilation signals, we conclude that dwarf galaxies are best suited for observational strategies based on the search of point-like sources, while galaxy clusters represent best targets for analyses that can deal with rather extended emissions. Finally, we study the detection prospects for present and future IACTs in the framework of the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model. We find that the level of the annihilation flux from these targets is below the sensitivities of current IACTs and the future CTA.« less

Dark matter searches with Cherenkov telescopes: nearby dwarf galaxies or local galaxy clusters?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez-Conde, Miguel A.; Cannoni, Mirco; Zandanel, Fabio; Gómez, Mario E.; Prada, Francisco

2011-12-01

In this paper, we compare dwarf galaxies and galaxy clusters in order to elucidate which object class is the best target for gamma-ray DM searches with imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). We have built a mixed dwarfs+clusters sample containing some of the most promising nearby dwarf galaxies (Draco, Ursa Minor, Wilman 1 and Segue 1) and local galaxy clusters (Perseus, Coma, Ophiuchus, Virgo, Fornax, NGC 5813 and NGC 5846), and then compute their DM annihilation flux profiles by making use of the latest modeling of their DM density profiles. We also include in our calculations the effect of DM substructure. Willman 1 appears as the best candidate in the sample. However, its mass modeling is still rather uncertain, so probably other candidates with less uncertainties and quite similar fluxes, namely Ursa Minor and Segue 1, might be better options. As for galaxy clusters, Virgo represents the one with the highest flux. However, its large spatial extension can be a serious handicap for IACT observations and posterior data analysis. Yet, other local galaxy cluster candidates with more moderate emission regions, such as Perseus, may represent good alternatives. After comparing dwarfs and clusters, we found that the former exhibit annihilation flux profiles that, at the center, are roughly one order of magnitude higher than those of clusters, although galaxy clusters can yield similar, or even higher, integrated fluxes for the whole object once substructure is taken into account. Even when any of these objects are strictly point-like according to the properties of their annihilation signals, we conclude that dwarf galaxies are best suited for observational strategies based on the search of point-like sources, while galaxy clusters represent best targets for analyses that can deal with rather extended emissions. Finally, we study the detection prospects for present and future IACTs in the framework of the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model. We find that the level of the annihilation flux from these targets is below the sensitivities of current IACTs and the future CTA.

Search for dark matter annihilation in the Galactic Center with IceCube-79

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aartsen, M. G.; Abraham, K.; Ackermann, M.

The Milky Way is expected to be embedded in a halo of dark matter particles, with the highest density in the central region, and decreasing density with the halo-centric radius. Dark matter might be indirectly detectable at Earth through a flux of stable particles generated in dark matter annihilations and peaked in the direction of the Galactic Center. We present a search for an excess flux of muon (anti-) neutrinos from dark matter annihilation in the Galactic Center using the cubic-kilometer-sized IceCube neutrino detector at the South Pole. There, the Galactic Center is always seen above the horizon. Thus, newmore » and dedicated veto techniques against atmospheric muons are required to make the southern hemisphere accessible for IceCube. We used 319.7 live-days of data from IceCube operating in its 79-string configuration during 2010 and 2011. Here, no neutrino excess was found and the final result is compatible with the background. We present upper limits on the self-annihilation cross-section, Av>, for WIMP masses ranging from 30 GeV up to 10 TeV, assuming cuspy (NFW) and flat-cored (Burkert) dark matter halo profiles, reaching down to ≃4•10 –24 cm 3 s –1, and ≃2.6•10 –23 cm 3 s –1 for the ν ν¯ channel, respectively.« less

Search for dark matter annihilation in the Galactic Center with IceCube-79

DOE PAGES

Aartsen, M. G.; Abraham, K.; Ackermann, M.; ...

2015-10-15

The Milky Way is expected to be embedded in a halo of dark matter particles, with the highest density in the central region, and decreasing density with the halo-centric radius. Dark matter might be indirectly detectable at Earth through a flux of stable particles generated in dark matter annihilations and peaked in the direction of the Galactic Center. We present a search for an excess flux of muon (anti-) neutrinos from dark matter annihilation in the Galactic Center using the cubic-kilometer-sized IceCube neutrino detector at the South Pole. There, the Galactic Center is always seen above the horizon. Thus, newmore » and dedicated veto techniques against atmospheric muons are required to make the southern hemisphere accessible for IceCube. We used 319.7 live-days of data from IceCube operating in its 79-string configuration during 2010 and 2011. Here, no neutrino excess was found and the final result is compatible with the background. We present upper limits on the self-annihilation cross-section, Av>, for WIMP masses ranging from 30 GeV up to 10 TeV, assuming cuspy (NFW) and flat-cored (Burkert) dark matter halo profiles, reaching down to ≃4•10 –24 cm 3 s –1, and ≃2.6•10 –23 cm 3 s –1 for the ν ν¯ channel, respectively.« less

Pressure from dark matter annihilation and the rotation curve of spiral galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wechakama, M.; Ascasibar, Y.

2011-05-01

The rotation curves of spiral galaxies are one of the basic predictions of the cold dark matter paradigm, and their shape in the innermost regions has been hotly debated over the last decades. The present work shows that dark matter annihilation into electron-positron pairs may affect the observed rotation curve by a significant amount. We adopt a model-independent approach, where all the electrons and positrons are injected with the same initial energy E0˜mdmc2 in the range from 1 MeV to 1 TeV and the injection rate is constrained by INTEGRAL, Fermi and HESS data. The pressure of the relativistic electron-positron gas is determined by solving the diffusion-loss equation, considering inverse Compton scattering, synchrotron radiation, Coulomb collisions, bremsstrahlung and ionization. For values of the gas density and magnetic field that are representative of the Milky Way, it is estimated that pressure gradients are strong enough to balance gravity in the central parts if E0 < 1 GeV. The exact value depends somewhat on the astrophysical parameters, and it changes dramatically with the slope of the dark matter density profile. For very steep slopes, as those expected from adiabatic contraction, the rotation curves of spiral galaxies would be affected on ˜kpc scales for most values of E0. By comparing the predicted rotation curves with observations of dwarf and low surface brightness galaxies, we show that the pressure from dark matter annihilation may improve the agreement between theory and observations in some cases, but it also imposes severe constraints on the model parameters (most notably, the inner slope of halo density profile, as well as the mass and the annihilation cross-section of dark matter particles into electron-positron pairs).

Bulk Fermi surface and momentum density in heavily doped La2-xSrxCuO4 using high-resolution Compton scattering and positron annihilation spectroscopies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Sawai, W.; Barbiellini, B.; Sakurai, Y.; Itou, M.; Mijnarends, P. E.; Markiewicz, R. S.; Kaprzyk, S.; Wakimoto, S.; Fujita, M.; Basak, S.; Lin, H.; Wang, Yung Jui; Eijt, S. W. H.; Schut, H.; Yamada, K.; Bansil, A.

2012-03-01

We have observed the bulk Fermi surface (FS) in an overdoped (x=0.3) single crystal of La2-xSrxCuO4 by using Compton scattering. A two-dimensional (2D) momentum density reconstruction from measured Compton profiles yields a clear FS signature in the third Brillouin zone along [100]. The quantitative agreement between density functional theory (DFT) calculations and momentum density experiment suggests that Fermi-liquid physics is restored in the overdoped regime. In particular the predicted FS topology is found to be in good accord with the corresponding experimental data. We find similar quantitative agreement between the measured 2D angular correlation of positron annihilation radiation (2D-ACAR) spectra and the DFT-based computations. However, 2D-ACAR does not give such a clear signature of the FS in the extended momentum space in either the theory or the experiment.

Constraints on dark matter annihilations from diffuse gamma-ray emission in the Galaxy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tavakoli, Maryam; Evoli, Carmelo; Cholis, Ilias

2014-01-01

Recent advances in γ-ray cosmic ray, infrared and radio astronomy have allowed us to develop a significantly better understanding of the galactic medium properties in the last few years. In this work using the DRAGON code, that numerically solves the CR propagation equation and calculating γ-ray emissivities in a 2-dimensional grid enclosing the Galaxy, we study in a self consistent manner models for the galactic diffuse γ-ray emission. Our models are cross-checked to both the available CR and γ-ray data. We address the extend to which dark matter annihilations in the Galaxy can contribute to the diffuse γ-ray flux towardsmore » different directions on the sky. Moreover we discuss the impact that astrophysical uncertainties of non DM nature, have on the derived γ-ray limits. Such uncertainties are related to the diffusion properties on the Galaxy, the interstellar gas and the interstellar radiation field energy densities. Light ∼ 10 GeV dark matter annihilating dominantly to hadrons is more strongly constrained by γ-ray observations towards the inner parts of the Galaxy and influenced the most by assumptions of the gas distribution; while TeV scale DM annihilating dominantly to leptons has its tightest constraints from observations towards the galactic center avoiding the galactic disk plane, with the main astrophysical uncertainty being the radiation field energy density. In addition, we present a method of deriving constraints on the dark matter distribution profile from the diffuse γ-ray spectra. These results critically depend on the assumed mass of the dark matter particles and the type of its end annihilation products.« less

Synchrotron cooling and annihilation of an e/+/-e/-/ plasma - The radiation mechanism for the 5 March, 1979 transient

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramaty, R.; Bussard, R. W.; Lingenfelter, R. E.

1981-01-01

Positron-electron pair radiation is examined as a mechanism that could be responsible for the impulsive phase emission of the 5 March, 1979 transient. Synchrotron cooling and subsequent annihilation of the pairs can account for the energy spectrum, the very high brightness, and the 0.4 MeV feature observed from this transient, whose source is likely to be a neutron star in the supernova remnant N49 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. In this model, the observed radiation is produced in the skin layer of a hot, radiation-dominated pair atmosphere, probably confined to the vicinity of the neutron star by a strong magnetic field. In this layer, about 10 to the 12th generations of pairs are formed (by photon-photon collisions), cooled and annihilated during the 0.15 s duration of the impulsive phase.

New Possibilities of Positron-Emission Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volobuev, A. N.

2018-01-01

The reasons for the emergence of the angular distribution of photons generated as a result of annihilation of an electron and a positron in a positron-emission tomograph are investigated. It is shown that the angular distribution of the radiation intensity (i.e., the probability of photon emission at different angles) is a consequence of the Doppler effect in the center-of-mass reference system of the electron and the positron. In the reference frame attached to the electron, the angular distribution of the number of emitted photons does not exists but is replaced by the Doppler shift of the frequency of photons. The results obtained in this study make it possible to extend the potentialities of the positron-emission tomograph in the diagnostics of diseases and to obtain additional mechanical characteristics of human tissues, such as density and viscosity.

Vacancy defects in electron-irradiated ZnO studied by Doppler broadening of annihilation radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Z. Q.; Betsuyaku, K.; Kawasuso, A.

2008-03-01

Vacancy defects in ZnO induced by electron irradiation were characterized by the Doppler broadening of annihilation radiation measurements together with the local density approximation calculations. Zinc vacancies (VZn) are responsible for positron trapping in the as-irradiated state. These are annealed out below 200°C . The further annealing at 400°C results in the formation of secondary defects attributed to the complexes composed of zinc vacancies and zinc antisites (VZn-ZnO) .

Positron annihilation lifetime study of oxide dispersion strengthened steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krsjak, V.; Szaraz, Z.; Hähner, P.

2012-09-01

A comparative positron annihilation lifetime study has been performed on various commercial ferritic and ferritic/martensitic oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels. Both as-extruded and recrystallized materials were investigated. In the materials with recrystallized coarse-grained microstructures, only the positron trapping at small vacancy clusters and yttria nanofeatures was observed. Materials which had not undergone recrystallization treatment clearly showed additional positron trapping which is associated with dislocations. Dislocation densities were calculated from a two-component decomposition of the positron lifetime spectra by assuming the first component to be a superposition of the bulk controlled annihilation rate and the dislocation controlled trapping rate. The second component (which translates into lifetimes of 240-260 ps) was found to be well separated in all those ODS materials. This paper presents the potentialities and limitations of the positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, and discusses the results of the experimental determination of the defect concentrations and sensitivity of this technique to the material degradation due to thermally induced precipitation of chromium-rich α' phases.

Constraining dark matter by the 511 keV line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Man Ho; Leung, Chung Hei

2018-06-01

In the past few decades, observations indicated that an unexplained high production rate of positrons (the strong 511 keV line) exists in the Milky Way center. By using the fact that a large amount of high density gas used to exist near the Milky Way center million years ago, we model the rate of positrons produced due to dark matter annihilation. We consider the effect of adiabatic contraction of dark matter density due to the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way center and perform a detailed calculation to constrain the possible annihilation channel and dark matter mass range. We find that only three annihilation channels (μ+μ-, 4e and 4μ) can provide the required positron production rate and satisfy the stringent constraint of gamma-ray observations. In particular, the constrained mass range for the μ+μ- channel is m ≈ 80 - 100 GeV, which is close to the mass range obtained for the dark matter interpretation of the GeV gamma-ray and positron excess. In other words, the proposed scenario can simultaneously provide the required positron production rate to explain the 511 keV emission, the positron excess and the GeV gamma-ray excess in our Milky Way, and it is compatible with the density spike due to adiabatic growth model of the supermassive black hole.

Studies of oxidation and thermal reduction of the Cu(100) surface using low energy positrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazleev, N. G.; Maddox, W. B.; Weiss, A. H.

2010-03-01

Changes in the surface of an oxidized Cu(100) single crystal resulting from vacuum annealing have been investigated using positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES). PAES measurements show a large increase in the intensity of the Cu M2,3VV Auger peak as the sample is subjected to a series of isochronal anneals in vacuum up to annealing temperature 300 C. The intensity then decreases monotonically as the annealing temperature is increased to ˜600 C. In contrast, the O KLL PAES intensity is the lowest at 300 C and it starts to increase again as the temperature is increased further. PAES results are analyzed by performing calculations of positron surface states and annihilation characteristics taking into account the charge redistribution at the surface, surface reconstructions, and changes of electronic properties of the surfaces with adsorbed oxygen. Possible explanation is proposed for the observed behavior of the intensity of positron annihilation induced Cu M2,3VV and O KLL Auger peaks and probabilities of annihilation of surface trapped positrons with Cu 3p and O 1s core-level electrons with changes of the annealing temperature.

Density gradient in SiO 2 films on silicon as revealed by positron annihilation spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revesz, A. G.; Anwand, W.; Brauer, G.; Hughes, H. L.; Skorupa, W.

2002-06-01

Positron annihilation spectroscopy of thermally grown and deposited SiO 2 films on silicon shows in a non-destructive manner that these films have a gradient in their density. The gradient is most pronounced for the oxide grown in dry oxygen. Oxidation in water-containing ambient results in an oxide with reduced gradient, similarly to the gradient in the deposited oxide. These observations are in accordance with earlier optical and other studies using stepwise etching or a set of samples of varying thickness. The effective oxygen charge, which is very likely one of the reasons for the difference in the W parameters of silica glass and quartz crystal, could be even higher at some localized configurations in the SiO 2 films resulting in increased positron trapping.

Electronic structure of disordered CuPd alloys: A two-dimensional positron-annihilation study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smedskjaer, L.C.; Benedek, R.; Siegel, R.W.

1987-11-23

Two-dimensional--angular-correlation experiments using posi- tron-annihilation spectroscopy were performed on a series of disordered Cu-rich CuPd-alloy single crystals. The results are compared with theoretical calculations based on the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker coherent-potential approximation. Our experiments confirm the theoretically predicted flattening of the alloy Fermi surface near (110) with increasing Pd concentration. The momentum densities and the two-dimensional--angular-correlation spectra around zero momentum exhibit a characteristic signature of the electronic states near the valence-band edge in the alloy.

Pair annihilation into neutrinos in strong magnetic fields.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Canuto, V.; Fassio-Canuto, L.

1973-01-01

Among the processes that are of primary importance for the thermal history of a neutron star is electron-positron annihilation into neutrinos and photoneutrinos. These processes are computed in the presence of a strong magnetic field typical of neutron stars, and the results are compared with the zero-field case. It is shown that the neutrino luminosity Q(H) is greater than Q(O) for temperatures up to T about equal to 3 x 10 to the 8th power K and densities up to 1,000,000 g/cu cm.

Secretly asymmetric dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agrawal, Prateek; Kilic, Can; Swaminathan, Sivaramakrishnan; Trendafilova, Cynthia

2017-01-01

We study a mechanism where the dark matter number density today arises from asymmetries generated in the dark sector in the early Universe, even though the total dark matter number remains zero throughout the history of the Universe. The dark matter population today can be completely symmetric, with annihilation rates above those expected from thermal weakly interacting massive particles. We give a simple example of this mechanism using a benchmark model of flavored dark matter. We discuss the experimental signatures of this setup, which arise mainly from the sector that annihilates the symmetric component of dark matter.

Distinguishing dark matter from unresolved point sources in the Inner Galaxy with photon statistics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Samuel K.; Lisanti, Mariangela; Safdi, Benjamin R., E-mail: samuelkl@princeton.edu, E-mail: mlisanti@princeton.edu, E-mail: bsafdi@princeton.edu

2015-05-01

Data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope suggests that there is an extended excess of GeV gamma-ray photons in the Inner Galaxy. Identifying potential astrophysical sources that contribute to this excess is an important step in verifying whether the signal originates from annihilating dark matter. In this paper, we focus on the potential contribution of unresolved point sources, such as millisecond pulsars (MSPs). We propose that the statistics of the photons—in particular, the flux probability density function (PDF) of the photon counts below the point-source detection threshold—can potentially distinguish between the dark-matter and point-source interpretations. We calculate the flux PDFmore » via the method of generating functions for these two models of the excess. Working in the framework of Bayesian model comparison, we then demonstrate that the flux PDF can potentially provide evidence for an unresolved MSP-like point-source population.« less

Social Studies in the Nuclear Age: The Doomsday Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, Andrew Lerner

1984-01-01

A major nuclear exchange between America and the Soviet Union would probably result in the total annihilation of humankind. Social studies educators have a special responsibility to their students to search out all viable alternatives to nuclear deterrence and to make them known. (RM)

Fluctuation theorem for entropy production during effusion of a relativistic ideal gas.

PubMed

Cleuren, B; Willaert, K; Engel, A; Van den Broeck, C

2008-02-01

The probability distribution of the entropy production for the effusion of a relativistic ideal gas is calculated explicitly. This result is then extended to include particle and antiparticle pair production and annihilation. In both cases, the fluctuation theorem is verified.

Kinetics of diffusion-controlled annihilation with sparse initial conditions

DOE PAGES

Ben-Naim, Eli; Krapivsky, Paul

2016-12-16

Here, we study diffusion-controlled single-species annihilation with sparse initial conditions. In this random process, particles undergo Brownian motion, and when two particles meet, both disappear. We also focus on sparse initial conditions where particles occupy a subspace of dimension δ that is embedded in a larger space of dimension d. Furthermore, we find that the co-dimension Δ = d - δ governs the behavior. All particles disappear when the co-dimension is sufficiently small, Δ ≤ 2; otherwise, a finite fraction of particles indefinitely survive. We establish the asymptotic behavior of the probability S(t) that a test particle survives until time t. When the subspace is a line, δ = 1, we find inverse logarithmic decay,more » $$S\\sim {(\\mathrm{ln}t)}^{-1}$$, in three dimensions, and a modified power-law decay, $$S\\sim (\\mathrm{ln}t){t}^{-1/2}$$, in two dimensions. In general, the survival probability decays algebraically when Δ < 2, and there is an inverse logarithmic decay at the critical co-dimension Δ = 2.« less

Satellite Observations of Annihilation of Positrons Produced at the Sun, the Earth, and Center of our Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Share, G. H.; Murphy, R. J.; Lin, R. P.

2007-05-01

Positrons are created in nuclear interactions that produce β +-unstable nuclei and pi+ mesons. Satellites remotely observe positron production when they annihilate with electrons yielding the characteristic line at 511 keV. Radiation detectors such as the germanium diodes on the Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectrocopic Imager (RHESSI) observe this line from positrons by nuclei activated in the spacecraft by proton interactions during transit through the Earth's radiation belts and from cosmic radiation. This forms an intense background for solar and astrophysical observations. RHESSI and other satellites have observed positron annihilation in over 50 solar flares. These measurements provide information on the temperature, density, and ionization state of solar atmosphere where the positrons annihilate. The measurements suggest that up to a few kg of positrons are produced in these flares. Detectable annihilation-line radiation is also emitted from the Earth's atmosphere in interactions of cosmic rays and solar energetic particles. An extended annihilation-line source has also been detected within about 10 degrees of the center of the Milky Way that is attributed to positrons released in radioactive decays of nuclei with long half-lives produced in supernovae, novae, and other stellar explosions. From 1980 to 1988 NASA's Solar Maximum Mission satellite also detected belts of positrons emitted by nuclear reactors onboard KOSMOS satellites and trapped temporarily in the Earth's magnetic field. This work was supported by NASA Supporting Research & Technology grants.

Theory of Positron Annihilation in Helium-Filled Bubbles in Plutonium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sterne, P A; Pask, J E

2003-02-13

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy is a sensitive probe of vacancies and voids in materials. This non-destructive measurement technique can identify the presence of specific defects in materials at the part-per-million level. Recent experiments by Asoka-Kumar et al. have identified two lifetime components in aged plutonium samples--a dominant lifetime component of around 182 ps and a longer lifetime component of around 350-400ps. This second component appears to increase with the age of the sample, and accounts for only about 5 percent of the total intensity in 35 year-old plutonium samples. First-principles calculations of positron lifetimes are now used extensively to guidemore » the interpretation of positron lifetime data. At Livermore, we have developed a first-principles finite-element-based method for calculating positron lifetimes for defects in metals. This method is capable of treating system cell sizes of several thousand atoms, allowing us to model defects in plutonium ranging in size from a mono-vacancy to helium-filled bubbles of over 1 nm in diameter. In order to identify the defects that account for the observed lifetime values, we have performed positron lifetime calculations for a set of vacancies, vacancy clusters, and helium-filled vacancy clusters in delta-plutonium. The calculations produced values of 143ps for defect-free delta-Pu and 255ps for a mono-vacancy in Pu, both of which are inconsistent with the dominant experimental lifetime component of 182ps. Larger vacancy clusters have even longer lifetimes. The observed positron lifetime is significantly shorter than the calculated lifetimes for mono-vacancies and larger vacancy clusters, indicating that open vacancy clusters are not the dominant defect in the aged plutonium samples. When helium atoms are introduced into the vacancy cluster, the positron lifetime is reduced due to the increased density of electrons available for annihilation. For a mono-vacancy in Pu containing one helium atom, the calculated lifetime is 190 ps, while a di-vacancy containing two helium atoms has a positron lifetime of 205 ps. In general, increasing the helium density in a vacancy cluster or He-filled bubble reduces the positron lifetime, so that the same lifetime value can arise fi-om a range of vacancy cluster sizes with different helium densities. In order to understand the variation of positron lifetime with vacancy cluster size and helium density in the defect, we have performed over 60 positron lifetime calculations with vacancy cluster sizes ranging from 1 to 55 vacancies and helium densities ranging fi-om zero to five helium atoms per vacancy. The results indicate that the experimental lifetime of 182 ps is consistent with the theoretical value of 190 ps for a mono-vacancy with a single helium atom, but that slightly better agreement is obtained for larger clusters of 6 or more vacancies containing 2-3 helium atoms per vacancy. For larger vacancy clusters with diameters of about 3-5 nm or more, the annihilation with helium electrons dominates the positron annihilation rate; the observed lifetime of 180ps is then consistent with a helium concentration in the range of 3 to 3.5 Hehacancy, setting an upper bound on the helium concentration in the vacancy clusters. In practice, the single lifetime component is most probably associated with a family of helium-filled bubbles rather than with a specific unique defect size. The longer 350-400ps lifetime component is consistent with a relatively narrow range of defect sizes and He concentration. At zero He concentration, the lifetime values are matched by small vacancy clusters containing 6-12 vacancies. With increasing vacancy cluster size, a small amount of He is required to keep the lifetime in the 350-400 ps range, until the value saturates for larger helium bubbles of more than 50 vacancies (bubble diameter > 1.3 nm) at a helium concentration close to 1 He/vacancy. These results, taken together with the experimental data, indicate that the features observed in TEM data by Schwartz et al are not voids, but are in fact helium-filled bubbles with a helium pressure of around 2-3 helium atoms per vacancy, depending on the bubble size. This is consistent with the conclusions of recently developed models of He-bubble growth in aged plutonium.« less

Spectral and Temporal Properties of Galactic Black Hole Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, J. Craig

1997-01-01

Kusunose, Mineshige & Yamada (1996; hereafter KMY) extended the model of Kusunose & Mineshige (1995) to the Galactic black hole candidates by considering nonthermal electron injection with gamma(EQ\\0(,\\s\\up2(less than),\\s\\do-l(_))) 10. The effects of pair escape and advection on the disk structure and general relativistic effects on the emission spectrum were also examined. They found that the energy spectral index (alpha)(sub x) of the power law X-rays is about-0.8 and-2.0 when 1(sub soft)/1 = 0.2 and 2, respectively, where 1(sub soft)/1 is the ratio of the compactness of the injected soft photons to that of the gravitational energy. The power law index was found to be nearly independent of the mass accretion which is consistent with the observed luminosity independence. The model with small 1(sub soft)/1 (less than 1) shows promise for explaining the low state observed in Galactic black hole candidates. Model fits were provided for GX339-4 and Cyg X- 1 data from COMPTEL and OSSE on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. The difference in emission spectra between thermal disks and the model of KMY appears only in the energy range greater than 100 keV. Li, Kusunose and Liang (1996) studied stochastic particle acceleration to produce nonthermal particle distributions which then were used in the model of Kusunose & Mineshige (1995) to model the spectrum above 1 Mev from GBHC's. Under certain conditions, stochastic electron acceleration overcame Coulomb and Compton losses resulting in a suprathermal electron population. Good fits were obtained by COMPTEL and OSSE observations of Cyg X-1 and GRO J0422+23. Kusunose & Mineshige (1996a) examined the role of electron-positron pairs in advection-dominated disks. They found that the results for advection-dominated disks without pairs are not qualitatively changed by including pairs. Summaries of work sponsored by this grant are given in Wheeler, Kim, Moscoso, Kusunose & Mineshige (1996) and Kusunose (1996) Work was also done on developing a model for an e(+-) pair wind from the inner disk region of a black hole. The model consists of three zones: a pair production/annihilation zone at the base of the wind, a pair annihilation zone slightly further out from the disk and a wind zone extending to infinity where no annihilation occurs. The model assumes an input X-ray / gamma-ray power-law spectrum as a function of photon energy and angular distribution. Pairs are created in the pair production/annihilation zone via photon-photon, photonparticle and particle-particle collisions. The bulk velocity of the pairs is obtained from the momentum component perpendicular to the disk taking into account the radiation pressure acceleration of the pairs. Energy balance in the pair production/annihilation zone is calculated by assuming that the momentum component parallel to the disk is thermalized and by taking into account heating/cooling via anisotropic thermal Compton scattering along with the cooling processes of bremsstrahlung and synchrotron radiation. The pair density is also calculated. The outer boundary of the pair production/annihilation zone is where the optical depth for photon-photon pair produciton is unity. Beyond this point only pair annihilation will occur in the pair annihilation zone. When the pair density becomes small, pair annihilation will be negligible and the pairs will flow freely to infinity. In this model we have found that the X-ray power-law spectral index, alpha(sub x) is the primary parameter which determines the density, temperature and velocity of the pair production/annihilation zone (Moscoso, Kusunose & Wheeler 1996).

Pair creation, motion, and annihilation of topological defects in two-dimensional nematic liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cortese, Dario; Eggers, Jens; Liverpool, Tanniemola B.

2018-02-01

We present a framework for the study of disclinations in two-dimensional active nematic liquid crystals and topological defects in general. The order tensor formalism is used to calculate exact multiparticle solutions of the linearized static equations inside a planar uniformly aligned state so that the total charge has to vanish. Topological charge conservation then requires that there is always an equal number of q =1 /2 and q =-1 /2 charges. Starting from a set of hydrodynamic equations, we derive a low-dimensional dynamical system for the parameters of the static solutions, which describes the motion of a half-disclination pair or of several pairs. Within this formalism, we model defect production and annihilation, as observed in experiments. Our dynamics also provide an estimate for the critical density at which production and annihilation rates are balanced.

Constraints on Dark Matter Annihilation by Synchrotron Emission based on Planck Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muanglay, Chalit; Wechakama, Maneenate; Cantlay, Brandon K.

2017-09-01

Synchrotron emission can be a good probe for dark matter particles in the Milky Way. We have investigated the production of electrons and positrons in the Milky Way within the context of dark matter annihilation. Upper limits on the relevant cross-section are obtained by comparing synchrotron emission in the microwave bands with Planck data. According to our results, the dark matter annihilation cross-section into electron-positron pairs should not be higher than the canonical value for a thermal relic if the mass of the dark matter candidate is smaller than a few GeV. In addition, we also look for constraints on the inner slope of dark matter density profile in the Milky Way. Our results indicate that the inner slope of dark matter profile is between 1 to 1.5.

Exciton Dynamics, Transport, and Annihilation in Atomically Thin Two-Dimensional Semiconductors.

PubMed

Yuan, Long; Wang, Ti; Zhu, Tong; Zhou, Mingwei; Huang, Libai

2017-07-20

Large binding energy and unique exciton fine structure make the transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) an ideal platform to study exciton behaviors in two-dimensional (2D) systems. While excitons in these systems have been extensively researched, there currently lacks a consensus on mechanisms that control dynamics. In this Perspective, we discuss extrinsic and intrinsic factors in exciton dynamics, transport, and annihilation in 2D TMDCs. Intrinsically, dark and bright exciton energy splitting is likely to play a key role in modulating the dynamics. Extrinsically, defect scattering is prevalent in single-layer TMDCs, which leads to rapid picosecond decay and limits exciton transport. The exciton-exciton annihilation process in single-layer TMDCs is highly efficient, playing an important role in the nonradiative recombination rate in the high exciton density regime. Future challenges and opportunities to control exciton dynamics are discussed.

Anitproton-matter interactions in antiproton applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, David L., Jr.

1990-01-01

By virtue of the highly energetic particles released when they annihilate in matter, antiprotons have a variety of potentially important applications. Among others, these include remote 3-D density and composition imaging of the human body and also of thick, dense materials, cancer therapy, and spacecraft propulsion. Except for spacecraft propulsion, the required numbers of low energy antiprotons can be produced, stored, and transported through reliance on current or near term technology. Paramount to these applications and to fundamental research involving antiprotons is knowledge of how antiprotons interact with matter. The basic annihilation process is fairly well understood, but the antiproton annihilation and energy loss rates in matter depend in complex ways on a number of atomic processes. The rates, and the corresponding cross sections, were measured or are accurately predictable only for limited combinations of antiproton kinetic energy and material species.

Reappraisal of dark matter co-annihilating with a top or bottom partner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keung, Wai-Yee; Low, Ian; Zhang, Yue

2017-07-01

We revisit the calculation of the relic density of dark matter particles co-annihilating with a top or bottom partner by properly including the QCD bound-states (onia) effects of the colored partners as well as the relevant electroweak processes, which become important in the low-mass region. We carefully set up the complete framework that incorporates the relevant contributions and investigate their effects on the cosmologically preferred mass spectrum, which turn out to be comparable in size to those coming from the Sommerfeld enhancement. We apply the calculation to three scenarios: bino-stop and bino-sbottom co-annihilations in supersymmetry and a vector dark matter co-annihilating with a fermionic top partner. In addition, we confront our analysis of the relic abundance with recent direct detection experiments and collider searches at the LHC, which have important implications in the bino-stop and bino-sbottom scenarios. In particular, in the bino-stop case, recent LHC limits have excluded regions of parameter space with a direct detection rate that is above the neutrino floor.

Two-component density functional theory calculations of positron lifetimes for small vacancy clusters in silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makhov, D. V.; Lewis, Laurent J.

2005-05-01

The positron lifetimes for various vacancy clusters in silicon are calculated within the framework of the two-component electron-positron density functional theory. The effect of the trapped positron on the electron density and on the relaxation of the structure is investigated. Our calculations show that, contrary to the usual assumption, the positron-induced forces do not compensate in general for electronic inward forces. Thus, geometry optimization is required in order to determine positron lifetime accurately. For the monovacancy and the divacancy, the results of our calculations are in good agreement with the experimental positron lifetimes, suggesting that this approach gives good estimates of positron lifetimes for larger vacancy clusters, required for their correct identification with positron annihilation spectroscopy. As an application, our calculations show that fourfold trivacancies and symmetric fourfold tetravacancies have positron lifetimes similar to monovacancies and divacancies, respectively, and can thus be confused in the interpretation of positron annihilation experiments.

Studies of high coverage oxidation of the Cu(100) surface using low energy positrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazleev, N. G.; Maddox, W. B.; Weiss, A. H.

2012-02-01

The study of oxidation of single crystal metal surfaces is important in understanding the corrosive and catalytic processes associated with thin film metal oxides. The structures formed on oxidized transition metal surfaces vary from simple adlayers of chemisorbed oxygen to more complex structures which result from the diffusion of oxygen into subsurface regions. In this work we present the results of theoretical studies of positron surface and bulk states and annihilation probabilities of surface-trapped positrons with relevant core electrons at the oxidized Cu(100) surface under conditions of high oxygen coverage. Calculations are performed for various high coverage missing row structures ranging between 0.50 and 1.50 ML oxygen coverage. The results of calculations of positron binding energy, positron work function, and annihilation characteristics of surface trapped positrons with relevant core electrons as function of oxygen coverage are compared with experimental data obtained from studies of oxidation of the Cu(100) surface using positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES).

Dark matter annihilation at the galactic center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linden, Tim

Observations by the WMAP and PLANCK satellites have provided extraordinarily accurate observations on the densities of baryonic matter, dark matter, and dark energy in the universe. These observations indicate that our universe is composed of approximately five times as much dark matter as baryonic matter. However, efforts to detect a particle responsible for the energy density of dark matter have been unsuccessful. Theoretical models have indicated that a leading candidate for the dark matter is the lightest supersymmetric particle, which may be stable due to a conserved R-parity. This dark matter particle would still be capable of interacting with baryons via weak-force interactions in the early universe, a process which was found to naturally explain the observed relic abundance of dark matter today. These residual annihilations can persist, albeit at a much lower rate, in the present universe, providing a detectable signal from dark matter annihilation events which occur throughout the universe. Simulations calculating the distribution of dark matter in our galaxy almost universally predict the galactic center of the Milky Way Galaxy (GC) to provide the brightest signal from dark matter annihilation due to its relative proximity and large simulated dark matter density. Recent advances in telescope technology have allowed for the first multiwavelength analysis of the GC, with suitable effective exposure, angular resolution, and energy resolution in order to detect dark matter particles with properties similar to those predicted by the WIMP miracle. In this work, I describe ongoing efforts which have successfully detected an excess in gamma-ray emission from the region immediately surrounding the GC, which is difficult to describe in terms of standard diffuse emission predicted in the GC region. While the jury is still out on any dark matter interpretation of this excess, I describe several related observations which may indicate a dark matter origin. Finally, I discuss the role of future telescopes in differentiating a dark matter model from astrophysical emission.

Grassmann phase space methods for fermions. II. Field theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dalton, B.J., E-mail: bdalton@swin.edu.au; Jeffers, J.; Barnett, S.M.

In both quantum optics and cold atom physics, the behaviour of bosonic photons and atoms is often treated using phase space methods, where mode annihilation and creation operators are represented by c-number phase space variables, with the density operator equivalent to a distribution function of these variables. The anti-commutation rules for fermion annihilation, creation operators suggests the possibility of using anti-commuting Grassmann variables to represent these operators. However, in spite of the seminal work by Cahill and Glauber and a few applications, the use of Grassmann phase space methods in quantum-atom optics to treat fermionic systems is rather rare, thoughmore » fermion coherent states using Grassmann variables are widely used in particle physics. This paper presents a phase space theory for fermion systems based on distribution functionals, which replace the density operator and involve Grassmann fields representing anti-commuting fermion field annihilation, creation operators. It is an extension of a previous phase space theory paper for fermions (Paper I) based on separate modes, in which the density operator is replaced by a distribution function depending on Grassmann phase space variables which represent the mode annihilation and creation operators. This further development of the theory is important for the situation when large numbers of fermions are involved, resulting in too many modes to treat separately. Here Grassmann fields, distribution functionals, functional Fokker–Planck equations and Ito stochastic field equations are involved. Typical applications to a trapped Fermi gas of interacting spin 1/2 fermionic atoms and to multi-component Fermi gases with non-zero range interactions are presented, showing that the Ito stochastic field equations are local in these cases. For the spin 1/2 case we also show how simple solutions can be obtained both for the untrapped case and for an optical lattice trapping potential.« less

Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy and Small Angle Neutron Scattering Characterization of Nanostructural Features in Irradiated Fe-Cu-Mn Alloys

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wirth, B D; Asoka-Kumar, P; Howell, R H

2001-01-01

Radiation embrittlement of nuclear reactor pressure vessel steels results from a high number density of nanometer sized Cu-Mn-Ni rich precipitates (CRPs) and sub-nanometer matrix features, thought to be vacancy-solute cluster complexes (VSC). However, questions exist regarding both the composition of the precipitates and the defect character and composition of the matrix features. We present results of positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) characterization of irradiated and thermally aged Fe-Cu and Fe-Cu-Mn alloys. These complementary techniques provide insight into the composition and character of both types of nanoscale features. The SANS measurements indicate populations of CRPs andmore » VSCs in both alloys. The CRPs are coarser in the Fe-Cu alloy and the number densities of CRP and VSC increase with the addition of Mn. The PAS involved measuring both the positron lifetimes and the Doppler broadened annihilation spectra in the high momentum region to provide elemental sensitivity at the annihilation site. The spectra in Fe-Cu-Mn specimens thermally aged to peak hardness at 450 C and irradiated at 288 C are nearly identical to elemental Cu. Positron lifetime and spectrum measurements in Fe-Cu specimens irradiated at 288 C clearly show the existence of long lifetime ({approx}500 ps) open volume defects, which also contain Cu. Thus the SANS and PAS provide a self-consistent picture of nanostructures composed of CRPs and VSCs and tend to discount high Fe concentrations in the CRPs.« less

Positron annihilation study on ZnO-based scintillating glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Jiaxiang; Yu, Runsheng; Wang, Baoyi; Ou, Yuwen; Zhong, Yurong; Xia, Fang; Chen, Guorong

2009-04-01

Positron lifetime of ZnO-based scintillating glasses (55 - x)SiO 2-45ZnO- xBaF 2 ( x = 5, 10, 15 mol%) were measured with a conventional fast-fast spectrometer. Three positron lifetime components τ1, τ 2, and τ3 are ˜0.23 ns, ˜0.45 ns, and ˜1.6 ns, respectively. All the three positron lifetime components first increase with increasing BaF 2 concentration from 5 mol% to 10 mol%, then decreases as BaF 2 further increases to 15 mol%. The result suggests that the glass sample with 10 mol% BaF 2 contains the highest defect density, and is in excellent agreement with glass chemistry, glass density, thermal properties, and calculated crystallinity. Therefore, positron annihilation lifetime measurement is an effective tool for analyzing defects in ZnO-based scintillating glasses.

F + centre generation in MgO crystals at high density of excitation by accelerated electrons of subthreshold energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Annenkov, Y. M.; Surzhikov, A. P.; Surzhikov, V. P.; Pogrebnjak, A. D.

1981-07-01

Optical absorption spectra and the angular distribution of annihilated positrons in MgO crystals irradiated by subtreshold superdense electron pulses are measured. The experimental results obtained show the effective contribution of the creation mechanism of non-impact radiation defects in MgO crystals at the highest electron irradiation densities.

Studies of oxidation and thermal reduction of the Cu(100) surface using a slow positron beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maddox, W. B.; Fazleev, N. G.; Nadesalingam, M. P.; Weiss, A. H.

2007-10-01

Positron probes of surfaces of oxides that play a fundamental role in modern science and technology are capable to non-destructively provide information that is both unique to the probe and complimentary to that extracted using other more standard techniques. We discuss recent progress in studies of oxidation and thermal reduction of the Cu(100) surface using positron-annihilation-induced Auger-electron spectroscopy (PAES). PAES measurements show a large increase in the intensity of the Cu M2,3VV Auger peak as the sample is subjected to a series of isochronal anneals in vacuum up to annealing temperature 300 C. The intensity then decreases monotonically as the annealing temperature is increased to 600 C. Experimental PAES results are analyzed by performing calculations of positron surface states and annihilation probabilities of surface-trapped positrons with relevant core electrons taking into account the charge redistribution at the surface and surface reconstruction. The effects of oxygen adsorption and defects on localization of the positron surface state wave function and positron annihilation characteristics are also analyzed. Possible explanations are provided for the observed behavior of the intensity of the positron annihilation induced Cu M2,3VV Auger peak with changes of the annealing temperature.

Predicting structures in the Zone of Avoidance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorce, Jenny G.; Colless, Matthew; Kraan-Korteweg, Renée C.; Gottlöber, Stefan

2017-11-01

The Zone of Avoidance (ZOA), whose emptiness is an artefact of our Galaxy dust, has been challenging observers as well as theorists for many years. Multiple attempts have been made on the observational side to map this region in order to better understand the local flows. On the theoretical side, however, this region is often simply statistically populated with structures but no real attempt has been made to confront theoretical and observed matter distributions. This paper takes a step forward using constrained realizations (CRs) of the local Universe shown to be perfect substitutes of local Universe-like simulations for smoothed high-density peak studies. Far from generating completely `random' structures in the ZOA, the reconstruction technique arranges matter according to the surrounding environment of this region. More precisely, the mean distributions of structures in a series of constrained and random realizations (RRs) differ: while densities annihilate each other when averaging over 200 RRs, structures persist when summing 200 CRs. The probability distribution function of ZOA grid cells to be highly overdense is a Gaussian with a 15 per cent mean in the random case, while that of the constrained case exhibits large tails. This implies that areas with the largest probabilities host most likely a structure. Comparisons between these predictions and observations, like those of the Puppis 3 cluster, show a remarkable agreement and allow us to assert the presence of the, recently highlighted by observations, Vela supercluster at about 180 h-1 Mpc, right behind the thickest dust layers of our Galaxy.

Positron Annihilation Gamma Ray Lineshape Studies of Defects in Solids.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-24

of R. Waki in the development of anneal probably polygonized the zinc more completely the computer programs and for other experimental than did the...positron lifetime measurements. The assistance of R. Waki was greatly appreciated. References /1/ B.D. BOGGS and J.G. BYRNE, Metallurg.Trans. 4, 2153

A study of inter-crystallite spaces in some polycrystalline inorganic systems using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shantarovich, V. P.; Suzuki, T.; Ito, Y.; Kondo, K.; Gustov, V. W.; Melikhov, I. V.; Berdonosov, S. S.; Ivanov, L. N.; Yu, R. S.

2007-02-01

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) was used for calculation of number density and effective sizes of free volume holes (inter-crystallite spaces) in polycrystal CaSO 4, CaCO 3 (vaterit) and Ca 10(PO 4) 6(OH) 2 (apatite). The effect of substitution of two-valence Ca(II) for three-valence Eu(III) on annihilation characteristics of apatite, studied together with the data on thermo-stimulated luminescence (TSL) and low-temperature sorption of gas (N 2), helped to elucidate mechanism of positronium atom (Ps) localization in the free volume holes and perform corresponding calculations. It came out that PALS is more sensitive to inter-crystallite sites (10 16 cm -3) in polycrystallites than to the free volume holes in polymer glasses (10 19 cm -3). This is due to higher mobility of the precursor of localized Ps in crystallites.

Decay of homogeneous two-dimensional quantum turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baggaley, Andrew W.; Barenghi, Carlo F.

2018-03-01

We numerically simulate the free decay of two-dimensional quantum turbulence in a large, homogeneous Bose-Einstein condensate. The large number of vortices, the uniformity of the density profile, and the absence of boundaries (where vortices can drift out of the condensate) isolate the annihilation of vortex-antivortex pairs as the only mechanism which reduces the number of vortices, Nv, during the turbulence decay. The results clearly reveal that vortex annihilation is a four-vortex process, confirming the decay law Nv˜t-1 /3 where t is time, which was inferred from experiments with relatively few vortices in small harmonically trapped condensates.

Relativistic Tsiolkovsky equation -- a case study in special relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redd, Jeremy; Panin, Alexander

2011-10-01

A possibility of using antimatter in future space propulsion systems is seriously discussed in scientific literature. Annihilation of matter and antimatter is not only the energy source of ultimate density 9x10^16 J/kg (provided that antimatter fuel is available on board or can be collected along the journey) but also potentially allows to reach ultimate exhaust speed -- speed of light c. Using relativistic rocket equation we discuss the feasibility of achieving relativistic velocities with annihilation powered photon engine, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of interstellar travel with relativistic and ultrarelativistic velocities.

Cyclic softening in annealed Zircaloy-2: Role of edge dislocation dipoles and vacancies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudhakar Rao, G.; Singh, S. R.; Krsjak, Vladimir; Singh, Vakil

2018-04-01

The mechanism of cyclic softening in annealed Zircaloy-2 at low strain amplitudes under strain controlled fatigue at room temperature is rationalized. The unusual softening due to continuous decrease in the phenomenological friction stress is found to be associated with decrease in the resistance against movement of dislocations because of the formation and easy glide of pure edge dislocation dipoles and consequent decrease in friction stress from reduction in the shear modulus. Positron annihilation spectroscopy data strongly support the increase in edge dislocation density containing jogs, from increased positron trapping and increase in annihilation lifetime.

Upper bounds on asymmetric dark matter self annihilation cross sections

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ellwanger, Ulrich; Mitropoulos, Pantelis, E-mail: ulrich.ellwanger@th.u-psud.fr, E-mail: pantelis.mitropoulos@th.u-psud.fr

2012-07-01

Most models for asymmetric dark matter allow for dark matter self annihilation processes, which can wash out the asymmetry at temperatures near and below the dark matter mass. We study the coupled set of Boltzmann equations for the symmetric and antisymmetric dark matter number densities, and derive conditions applicable to a large class of models for the absence of a significant wash-out of an asymmetry. These constraints are applied to various existing scenarios. In the case of left- or right-handed sneutrinos, very large electroweak gaugino masses, or very small mixing angles are required.

Effect of magnetic ion Ni doping for Cu in the CuO 2 plane on electronic structure and superconductivity on Y123 cuprate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Shixun; Li, Pinglin; Cao, Guixin; Zhang, Jincang

2003-05-01

The YBa2Cu3-xNixO7-δ with x=0-0.4 have been studied using positron annihilation technique. The changes of positron annihilation parameters with the Ni substitution concentration x are given. From the change of electronic density ne and Tc, it would prove that the localized carriers (electron and hole) in Cu-O chain and CuO2 planes have enormous influence on superconductivity by affecting charge transfer between the reservoir layer and CuO2 planes.

Method to reduce dislocation density in silicon using stress

DOEpatents

Buonassisi, Anthony; Bertoni, Mariana; Argon, Ali; Castellanos, Sergio; Fecych, Alexandria; Powell, Douglas; Vogl, Michelle

2013-03-05

A crystalline material structure with reduced dislocation density and method of producing same is provided. The crystalline material structure is annealed at temperatures above the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature of the crystalline material structure. One or more stress elements are formed on the crystalline material structure so as to annihilate dislocations or to move them into less harmful locations.

Positron-annihilation study of the electronic structure of URu2Si2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozing, G. J.; Mijnarends, P. E.; Menovsky, A. A.; de Chtel, P. F.

1991-04-01

Measurements of the two-dimensional angular correlation of annihilation radiation (2D-ACAR) were performed on oriented single crystals of URu2Si2. The spectra, obtained with integration along four different symmetry directions, display anisotropic structure in fair agreement with a previous calculation of the two-photon momentum distribution. In particular, the contribution of the f-ligand hybridized electron states is clearly observed and reasonably well described by the band calculation. The 2D-ACAR distribution remains unchanged as the temperature is increased from 6 K in the Fermi-liquid state to 72 K, which is just above the coherence temperature. The inhomogeneity of the positron density in the unit cell complicates the Lock-Crisp-West (LCW) analysis of the experiments in terms of Fermi-surface features. Nevertheless, the disagreement between theory and experiment after LCW folding indicates that the Fermi surface as predicted by local-density-approximation band theory does not apply.

Search for gamma-ray emission from dark matter annihilation in the Small Magellanic Cloud with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

DOE PAGES

Caputo, Regina; Buckley, Matthew R.; Martin, Pierrick; ...

2016-03-22

The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is the second-largest satellite galaxy of the Milky Way and is only 60 kpc away. As a nearby, massive, and dense object with relatively low astrophysical backgrounds, it is a natural target for dark matter indirect detection searches. In this work, we use six years of Pass 8 data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope to search for gamma-ray signals of dark matter annihilation in the SMC. Using data-driven fits to the gamma-ray backgrounds, and a combination of N-body simulations and direct measurements of rotation curves to estimate the SMC DM density profile, we found that themore » SMC was well described by standard astrophysical sources, and no signal from dark matter annihilation was detected. We set conservative upper limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section. Furthermore, these constraints are in agreement with stronger constraints set by searches in the Large Magellanic Cloud and approach the canonical thermal relic cross section at dark matter masses lower than 10 GeV in the bb¯ and τ +τ - channels.« less

Search for scalar dark matter via pseudoscalar portal interactions in light of the Galactic Center gamma-ray excess

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Kwei-Chou

2018-01-01

In light of the observed Galactic center gamma-ray excess, we investigate a simplified model, for which the scalar dark matter interacts with quarks through a pseudoscalar mediator. The viable regions of the parameter space, that can also account for the relic density and evade the current searches, are identified, if the low-velocity dark matter annihilates through an s -channel off shell mediator mostly into b ¯b , and/or annihilates directly into two hidden on shell mediators, which subsequently decay into the quark pairs. These two kinds of annihilations are s wave. The projected monojet limit set by the high luminosity LHC sensitivity could constrain the favored parameter space, where the mediator's mass is larger than the dark matter mass by a factor of 2. We show that the projected sensitivity of 15-year Fermi-LAT observations of dwarf spheroidal galaxies can provide a stringent constraint on the most parameter space allowed in this model. If the on shell mediator channel contributes to the dark matter annihilation cross sections over 50%, this model with a lighter mediator can be probed in the projected PICO-500L experiment.

Defects in N/Ge coimplanted GaN studied by positron annihilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakano, Yoshitaka; Kachi, Tetsu

2002-01-01

We have applied positron annihilation spectroscopy to study the depth distributions and species of defects in N-, Ge-, and N/Ge-implanted GaN at dosages of 1×1015 cm-2. For all the implanted samples, Ga vacancies introduced by ion-implantation are found to diffuse into much deeper regions of the GaN layers during the implantation and to change into some other vacancy-type defects by the annealing at 1300 °C. In particular, markedly different defects turn out to be newly created in the electrically activated regions for both the Ge- and N/Ge-implanted samples after annealing, indicating that these new defects are probably associated with the presence of the implanted Ge dopant atoms.

The generation and accumulation of interstitial atoms and vacancies in alloys with L1{sub 2} superstructure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pantyukhova, Olga, E-mail: Pantyukhova@list.ru; Starenchenko, Vladimir, E-mail: star@tsuab.ru; Starenchenko, Svetlana, E-mail: sve-starenchenko@yandex.ru

2016-01-15

The dependences of the point defect concentration (interstitial atoms and vacancies) on the deformation degree were calculated for the L1{sub 2} alloys with the high and low antiphase boundaries (APB) energy in terms of the mathematical model of the work and thermal strengthening of the alloys with the L1{sub 2} structure; the concentration of the point defects generated and annihilated in the process of deformation was estimated. It was found that the main part of the point defects generating during plastic deformation annihilates, the residual density of the deformation point defects does not exceed 10{sup −5}.

High-temperature cuprate superconductors studied by x-ray Compton scattering and positron annihilation spectroscopies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbiellini, Bernardo

2013-06-01

The bulk Fermi surface in an overdoped (x = 0.3) single crystal of La2-xSrxCuO4 has been observed by using x-ray Compton scattering. This momentum density technique also provides a powerful tool for directly seeing what the dopant Sr atoms are doing to the electronic structure of La2CuO4. Because of wave function effects, positron annihilation spectroscopy does not yield a strong signature of the Fermi surface in extended momentum space, but it can be used to explore the role of oxygen defects in the reservoir layers for promoting high temperature superconductivity.

Observations of MilkyWay Dwarf Spheroidal galaxies with the Fermi-LAT detector and

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abdo, A.A.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.

We report on the observations of 14 dwarf spheroidal galaxies with the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope taken during the first 11 months of survey mode operations. The Fermi telescope, which is conducting an all-sky {gamma}-ray survey in the 20 MeV to >300 GeV energy range, provides a new opportunity to test particle dark matter models through the expected {gamma}-ray emission produced by pair annihilation of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies, the largest galactic substructures predicted by the cold dark matter scenario, are attractive targets for such indirect searches for dark matter because they are nearbymore » and among the most extreme dark matter dominated environments. No significant {gamma}-ray emission was detected above 100 MeV from the candidate dwarf galaxies. We determine upper limits to the {gamma}-ray flux assuming both power-law spectra and representative spectra from WIMP annihilation. The resulting integral flux above 100 MeV is constrained to be at a level below around 10{sup -9} photons cm{sup -2}s{sup -1}. Using recent stellar kinematic data, the {gamma}-ray flux limits are combined with improved determinations of the dark matter density profile in 8 of the 14 candidate dwarfs to place limits on the pair annihilation cross-section ofWIMPs in several widely studied extensions of the standard model, including its supersymmetric extension and other models that received recent attention. With the present data, we are able to rule out large parts of the parameter space where the thermal relic density is below the observed cosmological dark matter density and WIMPs (neutralinos here) are dominantly produced non-thermally, e.g. in models where supersymmetry breaking occurs via anomaly mediation. The {gamma}-ray limits presented here also constrain some WIMP models proposed to explain the Fermi and PAMELA e{sup +}e{sup -} data, including low-mass wino-like neutralinos and models with TeV masses pair-annihilating into muon-antimuon pairs.« less

Photoluminescence and positron annihilation spectroscopic investigation on a H+ irradiated ZnO single crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, A.; Chakrabarti, Mahuya; Sanyal, D.; Bhowmick, D.; Dechoudhury, S.; Chakrabarti, A.; Rakshit, Tamita; Ray, S. K.

2012-08-01

Low temperature photoluminescence and room temperature positron annihilation spectroscopy have been employed to investigate the defects incorporated by 6 MeV H+ ions in a hydrothermally grown ZnO single crystal. Prior to irradiation, the emission from donor bound excitons is at 3.378 eV (10 K). The irradiation creates an intense and narrow emission at 3.368 eV (10 K). The intensity of this peak is nearly four times that of the dominant near band edge peak of the pristine crystal. The characteristic features of the 3.368 eV emission indicate its origin as a ‘hydrogen at oxygen vacancy’ type defect. The positron annihilation lifetime measurement reveals a single component lifetime spectrum for both the unirradiated (164 ± 1 ps) and irradiated crystal (175 ± 1 ps). It reflects the fact that the positron lifetime and intensity of the new irradiation driven defect species are a little higher compared to those in the unirradiated crystal. However, the estimated defect concentration, even considering the high dynamic defect annihilation rate in ZnO, comes out to be ˜4 × 1017 cm-3 (using SRIM software). This is a very high defect concentration compared to the defect sensitivity of positron annihilation spectroscopy. A probable reason is the partial filling of the incorporated vacancies (positron traps), which in ZnO are zinc vacancies. The positron lifetime of ˜175 ps (in irradiated ZnO) is consistent with recent theoretical calculations for partially hydrogen-filled zinc vacancies in ZnO. Passivation of oxygen vacancies by hydrogen is also reflected in the photoluminescence results. A possible reason for such vacancy filling (at both Zn and O sites) due to irradiation has also been discussed.

Irreversible reactions and diffusive escape: Stationary properties

DOE PAGES

Krapivsky, Paul L.; Ben-Naim, Eli

2015-05-01

We study three basic diffusion-controlled reaction processes—annihilation, coalescence, and aggregation. We examine the evolution starting with the most natural inhomogeneous initial configuration where a half-line is uniformly filled by particles, while the complementary half-line is empty. We show that the total number of particles that infiltrate the initially empty half-line is finite and has a stationary distribution. We determine the evolution of the average density from which we derive the average total number N of particles in the initially empty half-line; e.g. for annihilationmore » $$\\langle N\\rangle = \\frac{3}{16}+\\frac{1}{4\\π}$$ . For the coalescence process, we devise a procedure that in principle allows one to compute P(N), the probability to find exactly N particles in the initially empty half-line; we complete the calculations in the first non-trivial case (N = 1). As a by-product we derive the distance distribution between the two leading particles.« less

Positron accumulation effect in particles embedded in a low-density matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dryzek, Jerzy; Siemek, Krzysztof

2015-02-01

Systematic studies of the so-called positron accumulation effect for samples with particles embedded in a matrix are reported. This effect is related to energetic positrons which penetrate inhomogeneous medium. Due to differences in the linear absorption coefficient, different amounts of positrons are accumulated and annihilate in the identical volume of both materials. Positron lifetime spectroscopy and Doppler broadening of the annihilation line using Na-22 positrons were applied to the studies of the epoxy resin samples with embedded micro-sized particles of transition metals, i.e., Ni, Sn, Mo, W, and nonmetal particles, i.e., Si and NaF. The significant difference between the determined fraction of positrons annihilating in the particles and the particle volume fraction indicates the positron accumulation effect. The simple phenomenological model and Monte Carlo simulations are able to describe the main features of the obtained dependencies. The aluminum alloy with embedded Sn nanoparticles is also considered for demonstration differences between the accumulation and another related effect, i.e., the positron affinity.

Constraints on the Galactic Halo Dark Matter from Fermi-LAT Diffuse Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Atwood, W. B.; Baldini, L.; Barbiellini, G.; Bastieri, D.; Bechtol, K.; Bellazzini, R.; Blandford, R. D.; Bloom, E. D.;

A numerical spectral approach to solve the dislocation density transport equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djaka, K. S.; Taupin, V.; Berbenni, S.; Fressengeas, C.

2015-09-01

A numerical spectral approach is developed to solve in a fast, stable and accurate fashion, the quasi-linear hyperbolic transport equation governing the spatio-temporal evolution of the dislocation density tensor in the mechanics of dislocation fields. The approach relies on using the Fast Fourier Transform algorithm. Low-pass spectral filters are employed to control both the high frequency Gibbs oscillations inherent to the Fourier method and the fast-growing numerical instabilities resulting from the hyperbolic nature of the transport equation. The numerical scheme is validated by comparison with an exact solution in the 1D case corresponding to dislocation dipole annihilation. The expansion and annihilation of dislocation loops in 2D and 3D settings are also produced and compared with finite element approximations. The spectral solutions are shown to be stable, more accurate for low Courant numbers and much less computation time-consuming than the finite element technique based on an explicit Galerkin-least squares scheme.

The Typical Number of Antiprotons Necessary to Heat the Hot Spot in the D-T Fuel Doped with U

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shmatov, M. L.

Fast ignition scenario with heating the hot spot by products of annihilation of antiprotons in the D-T fuel doped with U238 is considered. It is shown that in this scenario the hot spot is being heated effectively only by the fission fragments arising due to annihilation of the antiprotons on the nuclei of uranium. The presented model predicts that fast ignition can be provided by injection of (1.3 to 4.4) x 1015 antiprotons into the D-T fuel compressed to the density of about 200 g/cm3 and containing one nucleus of U238 per about one thousand nuclei of hydrogen isotopes.

Constraints on dark matter annihilation in clusters of galaxies with the Fermi large area telescope

DOE PAGES

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Allafort, A.; ...

2010-05-20

Nearby clusters and groups of galaxies are potentially bright sources of high-energy gamma-ray emission resulting from the pair-annihilation of dark matter particles. However, no significant gamma-ray emission has been detected so far from clusters in the first 11 months of observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope. We interpret this non-detection in terms of constraints on dark matter particle properties. In particular for leptonic annihilation final states and particle masses greater than ~ 200 GeV, gamma-ray emission from inverse Compton scattering of CMB photons is expected to dominate the dark matter annihilation signal from clusters, and our gamma-ray limits excludemore » large regions of the parameter space that would give a good fit to the recent anomalous Pamela and Fermi-LAT electron-positron measurements. We also present constraints on the annihilation of more standard dark matter candidates, such as the lightest neutralino of supersymmetric models. The constraints are particularly strong when including the fact that clusters are known to contain substructure at least on galaxy scales, increasing the expected gamma-ray flux by a factor of ~ 5 over a smooth-halo assumption. Here, we also explore the effect of uncertainties in cluster dark matter density profiles, finding a systematic uncertainty in the constraints of roughly a factor of two, but similar overall conclusions. Finally, in this work, we focus on deriving limits on dark matter models; a more general consideration of the Fermi-LAT data on clusters and clusters as gamma-ray sources is forthcoming.« less

Search for γ -Ray Line Signals from Dark Matter Annihilations in the Inner Galactic Halo from 10 Years of Observations with H.E.S.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdallah, H.; Abramowski, A.; Aharonian, F.; Ait Benkhali, F.; Angüner, E. O.; Arakawa, M.; Arrieta, M.; Aubert, P.; Backes, M.; Balzer, A.; Barnard, M.; Becherini, Y.; Becker Tjus, J.; Berge, D.; Bernhard, S.; Bernlöhr, K.; Blackwell, R.; Böttcher, M.; Boisson, C.; Bolmont, J.; Bonnefoy, S.; Bordas, P.; Bregeon, J.; Brun, F.; Brun, P.; Bryan, M.; Büchele, M.; Bulik, T.; Capasso, M.; Caroff, S.; Carosi, A.; Carr, J.; Casanova, S.; Cerruti, M.; Chakraborty, N.; Chaves, R. C. G.; Chen, A.; Chevalier, J.; Colafrancesco, S.; Condon, B.; Conrad, J.; Davids, I. D.; Decock, J.; Deil, C.; Devin, J.; deWilt, P.; Dirson, L.; Djannati-Ataï, A.; Domainko, W.; Donath, A.; Drury, L. O'C.; Dutson, K.; Dyks, J.; Edwards, T.; Egberts, K.; Eger, P.; Emery, G.; Ernenwein, J.-P.; Eschbach, S.; Farnier, C.; Fegan, S.; Fernandes, M. V.; Fiasson, A.; Fontaine, G.; Förster, A.; Funk, S.; Füßling, M.; Gabici, S.; Gallant, Y. A.; Garrigoux, T.; Gaté, F.; Giavitto, G.; Giebels, B.; Glawion, D.; Glicenstein, J. F.; Gottschall, D.; Grondin, M.-H.; Hahn, J.; Haupt, M.; Hawkes, J.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henri, G.; Hermann, G.; Hinton, J. A.; Hofmann, W.; Hoischen, C.; Holch, T. L.; Holler, M.; Horns, D.; Ivascenko, A.; Iwasaki, H.; Jacholkowska, A.; Jamrozy, M.; Janiak, M.; Jankowsky, D.; Jankowsky, F.; Jingo, M.; Jouvin, L.; Jung-Richardt, I.; Kastendieck, M. A.; Katarzyński, K.; Katsuragawa, M.; Katz, U.; Kerszberg, D.; Khangulyan, D.; Khélifi, B.; King, J.; Klepser, S.; Klochkov, D.; Kluźniak, W.; Komin, Nu.; Kosack, K.; Krakau, S.; Kraus, M.; Krüger, P. P.; Laffon, H.; Lamanna, G.; Lau, J.; Lees, J.-P.; Lefaucheur, J.; Lemière, A.; Lemoine-Goumard, M.; Lenain, J.-P.; Leser, E.; Liu, R.; Lohse, T.; Lorentz, M.; López-Coto, R.; Lypova, I.; Malyshev, D.; Marandon, V.; Marcowith, A.; Mariaud, C.; Marx, R.; Maurin, G.; Maxted, N.; Mayer, M.; Meintjes, P. J.; Meyer, M.; Mitchell, A. M. W.; Moderski, R.; Mohamed, M.; Mohrmann, L.; Morâ, K.; Moulin, E.; Murach, T.; Nakashima, S.; de Naurois, M.; Ndiyavala, H.; Niederwanger, F.; Niemiec, J.; Oakes, L.; O'Brien, P.; Odaka, H.; Ohm, S.; Ostrowski, M.; Oya, I.; Padovani, M.; Panter, M.; Parsons, R. D.; Pekeur, N. W.; Pelletier, G.; Perennes, C.; Petrucci, P.-O.; Peyaud, B.; Piel, Q.; Pita, S.; Poireau, V.; Poon, H.; Prokhorov, D.; Prokoph, H.; Pühlhofer, G.; Punch, M.; Quirrenbach, A.; Raab, S.; Rauth, R.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Renaud, M.; de los Reyes, R.; Rieger, F.; Rinchiuso, L.; Romoli, C.; Rowell, G.; Rudak, B.; Rulten, C. B.; Sahakian, V.; Saito, S.; Sanchez, D. A.; Santangelo, A.; Sasaki, M.; Schandri, M.; Schlickeiser, R.; Schüssler, F.; Schulz, A.; Schwanke, U.; Schwemmer, S.; Seglar-Arroyo, M.; Settimo, M.; Seyffert, A. S.; Shafi, N.; Shilon, I.; Shiningayamwe, K.; Simoni, R.; Sol, H.; Spanier, F.; Spir-Jacob, M.; Stawarz, Ł.; Steenkamp, R.; Stegmann, C.; Steppa, C.; Sushch, I.; Takahashi, T.; Tavernet, J.-P.; Tavernier, T.; Taylor, A. M.; Terrier, R.; Tibaldo, L.; Tiziani, D.; Tluczykont, M.; Trichard, C.; Tsirou, M.; Tsuji, N.; Tuffs, R.; Uchiyama, Y.; van der Walt, J.; van Eldik, C.; van Rensburg, C.; van Soelen, B.; Vasileiadis, G.; Veh, J.; Venter, C.; Viana, A.; Vincent, P.; Vink, J.; Voisin, F.; Völk, H. J.; Vuillaume, T.; Wadiasingh, Z.; Wagner, S. J.; Wagner, P.; Wagner, R. M.; White, R.; Wierzcholska, A.; Willmann, P.; Wörnlein, A.; Wouters, D.; Yang, R.; Zaborov, D.; Zacharias, M.; Zanin, R.; Zdziarski, A. A.; Zech, A.; Zefi, F.; Ziegler, A.; Zorn, J.; Żywucka, N.; H. E. S. S. Collaboration

2018-05-01

Spectral lines are among the most powerful signatures for dark matter (DM) annihilation searches in very-high-energy γ rays. The central region of the Milky Way halo is one of the most promising targets given its large amount of DM and proximity to Earth. We report on a search for a monoenergetic spectral line from self-annihilations of DM particles in the energy range from 300 GeV to 70 TeV using a two-dimensional maximum likelihood method taking advantage of both the spectral and spatial features of the signal versus background. The analysis makes use of Galactic center observations accumulated over ten years (2004-2014) with the H.E.S.S. array of ground-based Cherenkov telescopes. No significant γ -ray excess above the background is found. We derive upper limits on the annihilation cross section ⟨σ v ⟩ for monoenergetic DM lines at the level of 4 ×10-28 cm3 s-1 at 1 TeV, assuming an Einasto DM profile for the Milky Way halo. For a DM mass of 1 TeV, they improve over the previous ones by a factor of 6. The present constraints are the strongest obtained so far for DM particles in the mass range 300 GeV-70 TeV. Ground-based γ -ray observations have reached sufficient sensitivity to explore relevant velocity-averaged cross sections for DM annihilation into two γ -ray photons at the level expected from the thermal relic density for TeV DM particles.

Education, Training and Employment in Small-Scale Enterprises: Three Industries in Sao Paulo, Brazil. IIEP Research Report No. 63.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leite, Elenice M.; Caillods, Francoise

Despite the prophecies forecasting their probable disappearance or annihilation, small-scale enterprises have persisted in the Brazilian industrial structure since 1950. To account for the survival of small firms in Brazil, specifically in the state of Sao Paulo, a study examined 100 small firms in three industrial sectors: clothing, mechanical…

Observations of Galactic gamma-radiation with the SMM spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Share, G. H.; Kinzer, R. L.; Messina, D. C.; Purcell, W. R.; Chupp, E. L.

1986-01-01

Preliminary results from the SMM gamma-ray spectrometer are reported which indicate the detection of a constant source of 0.511-MeV annihilation radiation from the Galaxy. Year-to-year variability appears to be less than 30 percent. The radiation probably comes from a diffuse source and is not associated with the reported compact object at the Galactic center.

Theoretical aspects of studies of high coverage oxidation of the Cu(100) surface using low energy positrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazleev, N. G.; Maddox, W. B.; Reed, J. A.

2011-03-01

The study of adsorption of oxygen on transition metal surface is important for the understanding of oxidation, heterogeneous catalysis, and metal corrosion. The structures formed on transition metal surfaces vary from simple adlayers of chemisorbed oxygen to more complex structures which results from diffusion of oxygen into the sub-surface regions. In this work we present the results of an ab-initio investigation of positron surface and bulk states and annihilation probabilities of surface-trapped positrons with relevant core electrons at the Cu(100) missing row reconstructed surface under conditions of high oxygen coverage. Calculations are performed for various surface and subsurface oxygen coverages ranging from 0.50 to 1.50 monolayers. Calculations are also performed for the on-surface adsorption of oxygen on the unreconstructed Cu(001) surface for coverages up to one monolayer to use for comparison. Estimates of the positron binding energy, positron work function, and annihilation characteristics reveal their sensitivity to atomic structure of the topmost layers of the surface and charge transfer. Theoretical results are compared with experimental data obtained from studies of oxidation of the Cu(100) surface using positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy.

Magnetic Field Effect in Conjugated Molecules-Based Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-23

triplet annihilation process (TTA) process in charge- balanced polymer light emitting diode (PLED) containing a super yellow poly-(phenylene vinylene...current density. Our results demonstrate a clear correlation between TTA process and current density as well as temperature in charge- balanced SY-PPV...dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (7:3, v/v) at 60 °C for 12 h inside the nitrogen -filled glove box. The perovskite films were spin-cast by a consecutive two-step

INTEGRAL and Light Dark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassé, M.; Fayet, P.; Schanne, S.; Cordier, B.; Paul, J.

2004-10-01

The nature of Dark Matter remains one of the outstanding questions of modern astrophysics. The success of the Cold Dark Matter cosmological model argues strongly in favor of a major component of the dark matter being in the form of elementary particles, not yet discovered. Based on earlier theoretical considerations, a possible link between the recent SPI/INTEGRAL measurement of an intense and extended emission of 511 keV photons (the hallmark of positron annihilation) from the central Galaxy, and this mysterious component of the Universe, has been established advocating the existence of a light dark matter (LDM) particle (at variance with the neutralino, in general considered as very heavy). We show that it can explain the 511 keV emission mapped with SPI/INTEGRAL without overproducing undesirable signals like high energy gamma-rays arising from π? decays, and radio synchrotron photons emitted by high energy positrons circulating in magnetic fields. Combining the annihilation line constraint with the cosmological one (i.e. that the relic LDM energy density reaches about 23% of the density of the Universe), one can restrict the main properties of the light dark matter particle. Its mass should lie between ≈ 1 and 100 MeV, and the required annihilation cross section, velocity dependent, should be significantly larger than for weak interactions, and may be induced by the virtual production of a new light neutral spin 1 boson U. On astrophysical grounds, the best target to validate the LDM proposal seems to be the observation by SPI/INTEGRAL and future gamma ray telescopes of the annihilation line from the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy and the Palomar-13 globular cluster, thought to be dominated by dark matter. Key words: Galaxy center; dark matter; gamma rays. 0Corresponding author: m.casse@cea.fr 3 Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, 98 bis Boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France 4 Fédération de Recherche Astroparticule et Cosmologie, Coll`ege de France, 11 Place Marcellin Berthelot, 75231 Paris, France

Search for Dark Matter Annihilations towards the Inner Galactic Halo from 10 Years of Observations with H.E.S.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdallah, H.; Abramowski, A.; Aharonian, F.; Ait Benkhali, F.; Akhperjanian, A. G.; Angüner, E.; Arrieta, M.; Aubert, P.; Backes, M.; Balzer, A.; Barnard, M.; Becherini, Y.; Becker Tjus, J.; Berge, D.; Bernhard, S.; Bernlöhr, K.; Birsin, E.; Blackwell, R.; Böttcher, M.; Boisson, C.; Bolmont, J.; Bordas, P.; Bregeon, J.; Brun, F.; Brun, P.; Bryan, M.; Bulik, T.; Capasso, M.; Carr, J.; Casanova, S.; Chakraborty, N.; Chalme-Calvet, R.; Chaves, R. C. G.; Chen, A.; Chevalier, J.; Chrétien, M.; Colafrancesco, S.; Cologna, G.; Condon, B.; Conrad, J.; Couturier, C.; Cui, Y.; Davids, I. D.; Degrange, B.; Deil, C.; deWilt, P.; Djannati-Ataï, A.; Domainko, W.; Donath, A.; Drury, L. O'C.; Dubus, G.; Dutson, K.; Dyks, J.; Dyrda, M.; Edwards, T.; Egberts, K.; Eger, P.; Ernenwein, J.-P.; Eschbach, S.; Farnier, C.; Fegan, S.; Fernandes, M. V.; Fiasson, A.; Fontaine, G.; Förster, A.; Funk, S.; Füßling, M.; Gabici, S.; Gajdus, M.; Gallant, Y. A.; Garrigoux, T.; Giavitto, G.; Giebels, B.; Glicenstein, J. F.; Gottschall, D.; Goyal, A.; Grondin, M.-H.; Grudzińska, M.; Hadasch, D.; Hahn, J.; Hawkes, J.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henri, G.; Hermann, G.; Hervet, O.; Hillert, A.; Hinton, J. A.; Hofmann, W.; Hoischen, C.; Holler, M.; Horns, D.; Ivascenko, A.; Jacholkowska, A.; Jamrozy, M.; Janiak, M.; Jankowsky, D.; Jankowsky, F.; Jingo, M.; Jogler, T.; Jouvin, L.; Jung-Richardt, I.; Kastendieck, M. A.; Katarzyński, K.; Katz, U.; Kerszberg, D.; Khélifi, B.; Kieffer, M.; King, J.; Klepser, S.; Klochkov, D.; Kluźniak, W.; Kolitzus, D.; Komin, Nu.; Kosack, K.; Krakau, S.; Kraus, M.; Krayzel, F.; Krüger, P. P.; Laffon, H.; Lamanna, G.; Lau, J.; Lees, J.-P.; Lefaucheur, J.; Lefranc, V.; Lemière, A.; Lemoine-Goumard, M.; Lenain, J.-P.; Leser, E.; Lohse, T.; Lorentz, M.; Lui, R.; Lypova, I.; Marandon, V.; Marcowith, A.; Mariaud, C.; Marx, R.; Maurin, G.; Maxted, N.; Mayer, M.; Meintjes, P. J.; Menzler, U.; Meyer, M.; Mitchell, A. M. W.; Moderski, R.; Mohamed, M.; Morâ, K.; Moulin, E.; Murach, T.; de Naurois, M.; Niederwanger, F.; Niemiec, J.; Oakes, L.; Odaka, H.; Ohm, S.; Öttl, S.; Ostrowski, M.; Oya, I.; Padovani, M.; Panter, M.; Parsons, R. D.; Paz Arribas, M.; Pekeur, N. W.; Pelletier, G.; Petrucci, P.-O.; Peyaud, B.; Pita, S.; Poon, H.; Prokhorov, D.; Prokoph, H.; Pühlhofer, G.; Punch, M.; Quirrenbach, A.; Raab, S.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Renaud, M.; de los Reyes, R.; Rieger, F.; Romoli, C.; Rosier-Lees, S.; Rowell, G.; Rudak, B.; Rulten, C. B.; Sahakian, V.; Salek, D.; Sanchez, D. A.; Santangelo, A.; Sasaki, M.; Schlickeiser, R.; Schüssler, F.; Schulz, A.; Schwanke, U.; Schwemmer, S.; Seyffert, A. S.; Shafi, N.; Simoni, R.; Sol, H.; Spanier, F.; Spengler, G.; Spieß, F.; Stawarz, L.; Steenkamp, R.; Stegmann, C.; Stinzing, F.; Stycz, K.; Sushch, I.; Tavernet, J.-P.; Tavernier, T.; Taylor, A. M.; Terrier, R.; Tluczykont, M.; Trichard, C.; Tuffs, R.; van der Walt, J.; van Eldik, C.; van Soelen, B.; Vasileiadis, G.; Veh, J.; Venter, C.; Viana, A.; Vincent, P.; Vink, J.; Voisin, F.; Völk, H. J.; Vuillaume, T.; Wadiasingh, Z.; Wagner, S. J.; Wagner, P.; Wagner, R. M.; White, R.; Wierzcholska, A.; Willmann, P.; Wörnlein, A.; Wouters, D.; Yang, R.; Zabalza, V.; Zaborov, D.; Zacharias, M.; Zdziarski, A. A.; Zech, A.; Zefi, F.; Ziegler, A.; Żywucka, N.; H. E. S. S. Collaboration

2016-09-01

The inner region of the Milky Way halo harbors a large amount of dark matter (DM). Given its proximity, it is one of the most promising targets to look for DM. We report on a search for the annihilations of DM particles using γ -ray observations towards the inner 300 pc of the Milky Way, with the H.E.S.S. array of ground-based Cherenkov telescopes. The analysis is based on a 2D maximum likelihood method using Galactic Center (GC) data accumulated by H.E.S.S. over the last 10 years (2004-2014), and does not show any significant γ -ray signal above background. Assuming Einasto and Navarro-Frenk-White DM density profiles at the GC, we derive upper limits on the annihilation cross section ⟨σ v ⟩. These constraints are the strongest obtained so far in the TeV DM mass range and improve upon previous limits by a factor 5. For the Einasto profile, the constraints reach ⟨σ v ⟩ values of 6 ×10-26 cm3 s-1 in the W+W- channel for a DM particle mass of 1.5 TeV, and 2 ×10-26 cm3 s-1 in the τ+τ- channel for a 1 TeV mass. For the first time, ground-based γ -ray observations have reached sufficient sensitivity to probe ⟨σ v ⟩ values expected from the thermal relic density for TeV DM particles.

Constraints on the Galactic Halo Dark Matter From FERMI-LAT Diffuse Measurements

DOE PAGES

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Atwood, W. B.; ...

2012-11-28

For this study, we have performed an analysis of the diffuse gamma-ray emission with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) in the Milky Way halo region, searching for a signal from dark matter annihilation or decay. In the absence of a robust dark matter signal, constraints are presented. We consider both gamma rays produced directly in the dark matter annihilation/decay and produced by inverse Compton scattering of the e +/e – produced in the annihilation/decay. Conservative limits are derived requiring that the dark matter signal does not exceed the observed diffuse gamma-ray emission. A second set of more stringent limitsmore » is derived based on modeling the foreground astrophysical diffuse emission using the GALPROP code. Uncertainties in the height of the diffusive cosmic-ray halo, the distribution of the cosmic-ray sources in the Galaxy, the index of the injection cosmic-ray electron spectrum, and the column density of the interstellar gas are taken into account using a profile likelihood formalism, while the parameters governing the cosmic-ray propagation have been derived from fits to local cosmic-ray data. In conclusion, the resulting limits impact the range of particle masses over which dark matter thermal production in the early universe is possible, and challenge the interpretation of the PAMELA/Fermi-LAT cosmic ray anomalies as the annihilation of dark matter.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blennow, Mattias; Herrero-Garcia, Juan; Schwetz, Thomas, E-mail: emb@kth.se, E-mail: juhg@kth.se, E-mail: schwetz@fysik.su.se

We show that a positive signal in a dark matter (DM) direct detection experiment can be used to place a lower bound on the DM capture rate in the Sun, independent of the DM halo. For a given particle physics model and DM mass we obtain a lower bound on the capture rate independent of the local DM density, velocity distribution, galactic escape velocity, as well as the scattering cross section. We illustrate this lower bound on the capture rate by assuming that upcoming direct detection experiments will soon obtain a significant signal. When comparing the lower bound on themore » capture rate with limits on the high-energy neutrino flux from the Sun from neutrino telescopes, we can place upper limits on the branching fraction of DM annihilation channels leading to neutrinos. With current data from IceCube and Super-Kamiokande non-trivial limits can be obtained for spin-dependent interactions and direct annihilations into neutrinos. In some cases also annihilations into ττ or b b start getting constrained. For spin-independent interactions current constraints are weak, but they may become interesting for data from future neutrino telescopes.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blennow, Mattias; Herrero-Garcia, Juan; Schwetz, Thomas

We show that a positive signal in a dark matter (DM) direct detection experiment can be used to place a lower bound on the DM capture rate in the Sun, independent of the DM halo. For a given particle physics model and DM mass we obtain a lower bound on the capture rate independent of the local DM density, velocity distribution, galactic escape velocity, as well as the scattering cross section. We illustrate this lower bound on the capture rate by assuming that upcoming direct detection experiments will soon obtain a significant signal. When comparing the lower bound on themore » capture rate with limits on the high-energy neutrino flux from the Sun from neutrino telescopes, we can place upper limits on the branching fraction of DM annihilation channels leading to neutrinos. With current data from IceCube and Super-Kamiokande non-trivial limits can be obtained for spin-dependent interactions and direct annihilations into neutrinos. In some cases also annihilations into ττ or bb start getting constrained. For spin-independent interactions current constraints are weak, but they may become interesting for data from future neutrino telescopes.« less

Ligand-surface interactions and surface oxidation of colloidal PbSe quantum dots revealed by thin-film positron annihilation methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Wenqin; Eijt, Stephan W. H.; Suchand Sandeep, C. S.; Siebbeles, Laurens D. A.; Houtepen, Arjan J.; Kinge, Sachin; Brück, Ekkes; Barbiellini, Bernardo; Bansil, Arun

2016-02-01

Positron Two Dimensional Angular Correlation of Annihilation Radiation (2D-ACAR) measurements reveal modifications of the electronic structure and composition at the surfaces of PbSe quantum dots (QDs), deposited as thin films, produced by various ligands containing either oxygen or nitrogen atoms. In particular, the 2D-ACAR measurements on thin films of colloidal PbSe QDs capped with oleic acid ligands yield an increased intensity in the electron momentum density (EMD) at high momenta compared to PbSe quantum dots capped with oleylamine. Moreover, the EMD of PbSe QDs is strongly affected by the small ethylenediamine ligands, since these molecules lead to small distances between QDs and favor neck formation between near neighbor QDs, inducing electronic coupling between neighboring QDs. The high sensitivity to the presence of oxygen atoms at the surface can be also exploited to monitor the surface oxidation of PbSe QDs upon exposure to air. Our study clearly demonstrates that positron annihilation spectroscopy applied to thin films can probe surface transformations of colloidal semiconductor QDs embedded in functional layers.

Coarsening and persistence in a one-dimensional system of orienting arrowheads: Domain-wall kinetics with A +B →0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khandkar, Mahendra D.; Stinchcombe, Robin; Barma, Mustansir

2017-01-01

We demonstrate the large-scale effects of the interplay between shape and hard-core interactions in a system with left- and right-pointing arrowheads <> on a line, with reorientation dynamics. This interplay leads to the formation of two types of domain walls, >< (A ) and <> (B ). The correlation length in the equilibrium state diverges exponentially with increasing arrowhead density, with an ordered state of like orientations arising in the limit. In this high-density limit, the A domain walls diffuse, while the B walls are static. In time, the approach to the ordered state is described by a coarsening process governed by the kinetics of domain-wall annihilation A +B →0 , quite different from the A +A →0 kinetics pertinent to the Glauber-Ising model. The survival probability of a finite set of walls is shown to decay exponentially with time, in contrast to the power-law decay known for A +A →0 . In the thermodynamic limit with a finite density of walls, coarsening as a function of time t is studied by simulation. While the number of walls falls as t-1/2, the fraction of persistent arrowheads decays as t-θ where θ is close to 1/4 , quite different from the Ising value. The global persistence too has θ =1/4 , as follows from a heuristic argument. In a generalization where the B walls diffuse slowly, θ varies continuously, increasing with increasing diffusion constant.

Coarsening and persistence in a one-dimensional system of orienting arrowheads: Domain-wall kinetics with A+B→0.

PubMed

Khandkar, Mahendra D; Stinchcombe, Robin; Barma, Mustansir

2017-01-01

We demonstrate the large-scale effects of the interplay between shape and hard-core interactions in a system with left- and right-pointing arrowheads <> on a line, with reorientation dynamics. This interplay leads to the formation of two types of domain walls, >< (A) and <> (B). The correlation length in the equilibrium state diverges exponentially with increasing arrowhead density, with an ordered state of like orientations arising in the limit. In this high-density limit, the A domain walls diffuse, while the B walls are static. In time, the approach to the ordered state is described by a coarsening process governed by the kinetics of domain-wall annihilation A+B→0, quite different from the A+A→0 kinetics pertinent to the Glauber-Ising model. The survival probability of a finite set of walls is shown to decay exponentially with time, in contrast to the power-law decay known for A+A→0. In the thermodynamic limit with a finite density of walls, coarsening as a function of time t is studied by simulation. While the number of walls falls as t^{-1/2}, the fraction of persistent arrowheads decays as t^{-θ} where θ is close to 1/4, quite different from the Ising value. The global persistence too has θ=1/4, as follows from a heuristic argument. In a generalization where the B walls diffuse slowly, θ varies continuously, increasing with increasing diffusion constant.

Formation of Isolated Zn Vacancies in ZnO Single Crystals by Absorption of Ultraviolet Radiation: A Combined Study Using Positron Annihilation, Photoluminescence, and Mass Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Enamul H.; Weber, Marc H.; McCluskey, Matthew D.

2013-07-01

Positron annihilation spectra reveal isolated zinc vacancy (VZn) creation in single-crystal ZnO exposed to 193-nm radiation at 100mJ/cm2 fluence. The appearance of a photoluminescence excitation peak at 3.18 eV in irradiated ZnO is attributed to an electronic transition from the VZn acceptor level at ˜100meV to the conduction band. The observed VZn density profile and hyperthermal Zn+ ion emission support zinc vacancy-interstitial Frenkel pair creation by exciting a wide 6.34 eV Zn-O antibonding state at 193-nm photon—a novel photoelectronic process for controlled VZn creation in ZnO.

Formation of isolated Zn vacancies in ZnO single crystals by absorption of ultraviolet radiation: a combined study using positron annihilation, photoluminescence, and mass spectroscopy.

PubMed

Khan, Enamul H; Weber, Marc H; McCluskey, Matthew D

2013-07-05

Positron annihilation spectra reveal isolated zinc vacancy (V(Zn)) creation in single-crystal ZnO exposed to 193-nm radiation at 100 mJ/cm(2) fluence. The appearance of a photoluminescence excitation peak at 3.18 eV in irradiated ZnO is attributed to an electronic transition from the V(Zn) acceptor level at ~100 meV to the conduction band. The observed V(Zn) density profile and hyperthermal Zn(+) ion emission support zinc vacancy-interstitial Frenkel pair creation by exciting a wide 6.34 eV Zn-O antibonding state at 193-nm photon-a novel photoelectronic process for controlled V(Zn) creation in ZnO.

Positron Spectroscopy of Nanodiamonds after Hydrogen Sorption

PubMed Central

Laptev, Roman; Abzaev, Yuri; Lider, Andrey; Ivashutenko, Alexander

2018-01-01

The structure and defects of nanodiamonds influence the hydrogen sorption capacity. Positronium can be used as a sensor for detecting places with the most efficient capture of hydrogen atoms. Hydrogenation of carbon materials was performed from gas atmosphere. The concentration of hydrogen absorbed by the sample depends on the temperature and pressure. The concentration 1.2 wt % is achieved at the temperature of 243 K and the pressure of 0.6 MPa. The hydrogen saturation of nanodiamonds changes the positron lifetime. Increase of sorption cycle numbers effects the positron lifetime, as well as the parameters of the Doppler broadening of annihilation line. The electron-positron annihilation being a sensitive method, it allows detecting the electron density fluctuation of the carbon material after hydrogen saturation. PMID:29324712

In situ observation of defect annihilation in Kr ion-irradiated bulk Fe/amorphous-Fe 2 Zr nanocomposite alloy

DOE PAGES

Yu, K. Y.; Fan, Z.; Chen, Y.; ...

2014-08-26

Enhanced irradiation tolerance in crystalline multilayers has received significant attention lately. However, little is known on the irradiation response of crystal/amorphous nanolayers. We report on in situ Kr ion irradiation studies of a bulk Fe 96Zr 4 nanocomposite alloy. Irradiation resulted in amorphization of Fe 2Zr and formed crystal/amorphous nanolayers. α-Fe layers exhibited drastically lower defect density and size than those in large α-Fe grains. In situ video revealed that mobile dislocation loops in α-Fe layers were confined by the crystal/amorphous interfaces and kept migrating to annihilate other defects. This study provides new insights on the design of irradiation-tolerant crystal/amorphousmore » nanocomposites.« less

Search for γ-Ray Line Signals from Dark Matter Annihilations in the Inner Galactic Halo from 10 Years of Observations with H.E.S.S.

PubMed

Abdallah, H; Abramowski, A; Aharonian, F; Ait Benkhali, F; Angüner, E O; Arakawa, M; Arrieta, M; Aubert, P; Backes, M; Balzer, A; Barnard, M; Becherini, Y; Becker Tjus, J; Berge, D; Bernhard, S; Bernlöhr, K; Blackwell, R; Böttcher, M; Boisson, C; Bolmont, J; Bonnefoy, S; Bordas, P; Bregeon, J; Brun, F; Brun, P; Bryan, M; Büchele, M; Bulik, T; Capasso, M; Caroff, S; Carosi, A; Carr, J; Casanova, S; Cerruti, M; Chakraborty, N; Chaves, R C G; Chen, A; Chevalier, J; Colafrancesco, S; Condon, B; Conrad, J; Davids, I D; Decock, J; Deil, C; Devin, J; deWilt, P; Dirson, L; Djannati-Ataï, A; Domainko, W; Donath, A; Drury, L O'C; Dutson, K; Dyks, J; Edwards, T; Egberts, K; Eger, P; Emery, G; Ernenwein, J-P; Eschbach, S; Farnier, C; Fegan, S; Fernandes, M V; Fiasson, A; Fontaine, G; Förster, A; Funk, S; Füßling, M; Gabici, S; Gallant, Y A; Garrigoux, T; Gaté, F; Giavitto, G; Giebels, B; Glawion, D; Glicenstein, J F; Gottschall, D; Grondin, M-H; Hahn, J; Haupt, M; Hawkes, J; Heinzelmann, G; Henri, G; Hermann, G; Hinton, J A; Hofmann, W; Hoischen, C; Holch, T L; Holler, M; Horns, D; Ivascenko, A; Iwasaki, H; Jacholkowska, A; Jamrozy, M; Janiak, M; Jankowsky, D; Jankowsky, F; Jingo, M; Jouvin, L; Jung-Richardt, I; Kastendieck, M A; Katarzyński, K; Katsuragawa, M; Katz, U; Kerszberg, D; Khangulyan, D; Khélifi, B; King, J; Klepser, S; Klochkov, D; Kluźniak, W; Komin, Nu; Kosack, K; Krakau, S; Kraus, M; Krüger, P P; Laffon, H; Lamanna, G; Lau, J; Lees, J-P; Lefaucheur, J; Lemière, A; Lemoine-Goumard, M; Lenain, J-P; Leser, E; Liu, R; Lohse, T; Lorentz, M; López-Coto, R; Lypova, I; Malyshev, D; Marandon, V; Marcowith, A; Mariaud, C; Marx, R; Maurin, G; Maxted, N; Mayer, M; Meintjes, P J; Meyer, M; Mitchell, A M W; Moderski, R; Mohamed, M; Mohrmann, L; Morå, K; Moulin, E; Murach, T; Nakashima, S; de Naurois, M; Ndiyavala, H; Niederwanger, F; Niemiec, J; Oakes, L; O'Brien, P; Odaka, H; Ohm, S; Ostrowski, M; Oya, I; Padovani, M; Panter, M; Parsons, R D; Pekeur, N W; Pelletier, G; Perennes, C; Petrucci, P-O; Peyaud, B; Piel, Q; Pita, S; Poireau, V; Poon, H; Prokhorov, D; Prokoph, H; Pühlhofer, G; Punch, M; Quirrenbach, A; Raab, S; Rauth, R; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Renaud, M; de Los Reyes, R; Rieger, F; Rinchiuso, L; Romoli, C; Rowell, G; Rudak, B; Rulten, C B; Sahakian, V; Saito, S; Sanchez, D A; Santangelo, A; Sasaki, M; Schandri, M; Schlickeiser, R; Schüssler, F; Schulz, A; Schwanke, U; Schwemmer, S; Seglar-Arroyo, M; Settimo, M; Seyffert, A S; Shafi, N; Shilon, I; Shiningayamwe, K; Simoni, R; Sol, H; Spanier, F; Spir-Jacob, M; Stawarz, Ł; Steenkamp, R; Stegmann, C; Steppa, C; Sushch, I; Takahashi, T; Tavernet, J-P; Tavernier, T; Taylor, A M; Terrier, R; Tibaldo, L; Tiziani, D; Tluczykont, M; Trichard, C; Tsirou, M; Tsuji, N; Tuffs, R; Uchiyama, Y; van der Walt, J; van Eldik, C; van Rensburg, C; van Soelen, B; Vasileiadis, G; Veh, J; Venter, C; Viana, A; Vincent, P; Vink, J; Voisin, F; Völk, H J; Vuillaume, T; Wadiasingh, Z; Wagner, S J; Wagner, P; Wagner, R M; White, R; Wierzcholska, A; Willmann, P; Wörnlein, A; Wouters, D; Yang, R; Zaborov, D; Zacharias, M; Zanin, R; Zdziarski, A A; Zech, A; Zefi, F; Ziegler, A; Zorn, J; Żywucka, N

2018-05-18

Spectral lines are among the most powerful signatures for dark matter (DM) annihilation searches in very-high-energy γ rays. The central region of the Milky Way halo is one of the most promising targets given its large amount of DM and proximity to Earth. We report on a search for a monoenergetic spectral line from self-annihilations of DM particles in the energy range from 300 GeV to 70 TeV using a two-dimensional maximum likelihood method taking advantage of both the spectral and spatial features of the signal versus background. The analysis makes use of Galactic center observations accumulated over ten years (2004-2014) with the H.E.S.S. array of ground-based Cherenkov telescopes. No significant γ-ray excess above the background is found. We derive upper limits on the annihilation cross section ⟨σv⟩ for monoenergetic DM lines at the level of 4×10^{-28}  cm^{3} s^{-1} at 1 TeV, assuming an Einasto DM profile for the Milky Way halo. For a DM mass of 1 TeV, they improve over the previous ones by a factor of 6. The present constraints are the strongest obtained so far for DM particles in the mass range 300 GeV-70 TeV. Ground-based γ-ray observations have reached sufficient sensitivity to explore relevant velocity-averaged cross sections for DM annihilation into two γ-ray photons at the level expected from the thermal relic density for TeV DM particles.

Photoluminescence and positron annihilation spectroscopic investigation on a H(+) irradiated ZnO single crystal.

PubMed

Sarkar, A; Chakrabarti, Mahuya; Sanyal, D; Bhowmick, D; Dechoudhury, S; Chakrabarti, A; Rakshit, Tamita; Ray, S K

2012-08-15

Low temperature photoluminescence and room temperature positron annihilation spectroscopy have been employed to investigate the defects incorporated by 6 MeV H(+) ions in a hydrothermally grown ZnO single crystal. Prior to irradiation, the emission from donor bound excitons is at 3.378 eV (10 K). The irradiation creates an intense and narrow emission at 3.368 eV (10 K). The intensity of this peak is nearly four times that of the dominant near band edge peak of the pristine crystal. The characteristic features of the 3.368 eV emission indicate its origin as a 'hydrogen at oxygen vacancy' type defect. The positron annihilation lifetime measurement reveals a single component lifetime spectrum for both the unirradiated (164 ± 1 ps) and irradiated crystal (175 ± 1 ps). It reflects the fact that the positron lifetime and intensity of the new irradiation driven defect species are a little higher compared to those in the unirradiated crystal. However, the estimated defect concentration, even considering the high dynamic defect annihilation rate in ZnO, comes out to be ∼4 × 10(17) cm(-3) (using SRIM software). This is a very high defect concentration compared to the defect sensitivity of positron annihilation spectroscopy. A probable reason is the partial filling of the incorporated vacancies (positron traps), which in ZnO are zinc vacancies. The positron lifetime of ∼175 ps (in irradiated ZnO) is consistent with recent theoretical calculations for partially hydrogen-filled zinc vacancies in ZnO. Passivation of oxygen vacancies by hydrogen is also reflected in the photoluminescence results. A possible reason for such vacancy filling (at both Zn and O sites) due to irradiation has also been discussed.

Vacancy-Induced Ferromagnetism in SnO2 Nanocrystals: A Positron Annihilation Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhi-Yuan; Chen, Zhi-Quan; Pan, Rui-Kun; Wang, Shao-Jie

2013-02-01

SnO2 nanopowders were pressed into pellets and annealed in air from 100 to 1400°C. Both XRD and Raman spectroscopy confirm that all annealed samples were single phase with a tetragonal rutile structure. Annealing induces an increase in the SnO2 grain size from 30 to 83 nm. Positron annihilation measurements reveal vacancy defects in the grain boundary region, and the interfacial defects remain stable after annealing below 400°C, then they are gradually recovered with increasing annealing temperature up to 1200°C. Room temperature ferromagnetism was observed for SnO2 nanocrystals annealed below 1200°C, and the magnetization decreases continuously with increasing annealing temperature. However, the ferromagnetism disappears at 1200°C annealing. This shows good coincidence with the recovery of interfacial defects in the nanocrystals, suggesting that the ferromagnetism is probably induced by vacancy defects in the interface region.

Spatially resolved positron annihilation spectroscopy on friction stir weld induced defects.

PubMed

Hain, Karin; Hugenschmidt, Christoph; Pikart, Philip; Böni, Peter

2010-04-01

A friction stir welded (FSW) Al alloy sample was investigated by Doppler broadening spectroscopy (DBS) of the positron annihilation line. The spatially resolved defect distribution showed that the material in the joint zone becomes completely annealed during the welding process at the shoulder of the FSW tool, whereas at the tip, annealing is prevailed by the deterioration of the material due to the tool movement. This might be responsible for the increased probability of cracking in the heat affected zone of friction stir welds. Examination of a material pairing of steel S235 and the Al alloy Silafont36 by coincident Doppler broadening spectroscopy (CDBS) indicates the formation of annealed steel clusters in the Al alloy component of the sample. The clear visibility of Fe in the CDB spectra is explained by the very efficient trapping at the interface between steel cluster and bulk.

A novel method to extract dark matter parameters from neutrino telescope data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Esmaili, Arman; Farzan, Yasaman, E-mail: arman@ipm.ir, E-mail: yasaman@theory.ipm.ac.ir

2011-04-01

Recently it has been shown that when the Dark Matter (DM) particles captured in the Sun directly annihilate into neutrino pairs, the oscillatory terms in the oscillation probability do not average to zero and can lead to a seasonal variation as the distance between the Sun and Earth changes in time. In this paper, we explore this feature as a novel method to extract information on the properties of dark matter. We show that by studying the variation of the flux over a few months, it would in principle be possible to derive the DM mass as well as newmore » information on the flavor structure of the DM annihilation modes. In addition to analytic analysis, we present the results of our numerical calculations that take into account scattering and regeneration of neutrinos traversing the Sun.« less

Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensates of Positronium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yi-Hsieh; Anderson, Brandon; Clark, Charles

2014-05-01

Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) of positronium (Ps) have been of experimental and theoretical interest due to their potential application as the gain medium of a γ-ray laser. Ps BECs are intrinsically spinor due to the presence of ortho-positronium (o-Ps) and para-positronium (p-Ps), whose annihilation lifetimes differ by three orders of magnitude. In this paper, we study the spinor dynamics and annihilation processes in the p-Ps/o-Ps system using both solutions of the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equations and a semiclassical rate-equation approach. The spinor interactions have an O (4) symmetry which is broken to SO (3) by an internal energy difference between o-Ps and p-Ps. For an initially unpolarized condensate, there is a threshold density of ~1019 cm-3 at which spin mixing between o-Ps and p-Ps occurs. Beyond this threshold, there are unstable spatial modes accompanied by spin mixing. To ensure a high production yield above the critical density, a careful choice of external field must be made to avoid the spin mixing instability. NSF Physics Frontiers Center, ARO Atomtronics MURI, DARPA OLE.

Positron annihilation spectroscopy of vacancy-related defects in CdTe:Cl and CdZnTe:Ge at different stoichiometry deviations

PubMed Central

Šedivý, L.; Čížek, J.; Belas, E.; Grill, R.; Melikhova, O.

2016-01-01

Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) was used to examine the effect of defined Cd-rich and Te-rich annealing on point defects in Cl-doped CdTe and Ge-doped CdZnTe semi-insulating single crystals. The as-grown crystals contain open-volume defects connected with Cd vacancies . It was found that the Cd vacancies agglomerate into clusters coupled with Cl in CdTe:Cl, and in CdZnTe:Ge they are coupled with Ge donors. While annealing in Cd pressure reduces of the density, subsequent annealing in Te pressure restores . The CdTe:Cl contains negatively-charged shallow traps interpreted as Rydberg states of A-centres and representing the major positron trapping sites at low temperature. Positrons confined in the shallow traps exhibit lifetime, which is shorter than the CdTe bulk lifetime. Interpretation of the PAS data was successfully combined with electrical resistivity, Hall effect measurements and chemical analysis, and allowed us to determine the principal point defect densities. PMID:26860684

Bringing isolated dark matter out of isolation: Late-time reheating and indirect detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erickcek, Adrienne L.; Sinha, Kuver; Watson, Scott

2016-09-01

In standard cosmology, the growth of structure becomes significant following matter-radiation equality. In nonthermal histories, where an effectively matter-dominated phase occurs due to scalar oscillations prior to big bang nucleosynthesis, a new scale at smaller wavelengths appears in the matter power spectrum. Density perturbations that enter the horizon during the early matter-dominated era (EMDE) grow linearly with the scale factor prior to the onset of radiation domination, which leads to enhanced inhomogeneity on small scales if dark matter (DM) thermally and kinetically decouples during the EMDE. The microhalos that form from these enhanced perturbations significantly boost the self-annihilation rate for dark matter. This has important implications for indirect detection experiments: the larger annihilation rate may result in observable signals from dark matter candidates that are usually deemed untestable. As a proof of principle, we consider binos in heavy supersymmetry with an intermediate extended Higgs sector and all other superpartners decoupled. We find that these isolated binos, which lie under the neutrino floor, can account for the dark matter relic density and decouple from the standard model early enough to preserve the enhanced small-scale inhomogeneity generated during the EMDE. If early forming microhalos survive as subhalos within larger microhalos, the resulting boost to the annihilation rate for bino dark matter near the pseudoscalar resonance exceeds the upper limit established by Fermi-LAT's observations of dwarf spheroidal galaxies. These DM candidates motivate the N -body simulations required to eliminate uncertainties in the microhalos' internal structure by exemplifying how an EMDE can enable Fermi-LAT to probe isolated dark matter.

Positron annihilation lifetime study of Nafion/titanium dioxide nano-composite membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, M.; Wang, Y. J.; Liang, C.; Huang, K.; Ye, C. X.; Wang, W. J.; Jin, S. F.; Zhang, R.; Fan, D. Y.; Yang, H. J.; Wang, Y. G.

2014-01-01

Positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) technique is applied for investigation of size and number density of free volumes in Nafion/TiO2-nanoparticles composite membrane. The proton transporting ability is correlated with the properties of free volume inside the membrane. It is revealed that composite membrane with 5 wt% of TiO2 nano-fillers exhibits good electrochemical performance under reduced humidity and it can be saturated with water at relative humidity of 50%, under which ionic clusters and proton transporting channels are formed, indicating that composite membranes with 5 wt% of TiO2 nano-fillers are effective electrolyte for fuel cells operated at reduced humidification levels. The results suggest that PAL can be a powerful tool for elucidating the relationship between microstructure and ion transport in polymer electrolyte membranes.

A Scintillation Counter System Design To Detect Antiproton Annihilation using the High Performance Antiproton Trap(HiPAT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, James J.; Lewis, Raymond A.; Stanojev, Boris

2003-01-01

The High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT), a system designed to hold up to l0(exp 12) charge particles with a storage half-life of approximately 18 days, is a tool to support basic antimatter research. NASA's interest stems from the energy density represented by the annihilation of matter with antimatter, 10(exp 2)MJ/g. The HiPAT is configured with a Penning-Malmberg style electromagnetic confinement region with field strengths up to 4 Tesla, and 20kV. To date a series of normal matter experiments, using positive and negative ions, have been performed evaluating the designs performance prior to operations with antiprotons. The primary methods of detecting and monitoring stored normal matter ions and antiprotons within the trap includes a destructive extraction technique that makes use of a micro channel plate (MCP) device and a non-destractive radio frequency scheme tuned to key particle frequencies. However, an independent means of detecting stored antiprotons is possible by making use of the actual annihilation products as a unique indicator. The immediate yield of the annihilation event includes photons and pie mesons, emanating spherically from the point of annihilation. To "count" these events, a hardware system of scintillators, discriminators, coincident meters and multi channel scalars (MCS) have been configured to surround much of the HiPAT. Signal coincidence with voting logic is an essential part of this system, necessary to weed out the single cosmic ray events from the multi-particle annihilation shower. This system can be operated in a variety of modes accommodating various conditions. The first is a low-speed sampling interval that monitors the background loss or "evaporation" rate of antiprotons held in the trap during long storage periods; provides an independent method of validating particle lifetimes. The second is a high-speed sample rate accumulating information on a microseconds time-scale; useful when trapped antiparticles are extracted against a target, providing an indication of quantity. This paper details the layout of this system, setup of the hardware components around HiPAT, and applicable checkouts using normal matter radioactive sources.

Exploring the BWCA (Bino-Wino co-annihilation) scenario for neutralino dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baer, Howard; Krupovnickas, Tadas; Mustafayev, Azar; Park, Eun-Kyung; Profumo, Stefano; Tata, Xerxes

2005-12-01

In supersymmetric models with non-universal gaugino masses, it is possible to have opposite-sign SU(2) and U(1) gaugino mass terms. In these models, the gaugino eigenstates experience little mixing so that the lightest SUSY particle remains either pure bino or pure wino. The neutralino relic density can only be brought into accord with the WMAP measured value when bino-wino co-annihilation (BWCA) acts to enhance the dark matter annihilation rate. We map out parameter space regions and mass spectra which are characteristic of the BWCA scenario. Direct and indirect dark matter detection rates are shown to be typically very low. At collider experiments, the BWCA scenario is typified by a small mass gap mtilde Z2-mtilde Z1 ~ 20-80 GeV, so that tree level two body decays of tilde Z2 are not allowed. However, in this case the second lightest neutralino has an enhanced loop decay branching fraction to photons. While the photonic neutralino decay signature looks difficult to extract at the Fermilab Tevatron, it should lead to distinctive events at the CERN LHC and at a linear e+e- collider.

Survey of elemental specificity in positron annihilation peak shapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myler, U.; Simpson, P. J.

1997-12-01

Recently the detailed interpretation of positron-annihilation γ-ray peak shapes has proven to be of interest with respect to their chemical specificity. In this contribution, we show highly resolved spectra for a number of different elements. To this purpose, annihilation spectra with strongly reduced background intensities were recorded in the two detector geometry, using a variable-energy positron beam. Division of the subsequently normalized spectra by a standard spectrum (in our case the spectrum of pure silicon) yields quotient spectra, which display features characteristic of the sample material. First we ascertain that the specific spectrum of an element is conserved in different chemical compounds, demonstrated here by identical oxygen spectra obtained from both SiO2/Si and MgO/Mg. Second, we show highly resolved spectra for a number of different elements (Fe...Zn, Ag, Ir...Au). We show that the characteristic features in these spectra vary in a systematic fashion with the atomic number of the element and can be tentatively identified with particular orbitals. Finally, for 26 different elements we compare the maximum intensity in the quotient spectra with the relative atomic density in the corresponding element. To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive survey of such data made to date.

The semi-Hooperon: Gamma-ray and anti-proton excesses in the Galactic Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arcadi, Giorgio; Queiroz, Farinaldo S.; Siqueira, Clarissa

2017-12-01

A puzzling excess in gamma-rays at GeV energies has been observed in the center of our galaxy using Fermi-LAT data. Its origin is still unknown, but it is well fitted by Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) annihilations into quarks with a cross section around 10-26 cm3s-1 with masses of 20-50 GeV, scenario which is promptly revisited. An excess favoring similar WIMP properties has also been seen in anti-protons with AMS-02 data potentially coming from the Galactic Center as well. In this work, we explore the possibility of fitting these excesses in terms of semi-annihilating dark matter, dubbed as semi-Hooperon, with the process WIMP WIMP → WIMP X being responsible for the gamma-ray excess, where X = h , Z. An interesting feature of semi-annihilations is the change in the relic density prediction compared to the standard case, and the possibility to alleviate stringent limits stemming from direct detection searches. Moreover, we discuss which models might give rise to a successful semi-Hooperon setup in the context of Z3,Z4 and extra "dark" gauge symmetries.

A Sommerfeld toolbox for colored dark sectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Hedri, Sonia; Kaminska, Anna; de Vries, Maikel

2017-09-01

We present analytical formulas for the Sommerfeld corrections to the annihilation of massive colored particles into quarks and gluons through the strong interaction. These corrections are essential to accurately compute the dark matter relic density for coannihilation with colored partners. Our formulas allow us to compute the Sommerfeld effect, not only for the lowest term in the angular momentum expansion of the amplitude, but for all orders in the partial wave expansion. In particular, we carefully account for the effects of the spin of the annihilating particle on the symmetry of the two-particle wave function. This work focuses on strongly interacting particles of arbitrary spin in the triplet, sextet and octet color representations. For typical velocities during freeze-out, we find that including Sommerfeld corrections on the next-to-leading order partial wave leads to modifications of up to 10 to 20 percent on the total annihilation cross section. Complementary to QCD, we generalize our results to particles charged under an arbitrary unbroken SU( N) gauge group, as encountered in dark glueball models. In connection with this paper a Mathematica notebook is provided to compute the Sommerfeld corrections for colored particles up to arbitrary order in the angular momentum expansion.

Electronic structure and orientation relationship of Li nanoclusters embedded in MgO studied by depth-selective positron annihilation two-dimensional angular correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falub, C. V.; Mijnarends, P. E.; Eijt, S. W.; van Huis, M. A.; van Veen, A.; Schut, H.

2002-08-01

Quantum-confined positrons are sensitive probes for determining the electronic structure of nanoclusters embedded in materials. In this work, a depth-selective positron annihilation 2D-ACAR (two-dimensional angular correlation of annihilation radiation) method is used to determine the electronic structure of Li nanoclusters formed by implantation of 1016-cm-2 30-keV 6Li ions in MgO (100) and (110) crystals and by subsequent annealing at 950 K. Owing to the difference between the positron affinities of lithium and MgO, the Li nanoclusters act as quantum dots for positrons. 2D-ACAR distributions for different projections reveal a semicoherent fitting of the embedded metallic Li nanoclusters to the host MgO lattice. Ab initio Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker calculations of the momentum density show that the anisotropies of the experimental distributions are consistent with an fcc crystal structure of the Li nanoclusters. The observed reduction of the width of the experimental 2D-ACAR distribution is attributed to positron trapping in vacancies associated with Li clusters. This work proposes a method for studying the electronic structure of metallic quantum dots embedded in an insulating material.

A multi-frequency analysis of possible dark matter contributions to M31 gamma-ray emissions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beck, G.; Colafrancesco, S., E-mail: geoffrey.beck@wits.ac.za, E-mail: sergio.colafrancesco@wits.ac.za

We examine the possibility of a dark matter (DM) contribution to the recently observed gamma-ray spectrum seen in the M31 galaxy. In particular, we apply limits on Weakly Interacting Massive Particle DM annihilation cross-sections derived from the Coma galaxy cluster and the Reticulum II dwarf galaxy to determine the maximal flux contribution by DM annihilation to both the M31 gamma-ray spectrum and that of the Milky-Way Galactic Centre. We limit the energy range between 1 and 12 GeV in M31 and Galactic Centre spectra due to the limited range of former's data, as well as to encompass the high-energy gamma-raymore » excess observed in the latter target. In so doing, we will make use of Fermi-LAT data for all mentioned targets, as well as diffuse radio data for the Coma cluster. The multi-target strategy using both Coma and Reticulum II to derive cross-section limits, as well as multi-frequency data, ensures that our results are robust against the various uncertainties inherent in modelling of indirect DM emissions. Our results indicate that, when a Navarro-Frenk-White (or shallower) radial density profile is assumed, severe constraints can be imposed upon the fraction of the M31 and Galactic Centre spectra that can be accounted for by DM, with the best limits arising from cross-section constraints from Coma radio data and Reticulum II gamma-ray limits. These particular limits force all the studied annihilation channels to contribute 1% or less to the total integrated gamma-ray flux within both M31 and Galactic Centre targets. In contrast, considerably more, 10−100%, of the flux can be attributed to DM when a contracted Navarro-Frenk-White profile is assumed. This demonstrates how sensitive DM contributions to gamma-ray emissions are to the possibility of cored profiles in galaxies. The only channel consistently excluded for all targets and profiles (except for ∼ 10 GeV WIMPs) is the direct annihilation into photons. Finally, we discuss the ramifications of evidence in favour of cored halo density profiles for DM explanations of galactic gamma-ray emission.« less

Intermediate-mass Black Holes and Dark Matter at the Galactic Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacroix, Thomas; Silk, Joseph

2018-01-01

Could there be a large population of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) formed in the early universe? Whether primordial or formed in Population III, these are likely to be very subdominant compared to the dark matter density, but could seed early dwarf galaxy/globular cluster and supermassive black hole formation. Via survival of dark matter density spikes, we show here that a centrally concentrated relic population of IMBHs, along with ambient dark matter, could account for the Fermi gamma-ray “excess” in the Galactic center because of dark matter particle annihilations.

Positronium formation studies in solid molecular complexes: Triphenylphosphine oxide-triphenylmethanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, F. C.; Denadai, A. M. L.; Fulgêncio, F. H.; Magalhães, W. F.; Alcântara, A. F. C.; Windmöller, D.; Machado, J. C.

2012-06-01

Positronium formation in triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO), triphenylmethanol (TPM), and systems [TPPO(1-X)ṡTPMX] has been studied. The low probability of positronium formation in complex [TPPO0.5ṡTPM0.5] was attributed to strong hydrogen bond and sixfold phenyl embrace interactions. These strong interactions in complex reduce the possibility of the n- and π-electrons to interact with positrons on the spur and consequently, the probability of positronium formation is lower. The τ3 parameter and free volume (correlated to τ3) were also sensitive to the formation of hydrogen bonds and sixfold phenyl embrace interactions within the complex. For physical mixture the positron annihilation parameters remained unchanged throughout the composition range.

Non-Abelian dark forces and the relic densities of dark glueballs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forestell, Lindsay; Morrissey, David E.; Sigurdson, Kris

2017-01-01

Our understanding of the Universe is known to be incomplete, and new gauge forces beyond those of the Standard Model might be crucial to describing its observed properties. A minimal and well-motivated possibility is a pure Yang-Mills non-Abelian dark gauge force with no direct connection to the Standard Model. We determine here the relic abundances of the glueball bound states that arise in such theories and investigate their cosmological effects. Glueballs are first formed in a confining phase transition, and their relic densities are set by a network of annihilation and transfer reactions. The lightest glueball has no lighter states to annihilate into, and its yield is set mainly by 3 →2 number-changing processes which persistently release energy into the glueball gas during freeze-out. The abundances of the heavier glueballs are dominated by 2 →2 transfer reactions and tend to be much smaller than the lightest state. We also investigate potential connectors between the dark force and the Standard Model that allow some or all of the dark glueballs to decay. If the connection is weak, the lightest glueball can be very long-lived or stable and is a viable dark matter candidate. For stronger connections, the lightest glueball will decay quickly, but other heavier glueball states can remain stable and contribute to the dark matter density.

Gamma rays from dark matter subhalos revisited: Refining the predictions and constraints

DOE PAGES

Hooper, Dan; Witte, Samuel J.

2017-04-11

Utilizing data from the ELVIS and Via Lactea-II simulations, we characterize the local dark matter subhalo population, and use this information to refine the predictions for the gamma-ray fluxes arising from annihilating dark matter in this class of objects. We find that the shapes of nearby subhalos are significantly altered by tidal effects, and are generally not well described by NFW density profiles, instead prefering power-law profiles with an exponential cutoff. From the subhalo candidates detected by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, we place limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section that are only modestly weaker than those basedmore » on observations of dwarf galaxies. Furthermore, we also calculate the fraction of observable subhalos that are predicted to be spatially extended at a level potentially discernible to Fermi.« less

Effect of Na presence during CuInSe{sub 2} growth on stacking fault annihilation and electronic properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stange, H., E-mail: helena.stange@helmholtz-berlin.de; Brunken, S.; Hempel, H.

While presence of Na is essential for the performance of high-efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} thin film solar cells, the reasons why addition of Na by post-deposition treatment is superior to pre-deposition Na supply—particularly at low growth temperatures—are not yet fully understood. Here, we show by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy that Na impedes annihilation of stacking faults during the Cu-poor/Cu-rich transition of low temperature 3-stage co-evaporation and prevents Cu homogeneity on a microscopic level. Lower charge carrier mobilities are found by optical pump terahertz probe spectroscopy for samples with remaining high stacking fault density, indicating a detrimental effect on electronic propertiesmore » if Na is present during growth.« less

Sub-TeV quintuplet minimal dark matter with left-right symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agarwalla, Sanjib Kumar; Ghosh, Kirtiman; Patra, Ayon

2018-05-01

A detailed study of a fermionic quintuplet dark matter in a left-right symmetric scenario is performed in this article. The minimal quintuplet dark matter model is highly constrained from the WMAP dark matter relic density (RD) data. To elevate this constraint, an extra singlet scalar is introduced. It introduces a host of new annihilation and co-annihilation channels for the dark matter, allowing even sub-TeV masses. The phenomenology of this singlet scalar is studied in detail in the context of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiment. The production and decay of this singlet scalar at the LHC give rise to interesting resonant di-Higgs or diphoton final states. We also constrain the RD allowed parameter space of this model in light of the ATLAS bounds on the resonant di-Higgs and diphoton cross-sections.

Gamma rays from dark matter subhalos revisited: refining the predictions and constraints

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hooper, Dan; Witte, Samuel J., E-mail: dhooper@fnal.gov, E-mail: switte@physics.ucla.edu

2017-04-01

Utilizing data from the ELVIS and Via Lactea-II simulations, we characterize the local dark matter subhalo population, and use this information to refine the predictions for the gamma-ray fluxes arising from annihilating dark matter in this class of objects. We find that the shapes of nearby subhalos are significantly altered by tidal effects, and are generally not well described by NFW density profiles, instead prefering power-law profiles with an exponential cutoff. From the subhalo candidates detected by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, we place limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section that are only modestly weaker than those basedmore » on observations of dwarf galaxies. We also calculate the fraction of observable subhalos that are predicted to be spatially extended at a level potentially discernible to Fermi.« less

Gamma rays from dark matter subhalos revisited: Refining the predictions and constraints

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hooper, Dan; Witte, Samuel J.

Utilizing data from the ELVIS and Via Lactea-II simulations, we characterize the local dark matter subhalo population, and use this information to refine the predictions for the gamma-ray fluxes arising from annihilating dark matter in this class of objects. We find that the shapes of nearby subhalos are significantly altered by tidal effects, and are generally not well described by NFW density profiles, instead prefering power-law profiles with an exponential cutoff. From the subhalo candidates detected by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, we place limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section that are only modestly weaker than those basedmore » on observations of dwarf galaxies. Furthermore, we also calculate the fraction of observable subhalos that are predicted to be spatially extended at a level potentially discernible to Fermi.« less

Constraining heavy dark matter with cosmic-ray antiprotons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuoco, Alessandro; Heisig, Jan; Korsmeier, Michael; Krämer, Michael

2018-04-01

Cosmic-ray observations provide a powerful probe of dark matter annihilation in the Galaxy. In this paper we derive constraints on heavy dark matter from the recent precise AMS-02 antiproton data. We consider all possible annihilation channels into pairs of standard model particles. Furthermore, we interpret our results in the context of minimal dark matter, including higgsino, wino and quintuplet dark matter. We compare the cosmic-ray antiproton limits to limits from γ-ray observations of dwarf spheroidal galaxies and to limits from γ-ray and γ-line observations towards the Galactic center. While the latter limits are highly dependent on the dark matter density distribution and only exclude a thermal wino for cuspy profiles, the cosmic-ray limits are more robust, strongly disfavoring the thermal wino dark matter scenario even for a conservative estimate of systematic uncertainties.

Synchrotron cooling and annihilation of an E(+)-E(-) plasma: The radiation mechanism for the March 5, 1979 transient

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramaty, R.; Lingenfelter, R. E.; Bussard, R. W.

1980-01-01

Positron-electron pair radiation is examined as a mechanism that could be responsible for the impulsive phase emission of the March 5, 1979 transient. Synchrotron cooling and subsequent annihilation of the pairs can account for the energy spectrum, the very high brightness, and the approximately 0.4 MeV feature observed from this transient, whose source is likely to be a neutron star in the supernova remnant N49 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. In this model, the observed radiation is produced in the skin layer of a hot, radiation dominated pair atmosphere, probably confined to the vicinity of the neutron star by a strong magnetic field. The width of this layer is only about 0.1 mm. In this layer, approximately 10 to the 12th power generations of pairs are formed (by photon-photon collisions), cooled and annihilated during the approximately 0.15 sec duration of the impulsive phase. The very large burst energy implied by the distance of the Large Magellanic Cloud, and its very rapid release, are unsolved problems. Nonetheless, the possibility of neutron star vibrations, which could transport the energy coherently to the surface, heat the atmosphere mechanically to a hot, pair-producing temperature, and have a characteristic damping time roughly equal to the duration of the impulsive phase are addressed.

Modeling evolution of dark matter substructure and annihilation boost

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiroshima, Nagisa; Ando, Shin'ichiro; Ishiyama, Tomoaki

2018-06-01

We study evolution of dark matter substructures, especially how they lose mass and change density profile after they fall in gravitational potential of larger host halos. We develop an analytical prescription that models the subhalo mass evolution and calibrate it to results of N -body numerical simulations of various scales from very small (Earth size) to large (galaxies to clusters) halos. We then combine the results with halo accretion histories and calculate the subhalo mass function that is physically motivated down to Earth-mass scales. Our results—valid for arbitrary host masses and redshifts—have reasonable agreement with those of numerical simulations at resolved scales. Our analytical model also enables self-consistent calculations of the boost factor of dark matter annihilation, which we find to increase from tens of percent at the smallest (Earth) and intermediate (dwarfs) masses to a factor of several at galaxy size, and to become as large as a factor of ˜10 for the largest halos (clusters) at small redshifts. Our analytical approach can accommodate substructures in the subhalos (sub-subhalos) in a consistent framework, which we find to give up to a factor of a few enhancements to the annihilation boost. The presence of the subhalos enhances the intensity of the isotropic gamma-ray background by a factor of a few, and as the result, the measurement by the Fermi Large Area Telescope excludes the annihilation cross section greater than ˜4 ×10-26 cm3 s-1 for dark matter masses up to ˜200 GeV .

Efficient Cryosolid Positron Moderators

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

high purity germanium KE .............................. kinetic energies KED ........................... kinetic energy ...12 10 9 E 160 GJ 160 MJ 160 kJ 160 J 160 mJ 160 µJ practical positron energy storage tabletop γ- laser Ps BEC demo Ps 2 formation demo state of the...magnitude larger than the energy densities of chemical explosives or propellants (!) [5]. Since this annihilation energy is released primarily as low

A Positron Annihilation Study of Corrosion of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy by NaOH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Y. C.; Zhai, T.; Coleman, P. G.

2012-08-01

Corrosion of fully-annealed pure aluminum and a continuous-cast AA2037 aluminum alloy (solutionized and water quenched) in a 1M NaOH solution for various periods of time were analyzed with positron beam-based Doppler broadening spectroscopy. By varying the energy of the incident positron beam, corrosion-induced defects at different depths from the surface were detected. It was found that the Doppler-broadened annihilation line-width parameter was significantly increased near the surface of pure aluminum after corrosion, probably due to the interaction between positrons and nanometer-sized voids formed near the aluminum surface during corrosion. Examination by atomic force microscopy indicated that many pits were formed on the aluminum surface after corrosion. In contrast, a significant decrease in the line-width parameter was observed in AA2037 alloy after corrosion and interpreted as being caused by copper enrichment at the metal-oxide interface during corrosion; such enrichment at large cavity sites was confirmed by energy dispersion spectrometry.

Defects versus grain size effects on the ferromagnetism of ZrO2 nanocrystals clarified by positron annihilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, D. D.; Qi, N.; Jiang, M.; Chen, Z. Q.

2013-01-01

Undoped ZrO2 nanocrystals were annealed in open air from 100 °C to 1300 °C. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope were used to study the structure change and grain growth. Both the methods reveal that the ZrO2 grain size has very slight increase after annealing up to 900 °C. Positron annihilation measurements reveal a high concentration of vacancy defects which most probably exist in the grain boundary region. Thermal annealing above 500 °C causes recovery of these defects, and after annealing at 1200 °C, most of them are removed. Room temperature ferromagnetism is observed for the sample annealed at 100 °C and 500 °C. The magnetization becomes very weak after the nanocrystals are annealed at 700 °C, and it almost disappears at 1000 °C. It is clear that the intrinsic ferromagnetism in our ZrO2 nanocrystals is mostly related with the interfacial defects instead of grain size effects.

Phenomenological study of exclusive binary light particle production from antiproton-proton annihilation at FAIR/PANDA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ying, Wang

2016-08-01

Exclusive binary annihilation reactions induced by antiprotons of momentum from 1.5 to 15 GeV/c can be extensively investigated at FAIR/PANDA [1]. We are especially interested in the channel of charged pion pairs. Whereas this very probable channel constitutes the major background for other processes of interest in the PANDA experiment, it carries unique physical information on the quark content of proton, allowing to test different models (quark counting rules, statistical models,..). To study the binary reactions of light meson formation, we are developing an effective Lagrangian model based on Feynman diagrams which takes into account the virtuality of the exchanged particles. Regge factors [2] and form factors are introduced with parameters which may be adjusted on the existing data. We present preliminary results of our formalism for different reactions of light meson production leading to reliable predictions of cross sections, energy and angular dependencies in the PANDA kinematical range.

Review of Quantum Electromagnetic States

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-10-01

product space. 227 The wave functions used in the Jaynes - Cummings ’ model reside in a direct product space Va ɠ> Vf where Va and Vf are the Hubert...Dependent Probability 215 5.1.3 The Relaxation Term 217 5.2 Jaynes - Cummings ’ Model for Matter-Field Interactions 218 5.2.1 The Atomic Hamiltonian 218...5.3 The Interaction Representation for the Jaynes - Cummings ’ Model 224 5.3.1 Atomic Creation and Annihilation Operators 224 5.3.2 The Boson Creation

An Exactly Soluble Model for Hopping Particles Moving with Correlations Between States due to Exchange Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xian-Geng; Jia, Sue-Tang

1992-09-01

The motion of hopping particles on an infinite chain is investigated. The model is characterized by the correlations between states due to exchange sites. The analytic solutions for this system are discussed in general case. For some special cases, exact results are obtained with the help of explicit calculations of propagators and mean square displacement deviation. Both probability propagators for the creation and annihilation of two particles or for the deformation and formation of Frenkel excitons are indicated.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Höche, Stefan; Reichelt, Daniel; Siegert, Frank

We present a systematic study of differences between NLL resummation and parton showers. We first construct a Markovian Monte-Carlo algorithm for resummation of additive observables in electron-positron annihilation. Approximations intrinsic to the pure NLL result are then removed, in order to obtain a traditional, momentum and probability conserving parton shower based on the coherent branching formalism. The impact of each approximation is studied, and an overall comparison is made between the parton shower and pure NLL resummation. Differences compared to modern parton-shower algorithms formulated in terms of color dipoles are analyzed.

Successful experiments on an external MHD Accelerator: wall confinement of the plasma, annihilation of the electrothermal instability by magnetic gradient inversion, creation of a stable spiral current pattern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petit, Jean-Pierre; Dore, Jean-Christophe

2013-09-01

MHD propulsion has been extensively studied since the fifties. To shift from propulsion to an MHD Aerodyne, one only needs to accelerate the air externally, along its outer skin, using Lorentz forces. We present a set of successful experiments, obtained around a model, placed in low density air. We successfully dealt with various problems: wall confinement of two-temperature plasma obtained by inversion of the magnetic pressure gradient, annihilation of the Velikhov electrothermal instability by magnetic confinement of the streamers, establishment of a stable spiral distribution of the current, obtained by an original method. Another direction of research is devoted to the study of an MHD-controlled inlet which, coupled with a turbofan engine and implying an MHD-bypass system, would extend the flight domain to hypersonic conditions. Research manager

Direct Observation of the Surface Segregation of Cu in Pd by Time-Resolved Positron-Annihilation-Induced Auger Electron Spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mayer, J.; Hugenschmidt, C.; Schreckenbach, K.

2010-11-12

Density functional theory calculations predict the surface segregation of Cu in the second atomic layer of Pd which has not been unambiguously confirmed by experiment so far. We report measurements on Pd surfaces covered with three and six monolayers of Cu using element selective positron-annihilation-induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES) which is sensitive to the topmost atomic layer. Moreover, time-resolved PAES, which was applied for the first time, enables the investigation of the dynamics of surface atoms and hence the observation of the segregation process. The time constant for segregation was experimentally determined to {tau}=1.38(0.21) h, and the final segregated configurationmore » was found to be consistent with calculations. Time-dependent PAES is demonstrated to be a novel element selective technique applicable for the investigation of, e.g., heterogeneous catalysis, corrosion, or surface alloying.« less

Direct Observation of the Surface Segregation of Cu in Pd by Time-Resolved Positron-Annihilation-Induced Auger Electron Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, J.; Hugenschmidt, C.; Schreckenbach, K.

2010-11-01

Density functional theory calculations predict the surface segregation of Cu in the second atomic layer of Pd which has not been unambiguously confirmed by experiment so far. We report measurements on Pd surfaces covered with three and six monolayers of Cu using element selective positron-annihilation-induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES) which is sensitive to the topmost atomic layer. Moreover, time-resolved PAES, which was applied for the first time, enables the investigation of the dynamics of surface atoms and hence the observation of the segregation process. The time constant for segregation was experimentally determined to τ=1.38(0.21)h, and the final segregated configuration was found to be consistent with calculations. Time-dependent PAES is demonstrated to be a novel element selective technique applicable for the investigation of, e.g., heterogeneous catalysis, corrosion, or surface alloying.

Imaging atomic-scale effects of high-energy ion irradiation on superconductivity and vortex pinning in Fe(Se,Te)

PubMed Central

Massee, Freek; Sprau, Peter Oliver; Wang, Yong-Lei; Davis, J. C. Séamus; Ghigo, Gianluca; Gu, Genda D.; Kwok, Wai-Kwong

2015-01-01

Maximizing the sustainable supercurrent density, JC, is crucial to high-current applications of superconductivity. To achieve this, preventing dissipative motion of quantized vortices is key. Irradiation of superconductors with high-energy heavy ions can be used to create nanoscale defects that act as deep pinning potentials for vortices. This approach holds unique promise for high-current applications of iron-based superconductors because JC amplification persists to much higher radiation doses than in cuprate superconductors without significantly altering the superconducting critical temperature. However, for these compounds, virtually nothing is known about the atomic-scale interplay of the crystal damage from the high-energy ions, the superconducting order parameter, and the vortex pinning processes. We visualize the atomic-scale effects of irradiating FeSexTe1−x with 249-MeV Au ions and find two distinct effects: compact nanometer-sized regions of crystal disruption or “columnar defects,” plus a higher density of single atomic site “point” defects probably from secondary scattering. We directly show that the superconducting order is virtually annihilated within the former and suppressed by the latter. Simultaneous atomically resolved images of the columnar crystal defects, the superconductivity, and the vortex configurations then reveal how a mixed pinning landscape is created, with the strongest vortex pinning occurring at metallic core columnar defects and secondary pinning at clusters of point-like defects, followed by collective pinning at higher fields. PMID:26601180

Imaging atomic-scale effects of high-energy ion irradiation on superconductivity and vortex pinning in Fe(Se,Te).

PubMed

Massee, Freek; Sprau, Peter Oliver; Wang, Yong-Lei; Davis, J C Séamus; Ghigo, Gianluca; Gu, Genda D; Kwok, Wai-Kwong

2015-05-01

Maximizing the sustainable supercurrent density, J C, is crucial to high-current applications of superconductivity. To achieve this, preventing dissipative motion of quantized vortices is key. Irradiation of superconductors with high-energy heavy ions can be used to create nanoscale defects that act as deep pinning potentials for vortices. This approach holds unique promise for high-current applications of iron-based superconductors because J C amplification persists to much higher radiation doses than in cuprate superconductors without significantly altering the superconducting critical temperature. However, for these compounds, virtually nothing is known about the atomic-scale interplay of the crystal damage from the high-energy ions, the superconducting order parameter, and the vortex pinning processes. We visualize the atomic-scale effects of irradiating FeSe x Te1-x with 249-MeV Au ions and find two distinct effects: compact nanometer-sized regions of crystal disruption or "columnar defects," plus a higher density of single atomic site "point" defects probably from secondary scattering. We directly show that the superconducting order is virtually annihilated within the former and suppressed by the latter. Simultaneous atomically resolved images of the columnar crystal defects, the superconductivity, and the vortex configurations then reveal how a mixed pinning landscape is created, with the strongest vortex pinning occurring at metallic core columnar defects and secondary pinning at clusters of point-like defects, followed by collective pinning at higher fields.

Supersymmetric Dark Matter and Prospects for its Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Takahiro

Dark matter is a prominent and dominant form of matter in the Universe. Yet, despite various intense efforts, its nongravitational effects have not been observed. In this dissertation, we explore the nature of such elusive particles within a supersymmetric SU(3)C ⊗ SU(2)L ⊗ U(1)Y gauge theory. Although large regions of parameter space within supersymmetric models have been excluded by recent results from collider experiments and direct and indirect dark matter searches, we find that there is a wide range of viable parameter space once the requirements of minimal flavor violation and mass universality are relaxed. In particular, we focus on a class of models in which electroweak-scale Majorana dark matter has interactions with the Standard Model sector via relatively light charged scalars with large chiral mixing and CP-violation. Our model is shown to lead to enhanced dark matter pair annihilation, and is constrained by precise measurements of the lepton dipole moments. We illustrate that our model satisfies all constraints, including the observed thermal relic density, and investigate prospects for the detection of dark matter annihilation products. We also examine the effects of chiral mixing and CP-violationn on the variation in the ratio of the flux of monoenergetic photons from annihilation to two photons relative to that from annihilation to a photon and a Z boson, as well as the helicity asymmetry in the diphoton final state. We also find the most general spectrum for internal bremsstrahlung, which interpolates between the regimes dominated by virtual internal bremsstrahlung and by final state radiation, and that it provides distinctive gamma-ray signals, which could potentially be observed in the near future.

Antimatter cosmic rays from dark matter annihilation: First results from an N-body experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lavalle, J.; Nezri, E.; Athanassoula, E.

2008-11-15

While the particle hypothesis for dark matter may be very soon investigated at the LHC, and as the PAMELA and GLAST satellites are currently taking new data on charged and gamma cosmic rays, the need of controlling the theoretical uncertainties affecting the possible indirect signatures of dark matter annihilation is of paramount importance. The uncertainties which originate from the dark matter distribution are difficult to estimate because current astrophysical observations provide rather weak dynamical constraints and because, according to cosmological N-body simulations, dark matter is neither smoothly nor spherically distributed in galactic halos. Some previous studies made use of N-bodymore » simulations to compute the {gamma}-ray flux from dark matter annihilation, but such a work has never been performed for the antimatter (positron and antiproton) primary fluxes, for which transport processes complicate the calculations. We take advantage of the galaxylike 3D dark matter map extracted from the Horizon Project results to calculate the positron and antiproton fluxes from dark matter annihilation, in a model-independent approach as well as for dark matter particle benchmarks relevant at the LHC scale (from supersymmetric and extradimensional theories). We find that the flux uncertainties arise mainly from fluctuations of the local dark matter density, and are of {approx}1 order of magnitude. We compare our results to analytic descriptions of the dark matter halo, showing how the latter can well reproduce the former. The overall antimatter predictions associated with our benchmark models are shown to lie far below the existing measurements and, in particular, that of the positron fraction recently reported by PAMELA, and far below the background predictions as well. Finally, we stress the limits of the use of an N-body framework in this context.« less

ANTICOOL: Simulating positron cooling and annihilation in atomic gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, D. G.

2018-03-01

The Fortran program ANTICOOL, developed to simulate positron cooling and annihilation in atomic gases for positron energies below the positronium-formation threshold, is presented. Given positron-atom elastic scattering phase shifts, normalised annihilation rates Zeff, and γ spectra as a function of momentum k, ANTICOOL enables the calculation of the positron momentum distribution f(k , t) as a function of time t, the time-varying normalised annihilation rate Z¯eff(t) , the lifetime spectrum and time-varying annihilation γ spectra. The capability and functionality of the program is demonstrated via a tutorial-style example for positron cooling and annihilation in room temperature helium gas, using accurate scattering and annihilation cross sections and γ spectra calculated using many-body theory as input.

Random waves in the brain: Symmetries and defect generation in the visual cortex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schnabel, M.; Kaschube, M.; Löwel, S.; Wolf, F.

2007-06-01

How orientation maps in the visual cortex of the brain develop is a matter of long standing debate. Experimental and theoretical evidence suggests that their development represents an activity-dependent self-organization process. Theoretical analysis [1] exploring this hypothesis predicted that maps at an early developmental stage are realizations of Gaussian random fields exhibiting a rigorous lower bound for their densities of topological defects, called pinwheels. As a consequence, lower pinwheel densities, if observed in adult animals, are predicted to develop through the motion and annihilation of pinwheel pairs. Despite of being valid for a large class of developmental models this result depends on the symmetries of the models and thus of the predicted random field ensembles. In [1] invariance of the orientation map's statistical properties under independent space rotations and orientation shifts was assumed. However, full rotation symmetry appears to be broken by interactions of cortical neurons, e.g. selective couplings between groups of neurons with collinear orientation preferences [2]. A recently proposed new symmetry, called shift-twist symmetry [3], stating that spatial rotations have to occur together with orientation shifts in order to be an appropriate symmetry transformation, is more consistent with this organization. Here we generalize our random field approach to this important symmetry class. We propose a new class of shift-twist symmetric Gaussian random fields and derive the general correlation functions of this ensemble. It turns out that despite strong effects of the shift-twist symmetry on the structure of the correlation functions and on the map layout the lower bound on the pinwheel densities remains unaffected, predicting pinwheel annihilation in systems with low pinwheel densities.

The Production and Study of Antiprotons and Cold Antihydrogen

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-11-10

techniques required to produce and store atoms made entirely of anti- matter . Anti- matter provides high-density energy storage that far outstrips even nuclear...materials. Potential applications for anti- matter include rocketry and explosives. In the last grant period, a new positron accumulator was developed...encounter with ordinary matter will cause them to turn all their mass into energy as they annihilate. The scientific goal, which gives this program a

Status of the scalar singlet dark matter model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Athron, Peter; Balázs, Csaba; Bringmann, Torsten; Buckley, Andy; Chrząszcz, Marcin; Conrad, Jan; Cornell, Jonathan M.; Dal, Lars A.; Edsjö, Joakim; Farmer, Ben; Jackson, Paul; Kahlhoefer, Felix; Krislock, Abram; Kvellestad, Anders; McKay, James; Mahmoudi, Farvah; Martinez, Gregory D.; Putze, Antje; Raklev, Are; Rogan, Christopher; Saavedra, Aldo; Savage, Christopher; Scott, Pat; Serra, Nicola; Weniger, Christoph; White, Martin

2017-08-01

One of the simplest viable models for dark matter is an additional neutral scalar, stabilised by a Z_2 symmetry. Using the GAMBIT package and combining results from four independent samplers, we present Bayesian and frequentist global fits of this model. We vary the singlet mass and coupling along with 13 nuisance parameters, including nuclear uncertainties relevant for direct detection, the local dark matter density, and selected quark masses and couplings. We include the dark matter relic density measured by Planck, direct searches with LUX, PandaX, SuperCDMS and XENON100, limits on invisible Higgs decays from the Large Hadron Collider, searches for high-energy neutrinos from dark matter annihilation in the Sun with IceCube, and searches for gamma rays from annihilation in dwarf galaxies with the Fermi-LAT. Viable solutions remain at couplings of order unity, for singlet masses between the Higgs mass and about 300 GeV, and at masses above ˜ 1 TeV. Only in the latter case can the scalar singlet constitute all of dark matter. Frequentist analysis shows that the low-mass resonance region, where the singlet is about half the mass of the Higgs, can also account for all of dark matter, and remains viable. However, Bayesian considerations show this region to be rather fine-tuned.

Positron Interactions with Oriented Polymers and with Chiral Quartz Crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Fei

Positron annihilation in various materials has been applied to characterize microstructure for decades. In this work, PALS was used to study material nanostructure, with a focus on the size and density of free volume and hole relaxation properties in polycarbonate (PC) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA); fundamental studies of polarized positron interaction with chiral crystals were also studied. Free volume relaxation in PC and PMMA with different levels of simple shear orientation was studied by PALS. Effects of applied pressure on the free volume recovery were evaluated. Combining the bulk- and pressure-dependent PALS analyses, the removal of applied pressure led to free-volume relaxation in all samples studied. The alignment of the polymer chains and free-volume holes imposes molecular restrictions on the molecular mobility of both PC and PMMA in their glassy states. Results indicated that the relaxation of the free volume holes at temperatures below glass transition is mostly reversible. Longitudinally polarized positron particles were used to reveal asymmetric interactions in chiral quartz crystals. Experimental results showed a significant intensity difference in free positronium annihilation for left handed (LH) and right handed (RH) chiral quartz crystals. Doppler broadening energy spectra (DBES) of z-cut LH or RH quartz disks at different angles were also measured by an "S parameter" to probe the observed difference. It was found that obtained annihilation energy difference of DBES was in agreement with the result of positron annihilation in bulk chiral crystals. PALS was used to compare different orientations and confirm asymmetric interactions in natural versus synthetic quartz LH and RH crystals in z and non-z orientations. Significant lifetime and intensity differences in free positronium annihilation for LH and RH quartz crystals were observed. The trend was found to be same in the related crystallographic orientations of the LH or RH crystals; the direction of incident positrons, z or non-z, did not affect the observed differences in lifetime and intensity trends. The results confirmed the existence of differential interactions of positronium with the asymmetric lattice structures of LH and RH quartz crystals.

Theoretical aspects of studies of high coverage oxidation of the Cu(100) surface using low energy positrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazleev, N. G.; Maddox, W. B.

2010-10-01

The study of adsorption of oxygen on transition metal surface is important for the understanding of oxidation, heterogeneous catalysis, and metal corrosion. The structures formed on transition metal surfaces vary from simple adlayers of chemisorbed oxygen to oxygen diffusion into the sub-surface region and the formation of oxides. In this work we present the results of an ab-initio investigation of positron surface and bulk states and annihilation probabilities of surface-trapped positrons with relevant core electrons at the oxidized Cu(100) surface under conditions of high oxygen coverage. Calculations are performed for various high coverage missing row structures ranging between 0.50 and 1.50 ML oxygen coverage. Calculations are also performed for the on-surface adsorption of oxygen on the unreconstructed Cu(001) surface for coverages up to one monolayer to use for comparison. The geometry of the surfaces with adsorbed oxygen is fully optimized. Theoretical results are compared with experimental data obtained from studies of oxidation of the Cu(100) surface using positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy.

Baryon symmetric big bang cosmology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.

1978-01-01

Both the quantum theory and Einsteins theory of special relativity lead to the supposition that matter and antimatter were produced in equal quantities during the big bang. It is noted that local matter/antimatter asymmetries may be reconciled with universal symmetry by assuming (1) a slight imbalance of matter over antimatter in the early universe, annihilation, and a subsequent remainder of matter; (2) localized regions of excess for one or the other type of matter as an initial condition; and (3) an extremely dense, high temperature state with zero net baryon number; i.e., matter/antimatter symmetry. Attention is given to the third assumption, which is the simplest and the most in keeping with current knowledge of the cosmos, especially as pertains the universality of 3 K background radiation. Mechanisms of galaxy formation are discussed, whereby matter and antimatter might have collided and annihilated each other, or have coexisted (and continue to coexist) at vast distances. It is pointed out that baryon symmetric big bang cosmology could probably be proved if an antinucleus could be detected in cosmic radiation.

Prospects for detecting supersymmetric dark matter in the Galactic halo.

PubMed

Springel, V; White, S D M; Frenk, C S; Navarro, J F; Jenkins, A; Vogelsberger, M; Wang, J; Ludlow, A; Helmi, A

2008-11-06

Dark matter is the dominant form of matter in the Universe, but its nature is unknown. It is plausibly an elementary particle, perhaps the lightest supersymmetric partner of known particle species. In this case, annihilation of dark matter in the halo of the Milky Way should produce gamma-rays at a level that may soon be observable. Previous work has argued that the annihilation signal will be dominated by emission from very small clumps (perhaps smaller even than the Earth), which would be most easily detected where they cluster together in the dark matter haloes of dwarf satellite galaxies. Here we report that such small-scale structure will, in fact, have a negligible impact on dark matter detectability. Rather, the dominant and probably most easily detectable signal will be produced by diffuse dark matter in the main halo of the Milky Way. If the main halo is strongly detected, then small dark matter clumps should also be visible, but may well contain no stars, thereby confirming a key prediction of the cold dark matter model.

Aperture-based antihydrogen gravity experiment: Parallel plate geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocha, J. R.; Hedlof, R. M.; Ordonez, C. A.

2013-10-01

An analytical model and a Monte Carlo simulation are presented of an experiment that could be used to determine the direction of the acceleration of antihydrogen due to gravity. The experiment would rely on methods developed by existing antihydrogen research collaborations. The configuration consists of two circular, parallel plates that have an axis of symmetry directed away from the center of the earth. The plates are separated by a small vertical distance, and include one or more pairs of circular barriers that protrude from the upper and lower plates, thereby forming an aperture between the plates. Antihydrogen annihilations that occur just beyond each barrier, within a "shadow" region, are asymmetric on the upper plate relative to the lower plate. The probability for such annihilations is determined for a point, line and spheroidal source of antihydrogen. The production of 100,000 antiatoms is predicted to be necessary for the aperture-based experiment to indicate the direction of free fall acceleration of antimatter, provided that antihydrogen is produced within a sufficiently small antiproton plasma at a temperature of 4 K.

Antiproton-Hydrogen Atom Annihilation.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-01

Morgan, Jr., Concepts for the Design of an Antimatter Annihilation ’Rocket, Journal of the British Interplanetary Society 35, 405 (1982). 2. D.L. Morgan...Matter- Antimatter Annihilation, Phys. Rev. D 2, 1389 (1970). (Notes: results for p - H are equivalent to 5 -H; the bare + p annihilation cross section is

Pair momentum distribution in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+delta) measured by positron annihilation - Existence and nature of the Fermi surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, L. P.; Lynn, K. G.; Harshman, D. R.; Massidda, S.; Mitzi, D. B.

1991-09-01

The first measurement is reported of the position-electron momentum density in superconducting single-crystal Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+delta)(Tc roughly 90 K). The observed anisotropy exhibits a twofold (rather than fourfold) symmetry, which is attributed to the superlattice modulation along the b axis of the BiO2 layers. Subtraction of the superlattice contribution also reveals a pair momentum distribution consistent with the CuO2 and BiO2 Fermi surfaces, and in reasonable agreement with the theoretical pair momentum density derived from band theory.

High sensitivity of positrons to oxygen vacancies and to copper-oxygen chain disorder in YBa2Cu3O(7-x)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Stetten, E. C.; Berko, S.; Li, X. S.; Lee, R. R.; Brynestad, J.

1988-05-01

Temperature-dependent positron-electron momentum densities have been studied by two-dimensional angular correlation of annihilation radiation from 10 to 320 K in YBa2Cu3O(7-x) samples. The positron ground-state charge density, computed by the linearized augmented-plane-wave method, indicates that in YBa2Cu3O7 delocalized positrons sample preferentially the linear copper-oxygen chains. Positron localization due to disorder in these chains is invoked to explain the striking differences observed between superconducting (x = about 0.02) and nonsuperconducting (x = about 0.70) samples.

Codecaying Dark Matter.

PubMed

Dror, Jeff Asaf; Kuflik, Eric; Ng, Wee Hao

2016-11-18

We propose a new mechanism for thermal dark matter freeze-out, called codecaying dark matter. Multicomponent dark sectors with degenerate particles and out-of-equilibrium decays can codecay to obtain the observed relic density. The dark matter density is exponentially depleted through the decay of nearly degenerate particles rather than from Boltzmann suppression. The relic abundance is set by the dark matter annihilation cross section, which is predicted to be boosted, and the decay rate of the dark sector particles. The mechanism is viable in a broad range of dark matter parameter space, with a robust prediction of an enhanced indirect detection signal. Finally, we present a simple model that realizes codecaying dark matter.

Unifying distribution functions: some lesser known distributions.

PubMed

Moya-Cessa, J R; Moya-Cessa, H; Berriel-Valdos, L R; Aguilar-Loreto, O; Barberis-Blostein, P

2008-08-01

We show that there is a way to unify distribution functions that describe simultaneously a classical signal in space and (spatial) frequency and position and momentum for a quantum system. Probably the most well known of them is the Wigner distribution function. We show how to unify functions of the Cohen class, Rihaczek's complex energy function, and Husimi and Glauber-Sudarshan distribution functions. We do this by showing how they may be obtained from ordered forms of creation and annihilation operators and by obtaining them in terms of expectation values in different eigenbases.

Nonlinear fluctuations-induced rate equations for linear birth-death processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honkonen, J.

2008-05-01

The Fock-space approach to the solution of master equations for one-step Markov processes is reconsidered. It is shown that in birth-death processes with an absorbing state at the bottom of the occupation-number spectrum and occupation-number independent annihilation probability of occupation-number fluctuations give rise to rate equations drastically different from the polynomial form typical of birth-death processes. The fluctuation-induced rate equations with the characteristic exponential terms are derived for Mikhailov’s ecological model and Lanchester’s model of modern warfare.

Cosmic-ray antiprotons as a probe of a photino-dominated universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silk, J.; Srednicki, M.

1984-01-01

Observational tests of the hypothesis that the universe is flat and dominated by dark matter in the form of massive photinos include the production of significant fluxes of cosmic rays and gamma rays in our galactic halo. Specification of the cosmological photino density and the masses of scalar quarks and leptons determines the present annihilation rate. The predicted number of low-energy cosmic-ray antiprotons is comparable to the observed flux.

Speckle evolution with multiple steps of least-squares phase removal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen Mingzhou; Dainty, Chris; Roux, Filippus S.

2011-08-15

We study numerically the evolution of speckle fields due to the annihilation of optical vortices after the least-squares phase has been removed. A process with multiple steps of least-squares phase removal is carried out to minimize both vortex density and scintillation index. Statistical results show that almost all the optical vortices can be removed from a speckle field, which finally decays into a quasiplane wave after such an iterative process.

Anapole dark matter annihilation into photons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latimer, David C.

2017-05-01

In models of anapole dark matter (DM), the DM candidate is a Majorana fermion whose primary interaction with standard model (SM) particles is through an anapole coupling to off-shell photons. As such, at tree-level, anapole DM undergoes p-wave annihilation into SM charged fermions via a virtual photon. But, generally, Majorana fermions are polarizable, coupling to two real photons. This fact admits the possibility that anapole DM can annihilate into two photons in an s-wave process. Using an explicit model, we compute both the tree-level and diphoton contributions to the anapole DM annihilation cross section. Depending on model parameters, the s-wave process can either rival or be dwarfed by the p-wave contribution to the total annihilation cross section. Subjecting the model to astrophysical upper bounds on the s-wave annihilation mode, we rule out the model with large s-wave annihilation.

A General Quantum Mechanical Method to Predict Positron Spectroscopy

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

7 2.1 Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2.1.1 Positron Transport and Annihilation in Condensed Matter...8 2.1.2 Traditional Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy . . 10 2.1.3 Vibrational Feshbach Resonances of Positrons with... positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy system . . . 63 11. Tungsten positron lifetime spectrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 12. K2B12H12

Development of an Electron-Positron Source for Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

positron source for positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy Final Report Report Title...Development of an Electron- Positron Source for Position Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy DAAD19-03-1-0287 Final Report 2/17/2007... annihilation lifetime spectroscopy REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION ON THIS PAGE UNCLASSIFIED 2. REPORT DATE: 12b. DISTRIBUTION

Antiproton Production in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greene, Senta Victoria

The E814 collaboration has made a systematic study of antiproton production in collisions of ^ {28}Si ions at 14.6 GeV per nucleon with targets of Pb, Cu, and Al. This study was motivated by the expectation that antiprotons will be a useful probe of the system produced in relativistic heavy ion collisions. The large annihilation cross section for antiprotons makes the antiproton survival probability sensitive to the baryon density of the system in which they are created. It has also been suggested that a transition to the quark-gluon plasma phase may produce an enhancement of antibaryon production. The E814 spectrometer consists of three tracking chambers for momentum measurement, a scintillator hodoscope to measure charge and time of flight, and a sampling calorimeter. The spectrometer accepts all particles produced within a rectangular aperture centered on the beam axis, with delta theta_{x}=37.6mr and deltatheta_{y}=24.1mr. A trigger based on the flight time of particles through the spectrometer enhances the selection of events which produce negatively charged particles having a rapidity within 0.5 units of the center of mass rapidity. Measurements of the antiproton yield per interaction and the invariant cross section for production at zero degrees are presented and discussed. The time-of-flight trigger allows for an unbiased measurement of the probability to produce antiprotons as a function of the impact parameter of the collision. Several measures of collision centrality are used. The energy produced transverse to the beam direction is measured with the target calorimeter, an array of NaI crystals surrounding the target assembly with a pseudorapidity coverage of -0.5

Hydrodynamic and kinetic models for spin-1/2 electron-positron quantum plasmas: Annihilation interaction, helicity conservation, and wave dispersion in magnetized plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andreev, Pavel A., E-mail: andreevpa@physics.msu.ru

2015-06-15

We discuss the complete theory of spin-1/2 electron-positron quantum plasmas, when electrons and positrons move with velocities mach smaller than the speed of light. We derive a set of two fluid quantum hydrodynamic equations consisting of the continuity, Euler, spin (magnetic moment) evolution equations for each species. We explicitly include the Coulomb, spin-spin, Darwin and annihilation interactions. The annihilation interaction is the main topic of the paper. We consider the contribution of the annihilation interaction in the quantum hydrodynamic equations and in the spectrum of waves in magnetized electron-positron plasmas. We consider the propagation of waves parallel and perpendicular tomore » an external magnetic field. We also consider the oblique propagation of longitudinal waves. We derive the set of quantum kinetic equations for electron-positron plasmas with the Darwin and annihilation interactions. We apply the kinetic theory to the linear wave behavior in absence of external fields. We calculate the contribution of the Darwin and annihilation interactions in the Landau damping of the Langmuir waves. We should mention that the annihilation interaction does not change number of particles in the system. It does not related to annihilation itself, but it exists as a result of interaction of an electron-positron pair via conversion of the pair into virtual photon. A pair of the non-linear Schrodinger equations for the electron-positron plasmas including the Darwin and annihilation interactions is derived. Existence of the conserving helicity in electron-positron quantum plasmas of spinning particles with the Darwin and annihilation interactions is demonstrated. We show that the annihilation interaction plays an important role in the quantum electron-positron plasmas giving the contribution of the same magnitude as the spin-spin interaction.« less

Centrality and collision system dependence of antiproton production from p+A to Au+Au collisions at AGS energies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sako, H.; Ahle, L.; Akiba, Y.; Ashktorab, K.; Baker, M. D.; Beavis, D.; Britt, H. C.; Chang, J.; Chasman, C.; Chen, Z.;

Ultrashort megaelectronvolt positron beam generation based on laser-accelerated electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Tongjun; Shen, Baifei; Xu, Jiancai; Li, Shun; Yu, Yong; Li, Jinfeng; Lu, Xiaoming; Wang, Cheng; Wang, Xinliang; Liang, Xiaoyan; Leng, Yuxin; Li, Ruxin; Xu, Zhizhan

2016-03-01

Experimental generation of ultrashort MeV positron beams with high intensity and high density using a compact laser-driven setup is reported. A high-density gas jet is employed experimentally to generate MeV electrons with high charge; thus, a charge-neutralized MeV positron beam with high density is obtained during laser-accelerated electrons irradiating high-Z solid targets. It is a novel electron-positron source for the study of laboratory astrophysics. Meanwhile, the MeV positron beam is pulsed with an ultrashort duration of tens of femtoseconds and has a high peak intensity of 7.8 × 1021 s-1, thus allows specific studies of fast kinetics in millimeter-thick materials with a high time resolution and exhibits potential for applications in positron annihilation spectroscopy.

Probing vacancy-type free-volume defects in Li2B4O7 single crystal by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shpotyuk, O.; Adamiv, V.; Teslyuk, I.; Ingram, A.; Demchenko, P.

2018-01-01

Vacancy-type free-volume defects in lithium tetraborate Li2B4O7 single crystal, grown by the Czochralski technique, are probed with positron annihilation spectroscopy in the lifetime measuring mode. The experimental positron lifetime spectrum is reconstructed within the three-component fitting, involving channels of positron and positronium Ps trapping, as well as within the two-component fitting with a positronium-compensating source input. Structural configurations of the most efficient positron traps are considered using the crystallographic specificity of lithium tetraborate with the main accent on cation-type vacancies. Possible channels of positron trapping are visualized using the electronic structure calculations with density functional theory at the basis of structural parameters proper to Li2B4O7. Spatially-extended positron-trapping complexes involving singly-ionized lithium vacancies, with character lifetime close to 0.32 ns, are responsible for positron trapping in the nominally undoped lithium tetraborate Li2B4O7 crystal.

Application of positron annihilation lineshape analysis to fatigue damage and thermal embrittlement for nuclear plant materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Uchida, M.; Ohta, Y.; Nakamura, N.

1995-08-01

Positron annihilation (PA) lineshape analysis is sensitive to detect microstructural defects such as vacancies and dislocations. The authors are developing a portable system and applying this technique to nuclear power plant material evaluations; fatigue damage in type 316 stainless steel and SA508 low alloy steel, and thermal embrittlement in duplex stainless steel. The PA technique was found to be sensitive in the early fatigue life (up to 10%), but showed a little sensitivity for later stages of the fatigue life in both type 316 stainless steel and SA508 ferritic steel. Type 316 steel showed a higher PA sensitivity than SA508more » since the initial SA508 microstructure already contained a high dislocation density in the as-received state. The PA parameter increased as a fraction of aging time in CF8M samples aged at 350 C and 400 C, but didn`t change much in CF8 samples.« less

Evolution of the electronic structure of La2-xSrxCuO4 with doping determined by positron-annihilation spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howell, R. H.; Sterne, P. A.; Fluss, M. J.; Kaiser, J. H.; Kitazawa, K.; Kojima, H.

1994-05-01

We have measured and calculated the electron-positron momentum distribution of La2-xSrxCuO4 samples for Sr concentrations of 0, 0.1, 0.13, and 0.2. Measured distributions were obtained at room temperature with high statistical precision, greater than 4×108 events, in the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory positron-annihilation angular correlation spectrometer on single-crystal samples fabricated using the traveling solvent floating zone technique. Corresponding theoretical momentum-density calculations were performed using the linear muffin-tin-orbital method. The momentum distribution of all samples contained features derived from the overlap of the positron distribution with the valence electrons. In addition, discontinuities typical of a Fermi surface are seen in the doped samples. The form and position of these features are in general agreement with the Fermi surface and overall momentum distributions as predicted by band theory. However, the evolution of the Fermi surface with doping differed significantly from expectations based on single electron band theories.

Gamma-ray Signal from Dark Matter Annihilation Mediated by Mixing Slepton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teng, Fei

2016-03-01

In order to reconcile the tension between the collider SUSY particle search and the dark matter relic density constraint, we free ourselves from the simplest CMSSM model and find a large parameter space in which a sub-TeV bino dark matter may comply with all the current experimental constraints. In this so-called incredible bulk region, dark matter mainly annihilates through the t channel exchange of a mixing slepton into a leptonic final state. We have explored this proposal and studied the resultant spectrum feature. We are going to show that the line signal produced by the γγ and γZ final state will give some indications to the mixing angle and CP-violation phase of the slepton sector. On the other hand, internal bremsstrahlung (IB) feature will be easier to get observed by future experiments, with sensitivity around 10-29cm3 /s . Unlike some other models, our IB signal is dominated by the collinear limit of the final state radiation amplitude and shows a bump-like feature.

Concepts for the design of an antimatter annihilation rocket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, D. L., Jr.

1982-01-01

Matter-antimatter annihilation is considered for spacecraft propulsion. Annihilation produces considerably more energy per unit mass of propellant than any other known means of energy production. An antimatter annihilation rocket requires several systems and components that are unique to its nature. Among these are an antimatter storage system, a means to extract the antimatter from storage, a system to transport the antimatter to the rocket engine, and the engine wherein annihilation occurs and thrust is produced. Design concepts of these systems and components are presented and discussed.

Nuclear annihilation by antinucleons

DOE PAGES

Lee, Teck-Ghee; Wong, Cheuk-Yin

2016-01-25

We examine the momentum dependence ofmore » $$\\bar{p}$$p and $$\\bar{n}$$p annihilation cross sections by considering the transmission through a nuclear potential and the $$\\bar {p}$$p Coulomb interaction. Compared to the $$\\bar{n}$$p annihilation cross section, the $$\\bar{p}$$p annihilation cross section is significantly enhanced by the Coulomb interaction for projectile momenta below p lab < 500 MeV/c, and the two annihilation cross sections approach the Pomeranchuk's equality limit [JETP 30, 423 (1956)] at p lab ~500 MeV/c. Using these elementary cross sections as the basic input data, the extended Glauber model is employed to evaluate the annihilation cross sections for $$\\bar{n}$$ and $$\\bar{p}$$ interaction with nuclei and the results compare well with experimental data.« less

Freeze-in production of sterile neutrino dark matter in U(1){sub B−L} model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Biswas, Anirban; Gupta, Aritra

2016-09-27

With the advent of new and more sensitive direct detection experiments, scope for a thermal WIMP explanation of dark matter (DM) has become extremely constricted. The non-observation of thermal WIMP in these experiments has put a strong upper bound on WIMP-nucleon scattering cross section and within a few years it is likely to overlap with the coherent neutrino-nucleon cross section. Hence in all probability, DM may have some non-thermal origin. In this work we explore in detail this possibility of a non-thermal sterile neutrino DM within the framework of U(1){sub B−L} model. The U(1){sub B−L} model on the other handmore » is a well-motivated and minimal way of extending the standard model so that it can explain the neutrino masses via Type-I see-saw mechanism. We have shown, besides explaining the neutrino mass, it can also accommodate a non-thermal sterile neutrino DM with correct relic density. In contrast with the existing literature, we have found that W{sup ±} decay can also be a dominant production mode of the sterile neutrino DM. To obtain the comoving number density of dark matter, we have solved here a coupled set of Boltzmann equations considering all possible decay as well as annihilation production modes of the sterile neutrino dark matter. The framework developed here though has been done for a U(1){sub B−L} model, can be applied quite generally for any models with an extra neutral gauge boson and a fermionic non-thermal dark matter.« less

The effect of incremental changes in phonotactic probability and neighborhood density on word learning by preschool children

PubMed Central

Storkel, Holly L.; Bontempo, Daniel E.; Aschenbrenner, Andrew J.; Maekawa, Junko; Lee, Su-Yeon

2013-01-01

Purpose Phonotactic probability or neighborhood density have predominately been defined using gross distinctions (i.e., low vs. high). The current studies examined the influence of finer changes in probability (Experiment 1) and density (Experiment 2) on word learning. Method The full range of probability or density was examined by sampling five nonwords from each of four quartiles. Three- and 5-year-old children received training on nonword-nonobject pairs. Learning was measured in a picture-naming task immediately following training and 1-week after training. Results were analyzed using multi-level modeling. Results A linear spline model best captured nonlinearities in phonotactic probability. Specifically word learning improved as probability increased in the lowest quartile, worsened as probability increased in the midlow quartile, and then remained stable and poor in the two highest quartiles. An ordinary linear model sufficiently described neighborhood density. Here, word learning improved as density increased across all quartiles. Conclusion Given these different patterns, phonotactic probability and neighborhood density appear to influence different word learning processes. Specifically, phonotactic probability may affect recognition that a sound sequence is an acceptable word in the language and is a novel word for the child, whereas neighborhood density may influence creation of a new representation in long-term memory. PMID:23882005

A Cross-Sectional Comparison of the Effects of Phonotactic Probability and Neighborhood Density on Word Learning by Preschool Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoover, Jill R.; Storkel, Holly L.; Hogan, Tiffany P.

2010-01-01

Two experiments examined the effects of phonotactic probability and neighborhood density on word learning by 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children. Nonwords orthogonally varying in probability and density were taught with learning and retention measured via picture naming. Experiment 1 used a within story probability/across story density exposure…

Light dark matter and galaxy formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ascasibar, Yago

2006-11-01

What if dark matter particles were as light as a few MeV? Well, they would ``just'' need to decay or annihilate in exactly the right amount to explain the observed dark matter density... However, such a process would yield a detectable imprint on both particle and cosmological scales. Some of the signatures would be difficult to measure; some others would determine whether a galaxy can form stars or not. Does any (actually all) of these weird things happen?

Dark matter freeze-out in a nonrelativistic sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pappadopulo, Duccio; Ruderman, Joshua T.; Trevisan, Gabriele

2016-08-01

A thermally decoupled hidden sector of particles, with a mass gap, generically enters a phase of cannibalism in the early Universe. The Standard Model sector becomes exponentially colder than the hidden sector. We propose the cannibal dark matter framework, where dark matter resides in a cannibalizing sector with a relic density set by 2-to-2 annihilations. Observable signals of cannibal dark matter include a boosted rate for indirect detection, new relativistic degrees of freedom, and warm dark matter.

Point sources from dissipative dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agrawal, Prateek; Randall, Lisa

2017-12-01

If a component of dark matter has dissipative interactions, it can cool to form compact astrophysical objects with higher density than that of conventional cold dark matter (sub)haloes. Dark matter annihilations might then appear as point sources, leading to novel morphology for indirect detection. We explore dissipative models where interaction with the Standard Model might provide visible signals, and show how such objects might give rise to the observed excess in gamma rays arising from the galactic center.

A Study of the Vacancy-Impurity Interaction in Dilute Nickel Alloys by Core Electron Annihilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arbuzov, V. L.; Danilov, S. E.; Druzhkov, A. P.

1997-08-01

It is shown that the angular correlation of annihilation radiation can be used to identify vacancy-impurity complexes in dilute alloys. Annihilation of trapped positrons with core electrons bears information about the chemical environment of a vacancy defect. The method is especially effective for d-matrices doped with sp-impurities since annihilation parameters of positrons with d- and sp-shell electrons differ considerably. The potentialities of the method of core-electron annihilation of positrons are demonstrated taking electron-irradiated dilute Ni-P and Ni-Si alloys as an example. It is shown that the interaction between the vacancies, which migrate at the III stage of annealing, and P atoms in Ni-P causes a considerable change in the annihilation parameters of positrons with core electrons compared to pure Ni. In Ni-Si alloys the annihilation parameters of trapped positrons with core electrons do not differ from those in Ni. This fact is an evidence that Si atoms do not interact with vacancies in Ni.

Microstructure stability of ultra-fine grained magnesium alloy AZ31 processed by extrusion and equal-channel angular pressing (EX–ECAP)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stráská, Jitka, E-mail: straska.jitka@gmail.com; Janeček, Miloš, E-mail: janecek@met.mff.cuni.cz; Čížek, Jakub, E-mail: jcizek@mbox.troja.mff.cuni.cz

Thermal stability of the ultra-fine grained (UFG) microstructure of magnesium AZ31 alloy was investigated. UFG microstructure was achieved by a combined two-step severe plastic deformation process: the extrusion (EX) and subsequent equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP). This combined process leads to refined microstructure and enhanced microhardness. Specimens with UFG microstructure were annealed isochronally at temperatures 150–500 °C for 1 h. The evolution of microstructure, mechanical properties and dislocation density was studied by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), microhardness measurements and positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS). The coarsening of the fine-grained structure at higher temperatures was accompanied by a gradual decrease of the microhardnessmore » and decrease of dislocation density. Mechanism of grain growth was studied by general equation for grain growth and Arrhenius equation. Activation energies for grain growth were calculated to be 115, 33 and 164 kJ/mol in temperature ranges of 170–210 °C, 210–400 °C and 400–500 °C (443–483 K, 483–673 K and 673–773 K), respectively. - Highlights: • Microhardness of UFG AZ31 alloy decreases with increasing annealing temperature. • This fact has two reasons: dislocation annihilations and/or grain growth. • The activation energies for grain growth were calculated for all temperature ranges.« less

Effects of quench rate and natural ageing on the age hardening behaviour of aluminium alloy AA6060

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strobel, Katharina, E-mail: katharina.strobel@aol.com; Lay, Matthew D.H., E-mail: mlay@fbrice.com; Easton, Mark A., E-mail: mark.easton@rmit.edu.au

Quench sensitivity in Al–Mg–Si alloys has been largely attributed to the solute loss at the heterogeneous nucleation sites, primarily dispersoids, during slow cooling after extrusion. As such, the number density of dispersoids, the solute type and concentration are considered to be the key variables for the quench sensitivity. In this study, quench sensitivity and the influence of natural ageing in a lean Al–Mg–Si alloy, AA6060, which contains few dispersoids, have been investigated by hardness measurement, thermal analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). It is shown that the quench sensitivity in this alloy is associated withmore » the degree of supersaturation of vacancies after cooling. Due to vacancy annihilation and clustering during natural ageing, the quench sensitivity is more pronounced after a short natural ageing time (30 min) compared to a longer natural ageing time (24 h). Therefore, prolonged natural ageing not only leads to an increase in hardness, but can also have a positive effect on the quench sensitivity of lean Al–Mg–Si alloys. - Highlights: • Significant quench sensitivity observed in AA6060 alloy after 30 min natural ageing • Prolonged natural ageing increased hardness and reduced QS. • Low dispersoid density leads to insignificant QS from non-hardening precipitates. • Vacancy supersaturation identified as a contributor to QS.« less

Resonance enhancement of dark matter interactions: the case for early kinetic decoupling and velocity dependent resonance width

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duch, M.; Grzadkowski, B.

2017-09-01

Motivated by the possibility of enhancing dark matter (DM) self-scattering cross-section σ self , we have revisited the issue of DM annihilation through a Breit-Wigner resonance. In this case thermally averaged annihilation cross-section has strong temper-ature dependence, whereas elastic scattering of DM on the thermal bath particles is sup-pressed. This leads to the early kinetic decoupling of DM and an interesting interplay in the evolution of DM density and temperature that can be described by a set of coupled Boltzmann equations. The standard Breit-Wigner parametrization of a resonance prop-agator is also corrected by including momentum dependence of the resonance width. It has been shown that this effects may change predictions of DM relic density by more than order of magnitude in some regions of the parameter space. Model independent discussion is illustrated within a theory of Abelian vector dark matter. The model assumes extra U(1) symmetry group factor and an additional complex Higgs field needed to generate a mass for the dark vector boson, which provides an extra neutral Higgs boson h 2. We discuss the resonant amplification of σ self . It turns out that if DM abundance is properly reproduced, the Fermi-LAT data favor heavy DM and constraint the enhancement of σ self to the range, which cannot provide a solution to the small-scale structure problems.

Defect studies in copper-based p-type transparent conducting oxides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ameena, Fnu

Among other intrinsic open-volume defects, copper vacancy (VCu) has been theoretically identified as the major acceptor in p-type Cu-based semiconducting transparent oxides, which has potential as low-cost photovoltaic absorbers in semi-transparent solar cells. A series of positron annihilation experiments with pure Cu, Cu2O, and CuO presented strong presence of VCu and its complexes in the copper oxides. The lifetime data also showed that the density of VCu was becoming higher as the oxidation state of Cu increased which was consistent with the decrease in the formation energy of VCu. Doppler broadening measurements further indicated that electrons with low momentum made more contribution to the contributed as pure Cu oxidizes to copper oxides. The metastable defects are known to be generated in Cu2O upon illumination and it has been known to affect the performance of Cu2O-based hetero-junctions used in solar cells. The metastable effect was studied using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and its data showed the change in the defect population upon light exposure and the minimal effect of light-induced electron density increase in the bulk of materials to the average lifetime of the positrons. The change in the defect population is concluded to be related to the dissociation and association of VCu -- V Cu complexes. For example, the shorter lifetime under light was ascribed to the annihilation with smaller size vacancies, which explains the dissociation of the complexes with light illumination. Doppler broadening of the annihilation was independent of light illumination, which suggested that the chemical nature of the defects remained without change upon their dissociation and association -- only the size distribution of copper vacancies varied. The delafossite metal oxides, CuMIIIO2 are emerging wide-bandgap p-type semiconductors. In this research, the formation energies of structural vacancies are calculated using Van Vechten cavity model as an attempt to study the effect of the size of the MIII cation in the delafossites starting from Cu2O. Comparison of the formation energies between Cu2O and delafossite oxides clearly showed that the equilibrium concentration of the vacancies depended strongly on the structural parameters varied by the presence of different MIII cations. In particular, the size of the MIII cation greatly influenced the defect formation energies of VCu. It was observed from our calculations, as the size increases the formation energy decreases.

Constraints on Resonant Dark Matter Annihilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Backovic, Mihailo

Resonant dark matter annihilation drew much attention in the light of recent measurements of charged cosmic ray fluxes. Interpreting the anomalous signal in the positron fraction as a sign of dark matter annihilation in the galactic halo requires cross sections orders of magnitudes higher than the estimates coming from thermal relic abundance. Resonant dark matter annihilation provides a mechanism to bridge the apparent contradiction between thermal relic abundance and the positron data measured by PAMELA and FERMI satellites. In this thesis, we analyze a class of models which allow for dark matter to annihilate through an s-channel resonance. Our analysis takes into account constraints from thermal relic abundance and the recent measurements of charged lepton cosmic ray fluxes, first separately and then simultaneously. Consistency of resonant dark matter annihilation models with thermal relic abundance as measured by WMAP serves to construct a relationship between the full set of masses, couplings and widths involved. Extensive numerical analysis of the full four dimensional parameter space is summarized by simple analytic approximations. The expressions are robust enough to be generalized to models including additional annihilation channels. We provide a separate treatment of resonant annihilation of dark matter in the galac- tic halo. We find model-independent upper limits on halo dark matter annihilation rates and show that the most efficient annihilation mechanism involves s-channel resonances. Widths that are large compared to the energy spread in the galactic halo are capable of saturating unitarity bounds without much difficulty. Partial wave unitarity prevents the so called Sommerfeld factors from producing large changes in cross sections. In addition, the approximations made in Sommerfeld factors break down in the kinematic regions where large cross section enhancements are often cited. Simultaneous constraints from thermal relic abundance and halo annihilation serve to produce new limits on dark matter masses and couplings. Past considerations of only a part of the resonant annihilation parameter set to motivate large annihilation cross section enhancements in the halo while maintaining correct relic abundance are generally incomplete. Taking into account only the resonance mass and width to show that large cross section enhancements are possible does not in principle guarantee that the enhancement will be achieved. We extend the calculation to include the full resonant parameter set. As a result, we obtain new limits on dark matter masses and couplings.

Sensitivity projections for dark matter searches with the Fermi large area telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charles, E.; Sánchez-Conde, M.; Anderson, B.; Caputo, R.; Cuoco, A.; Di Mauro, M.; Drlica-Wagner, A.; Gomez-Vargas, G. A.; Meyer, M.; Tibaldo, L.; Wood, M.; Zaharijas, G.; Zimmer, S.; Ajello, M.; Albert, A.; Baldini, L.; Bechtol, K.; Bloom, E. D.; Ceraudo, F.; Cohen-Tanugi, J.; Digel, S. W.; Gaskins, J.; Gustafsson, M.; Mirabal, N.; Razzano, M.

2016-06-01

The nature of dark matter is a longstanding enigma of physics; it may consist of particles beyond the Standard Model that are still elusive to experiments. Among indirect search techniques, which look for stable products from the annihilation or decay of dark matter particles, or from axions coupling to high-energy photons, observations of the γ-ray sky have come to prominence over the last few years, because of the excellent sensitivity of the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope mission. The LAT energy range from 20 meV to above 300 GeV is particularly well suited for searching for products of the interactions of dark matter particles. In this report we describe methods used to search for evidence of dark matter with the LAT, and review the status of searches performed with up to six years of LAT data. We also discuss the factors that determine the sensitivities of these searches, including the magnitudes of the signals and the relevant backgrounds, considering both statistical and systematic uncertainties. We project the expected sensitivities of each search method for 10 and 15 years of LAT data taking. In particular, we find that the sensitivity of searches targeting dwarf galaxies, which provide the best limits currently, will improve faster than the square root of observing time. Current LAT limits for dwarf galaxies using six years of data reach the thermal relic level for masses up to 120 GeV for the b b ¯ annihilation channel for reasonable dark matter density profiles. With projected discoveries of additional dwarfs, these limits could extend to about 250 GeV. With as much as 15 years of LAT data these searches would be sensitive to dark matter annihilations at the thermal relic cross section for masses to greater than 400 GeV (200 GeV) in the b b ¯ (τ+τ-) annihilation channels.

Sensitivity projections for dark matter dearches with the Fermi large area telescope

DOE PAGES

Charles, E.; M. Sanchez-Conde; Anderson, B.; ...

2016-05-20

The nature of dark matter is a longstanding enigma of physics; it may consist of particles beyond the Standard Model that are still elusive to experiments. Among indirect search techniques, which look for stable products from the annihilation or decay of dark matter particles, or from axions coupling to high-energy photons, observations of themore » $$\\gamma$$-ray sky have come to prominence over the last few years, because of the excellent sensitivity of the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope mission. The LAT energy range from 20 MeV to above 300 GeV is particularly well suited for searching for products of the interactions of dark matter particles. In this report we describe methods used to search for evidence of dark matter with the LAT, and review the status of searches performed with up to six years of LAT data. We also discuss the factors that determine the sensitivities of these searches, including the magnitudes of the signals and the relevant backgrounds, considering both statistical and systematic uncertainties. We project the expected sensitivities of each search method for 10 and 15 years of LAT data taking. In particular, we find that the sensitivity of searches targeting dwarf galaxies, which provide the best limits currently, will improve faster than the square root of observing time. Current LAT limits for dwarf galaxies using six years of data reach the thermal relic level for masses up to 120 GeV for the $$b\\bar{b}$$ annihilation channel for reasonable dark matter density profiles. With projected discoveries of additional dwarfs, these limits could extend to about 250 GeV. With as much as 15 years of LAT data these searches would be sensitive to dark matter annihilations at the thermal relic cross section for masses to greater than 400 GeV (200 GeV) in the $$b\\bar{b}$$ ($$\\tau^+ \\tau^-$$) annihilation channels.« less

Sensitivity projections for dark matter dearches with the Fermi large area telescope

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Charles, E.; M. Sanchez-Conde; Anderson, B.

The nature of dark matter is a longstanding enigma of physics; it may consist of particles beyond the Standard Model that are still elusive to experiments. Among indirect search techniques, which look for stable products from the annihilation or decay of dark matter particles, or from axions coupling to high-energy photons, observations of themore » $$\\gamma$$-ray sky have come to prominence over the last few years, because of the excellent sensitivity of the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope mission. The LAT energy range from 20 MeV to above 300 GeV is particularly well suited for searching for products of the interactions of dark matter particles. In this report we describe methods used to search for evidence of dark matter with the LAT, and review the status of searches performed with up to six years of LAT data. We also discuss the factors that determine the sensitivities of these searches, including the magnitudes of the signals and the relevant backgrounds, considering both statistical and systematic uncertainties. We project the expected sensitivities of each search method for 10 and 15 years of LAT data taking. In particular, we find that the sensitivity of searches targeting dwarf galaxies, which provide the best limits currently, will improve faster than the square root of observing time. Current LAT limits for dwarf galaxies using six years of data reach the thermal relic level for masses up to 120 GeV for the $$b\\bar{b}$$ annihilation channel for reasonable dark matter density profiles. With projected discoveries of additional dwarfs, these limits could extend to about 250 GeV. With as much as 15 years of LAT data these searches would be sensitive to dark matter annihilations at the thermal relic cross section for masses to greater than 400 GeV (200 GeV) in the $$b\\bar{b}$$ ($$\\tau^+ \\tau^-$$) annihilation channels.« less

Nano-size defects in arsenic-implanted HgCdTe films: a HRTEM study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonchyk, O. Yu.; Savytskyy, H. V.; Swiatek, Z.; Morgiel, Y.; Izhnin, I. I.; Voitsekhovskii, A. V.; Korotaev, A. G.; Mynbaev, K. D.; Fitsych, O. I.; Varavin, V. S.; Dvoretsky, S. A.; Marin, D. V.; Yakushev, M. V.

2018-02-01

Radiation damage and its transformation under annealing were studied with bright-field and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy for arsenic-implanted HgCdTe films with graded-gap surface layers. In addition to typical highly defective layers in as-implanted material, a 50 nm-thick sub-surface layer with very low defect density was observed. The main defects in other layers after implantation were dislocation loops, yet after arsenic activation annealing, the dominating defects were single dislocations. Transport (from depth to surface), transformation and annihilation of radiation-induced defects were observed as a result of annealing, with the depth with the maximum defect density decreasing from 110 to 40 nm.

Stop coannihilation in the CMSSM and SubGUT models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellis, John; Evans, Jason L.; Luo, Feng; Olive, Keith A.; Zheng, Jiaming

2018-05-01

Stop coannihilation may bring the relic density of heavy supersymmetric dark matter particles into the range allowed by cosmology. The efficiency of this process is enhanced by stop-antistop annihilations into the longitudinal (Goldstone) modes of the W and Z bosons, as well as by Sommerfeld enhancement of stop annihilations and the effects of bound states. Since the couplings of the stops to the Goldstone modes are proportional to the trilinear soft supersymmetry-breaking A-terms, these annihilations are enhanced when the A-terms are large. However, the Higgs mass may be reduced below the measured value if the A-terms are too large. Unfortunately, the interpretation of this constraint on the stop coannihilation strip is clouded by differences between the available Higgs mass calculators. For our study, we use as our default calculator FeynHiggs 2.13.0, the most recent publicly available version of this code. Exploring the CMSSM parameter space, we find that along the stop coannihilation strip the masses of the stops are severely split by the large A-terms. This suppresses the Higgs mass drastically for μ and A_0 > 0, whilst the extent of the stop coannihilation strip is limited for A_0 < 0 and either sign of μ . However, in sub-GUT models, reduced renormalization-group running mitigates the effect of the large A-terms, allowing larger LSP masses to be consistent with the Higgs mass calculation. We give examples where the dark matter particle mass may reach ≳ 8 TeV.

Detailed line shape analysis of the C KVV Auger peak of two carbon allotropes measured using a time of flight positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fairchild, A. J.; Chirayath, V. A.; Chrysler, M. D.; Gladen, R. W.; Imam, S. K.; Koymen, A. R.; Weiss, A. H.

We report a detailed line shape analysis of the positron induced C KVV Auger line shape from highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and a single layer of graphene grown on polycrystalline Cu. A model consisting of the self-fold of the one-electron density of states including terms for hole-hole interactions, charge screening effects, and intrinsic loss mechanisms is compared to experimental C KVV line shapes measured using a positron induced Auger electron spectrometer (PAES). In traditional Auger spectroscopies which use an electron or photon to initiate the Auger process, extracting the relatively small Auger signal from the large secondary background can be quite difficult. Using a very low energy positron beam to create the core hole through an anti-matter matter annihilation entirely eliminates this background. Additionally, PAES has sensitivity to the top most atomic layer since the positron becomes trapped in an image potential well at the surface before annihilation. Therefore, the PAES signal from a single layer of graphene on polycrystalline Cu is primarily from the graphene overlayer with small contributions from the Cu substrate while the PAES signal from HOPG can be viewed as a single graphene layer with a graphite substrate. The influence of these two substrates on C KVV line shape is discussed. This work was supported by NSF Grant No. DMR 1508719 and DMR 1338130.

Late decaying 2-component dark matter scenario as an explanation of the AMS-02 positron excess

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buch, Jatan; Ralegankar, Pranjal; Rentala, Vikram, E-mail: jatan_buch@brown.edu, E-mail: pranjal6@illinois.edu, E-mail: rentala@phy.iitb.ac.in

The long standing anomaly in the positron flux as measured by the PAMELA and AMS-02 experiments could potentially be explained by dark matter (DM) annihilations. This scenario typically requires a large 'boost factor' to be consistent with a thermal relic dark matter candidate produced via freeze-out. However, such an explanation is disfavored by constraints from CMB observations on energy deposition during the epoch of recombination. We discuss a scenario called late-decaying two-component dark matter (LD2DM), where the entire DM consists of two semi-degenerate species. Within this framework, the heavier species is produced as a thermal relic in the early universemore » and decays to the lighter species over cosmological timescales. Consequently, the lighter species becomes the DM which populates the universe today. We show that annihilation of the lighter DM species with an enhanced cross-section, produced via such a non-thermal mechanism, can explain the observed AMS-02 positron flux while avoiding CMB constraints. The observed DM relic density can be correctly reproduced as well with simple s -wave annihilation cross-sections. We demonstrate that the scenario is safe from CMB constraints on late-time energy depositions during the cosmic 'dark ages'. Interestingly, structure formation constraints force us to consider small mass splittings between the two dark matter species. We explore possible cosmological and particle physics signatures in a toy model that realizes this scenario.« less

Near-Infrared-to-Visible Photon Upconversion Enabled by Conjugated Porphyrinic Sensitizers under Low-Power Noncoherent Illumination.

PubMed

Olivier, Jean-Hubert; Bai, Yusong; Uh, Hyounsoo; Yoo, Hyejin; Therien, Michael J; Castellano, Felix N

2015-06-04

We report four supermolecular chromophores based on (porphinato)zinc(II) (PZn) and (polypyridyl)metal units bridged via ethyne connectivity (Pyr1RuPZn2, Pyr1RuPZnRuPyr1, Pyr1RuPZn2RuPyr1, and OsPZn2Os) that fulfill critical sensitizer requirements for NIR-to-vis triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) photochemistry. These NIR sensitizers feature: (i) broad, high oscillator strength NIR absorptivity (700 nm < λ(max(NIR)) < 770 nm; 6 × 10(4) M(-1) cm(-1) < extinction coefficient (λ(max(NIR))) < 1.6 × 10(5) M(-1) cm(-1); 820 cm(-1) < fwhm < 1700 cm(-1)); (ii) substantial intersystem crossing quantum yields; (iii) long, microsecond time scale T1 state lifetimes; and (iv) triplet states that are energetically poised for exergonic energy transfer to the molecular annihilator (rubrene). Using low-power noncoherent illumination at power densities (1-10 mW cm(-2)) similar to that of terrestrial solar photon illumination conditions, we demonstrate that Pyr1RuPZn2, Pyr1RuPZn2RuPyr1, and Pyr1RuPZnRuPyr1 sensitizers can be used in combination with the rubrene acceptor/annihilator to achieve TTA-UC: these studies represent the first examples whereby a low-power noncoherent NIR light source drives NIR-to-visible upconverted fluorescence centered in a spectral window within the bandgap of amorphous silicon.

Absolute measurements of the triplet-triplet annihilation rate and the charge-carrier recombination layer thickness in working polymer light-emitting diodes based on polyspirobifluorene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rothe, C.; Al Attar, H. A.; Monkman, A. P.

2005-10-01

The triplet exciton densities in electroluminescent devices prepared from two polyspirobifluorene derivatives have been investigated by means of time-resolved transient triplet absorption as a function of optical and electrical excitation power at 20 K. Because of the low mobility of the triplet excitons at this temperature, the triplet generation profile within the active polymer layer is preserved throughout the triplet lifetime and as a consequence the absolute triplet-triplet annihilation efficiency is not homogeneously distributed but depends on position within the active layer. This then gives a method to measure the charge-carrier recombination layer after electrical excitation relative to the light penetration depth, which is identical to the triplet generation layer after optical excitation. With the latter being obtained from ellipsometry, an absolute value of 5 nm is found for the exciton formation layer in polyspirobifluorene devices. This layer increases to 11 nm if the balance between the electron and the hole mobility is improved by chemically modifying the polymer backbone. Also, and consistent with previous work, triplet diffusion is dispersive at low temperature. As a consequence of this, the triplet-triplet annihilation rate is not a constant in the classical sense but depends on the triplet excitation dose. At 20 K and for typical excitation doses, absolute values of the latter rate are of the order of 10-14cm3s-1 .

Electroweak bremsstrahlung for wino-like Dark Matter annihilations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ciafaloni, Paolo; Comelli, Denis; Simone, Andrea De

2012-06-01

If the Dark Matter is the neutral Majorana component of a multiplet which is charged under the electroweak interactions of the Standard Model, its main annihilation channel is into W{sup +}W{sup −}, while the annihilation into light fermions is helicity suppressed. As pointed out recently, the radiation of gauge bosons from the initial state of the annihilation lifts the suppression and opens up an s-wave contribution to the cross section. We perform the full tree-level calculation of Dark Matter annihilations, including electroweak bremsstrahlung, in the context of an explicit model corresponding to the supersymmetric wino. We find that the fermionmore » channel can become as important as the di-boson one. This result has significant implications for the predictions of the fluxes of particles originating from Dark Matter annihilations.« less

Positron line radiation from halo WIMP annihilations as a dark matter signature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Michael S.; Wilczek, Frank

1989-01-01

We suggest a new signature for dark matter annihilation in the halo: high energy positron line radiation. Because the cosmic ray positron spectrum falls rapidly with energy, e+'s from halo WIMP annihilations can be a significant, clean signal for very massive WIMP's (approx. greater than 30 GeV). In the case that the e+e- annihilation channel has an appreciable branch, the e+ signal should be above background in a future detector, such as have been proposed for ASTROMAG, and of potential importance as a dark matter signature. A significant e+e- branching ratio can occur for neutralinos or Dirac neutrinos. High-energy, continuum positron radiation may also be an important signature for massive neutralino annihilations, especially near or above the threshold of the W+W- and ZoZo annihilation channels.

Method for on-line evaluation of materials using prompt gamma ray analysis

DOEpatents

Akers, Douglas W [Idaho Falls, ID

2009-12-08

A method for evaluating a material specimen comprises: Mounting a neutron source and a detector adjacent the material specimen; bombarding the material specimen with neutrons from the neutron source to create prompt gamma rays within the material specimen, some of the prompt gamma rays being emitted from the material specimen, some of the prompt gamma rays resulting in the formation of positrons within the material specimen by pair production; collecting positron annihilation data by detecting with the detector at least one emitted annihilation gamma ray resulting from the annihilation of a positron; storing the positron annihilation data on a data storage system for later retrieval and processing; and continuing to collect and store positron annihilation data, the continued collected and stored positron annihilation data being indicative of an accumulation of lattice damage over time.

The cosmic-ray antiproton spectrum from dark matter annihilation and its astrophysical implications - A new look

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.; Tylka, A. J.

1989-01-01

The spectrum of antiprotons from dark matter annihilation are calculated using the Lund Monte Carlo program, and simple analytic expressions for the spectrum and low-energy antiproton/proton ratio are derived. Comparing the results with recent upper limits on low energy antiprotons, it is concluded that the reported 4-13 GeV antiproton flux cannot be accounted for by dark matter annihilation. The new upper limits do not provide useful constraints on dark matter particles. They restrict the annihilation rate and imply that annihilation gamma ray and e(+) fluxes would be far below the fluxes produced by cosmic-ray collisions. It may be possible to look for a dark matter halo annihilation signal at antiprotons energies below 0.5 GeV, where the flux from cosmic-ray collisions is expected to be negligible.

A New Target Object for Constraining Annihilating Dark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Man Ho

2017-07-01

In the past decade, gamma-ray observations and radio observations of our Milky Way and the Milky Way dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies put very strong constraints on annihilation cross sections of dark matter. In this paper, we suggest a new target object (NGC 2976) that can be used for constraining annihilating dark matter. The radio and X-ray data of NGC 2976 can put very tight constraints on the leptophilic channels of dark matter annihilation. The lower limits of dark matter mass annihilating via {e}+{e}-, {μ }+{μ }-, and {τ }+{τ }- channels are 200 GeV, 130 GeV, and 110 GeV, respectively, with the canonical thermal relic cross section. We suggest that this kind of large nearby dwarf galaxy with a relatively high magnetic field can be a good candidate for constraining annihilating dark matter in future analyses.

Positron annihilation in the nuclear outflows of the Milky Way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panther, Fiona H.; Crocker, Roland M.; Birnboim, Yuval; Seitenzahl, Ivo R.; Ruiter, Ashley J.

2018-02-01

Observations of soft gamma rays emanating from the Milky Way from SPI/INTEGRAL reveal the annihilation of ˜2 × 1043 positrons every second in the Galactic bulge. The origin of these positrons, which annihilate to produce a prominent emission line centred at 511 keV, has remained mysterious since their discovery almost 50 yr ago. A plausible origin for the positrons is in association with the intense star formation ongoing in the Galactic centre. Moreover, there is strong evidence for a nuclear outflow in the Milky Way. We find that advective transport and subsequent annihilation of positrons in such an outflow cannot simultaneously replicate the observed morphology of positron annihilation in the Galactic bulge and satisfy the requirement that 90 per cent of positrons annihilate once the outflow has cooled to 104 K.

Visualisation and Quantification of Transport in Barrier Rocks with Positron Emission Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulenkampff, J.; Gajewski, C.; Gründig, M.; Lippmann-Pipke, J.; Mittmann, H.; Richter, M.; Wolf, M.

2009-04-01

In tight barrier rocks laboratory observation of radionuclide transport and determination of transport parameters is a demanding and interminable task, because of slow rates, small concentrations, and intricate chemical interactions. The validity of results from common laboratory methods, like flow- and diffusion experiments on small samples, is limited by the heterogeneity of the pathways and adherent upscaling issues, because homogeneous conditions have to be presumed for these input-output investigations. But nano-pores or micro-fractures could be present, which would provide pathways for heterogeneous transport processes. Transport properties of these pathways are most influential boundary conditions for reactions between fluid components and crystal surfaces. We propose Positron Emission Tomography (GEO-PET) as an appropriate method for direct observation of heterogeneous transport of radiotracers in tight material on the laboratory scale. With high-resolution PET scanners, which are common instruments of biomedical research ("small animal PET"), it is possible to determine the spatio-temporal distribution of the tracer activity with a resolution of almost 1 mm during about three periods of the tracer half-life (half-lives of some applicable PET tracers: 18F: 1.8 h, 124I: 4.2 days, 58Co: 70.8 days). The PET tracer is applied as ion in solution or as marker for compounds, like colloids. The most considerable difference between PET applications on geomaterial compared to biological tissue is the stronger attenuation and scattering of radiation because of the higher density of rock material. After travelling the positron attenuation length in dense material (about 1 mm), the positron annihilates in contact with an electron, transmitting two photons with 511 keV, propagating in antiparallel direction. The sample size of geomaterial is limited by the attenuation length of these photons. By applying an appropriate attenuation correction it is possible to investigate transport processes in rock cores with diameters up to 10 cm. Then at least 20% of the initial annihilation events are recorded as coincidences. However, one single photon of the annihilation radiation may be recorded while the other is absorbed; therefore, the signal to noise ratio is degraded by attenuation. Other sources of noise are scattered events, and the loss of one coinciding photon due to gaps between the detectors and other detection probability reasons. Also, the ratio of random coincidences increases with the noise level and impairs the image quality of the tomographic reconstruction. The reduction of these reconstruction artefacts by enhanced data correction methods is an important requirement for the development of the GEO-PET method. An other problem is the development of special methods for the quantitative evaluation of the extensive spatio-temporal data sets. We present results from high-resolution PET for tomographic process observation during transport of colloids and conservative tracers in macroscopic samples of clays, saline rocks, and granites (diameter 5 to 10 cm, length 5 to 20 cm). In most cases we observed localized zones of transport, even in a homogenized compressed clay sample. This reflects the non-representative sample volume, which probably is not achievable for any laboratory method. However, at least the PET tomograms reveal these deviations from representativeness. Up to now, break-through-curve parameters can be determined from spatially resolved tracer concentration measurements at distinct regions of the sample, without mandatory penetration of the complete sample extension. A multiscale model-based inversion scheme for continuous scale-dependent parameter determination is currently developed.

The multiple roles of small-angle tilt grain boundaries in annihilating radiation damage in SiC

DOE PAGES

Jiang, Hao; Wang, Xing; Szlufarska, Izabela

2017-02-09

Lattice defects generated by radiation damage can diffuse to grain boundaries (GBs) and be annihilated at GBs. However, the precise role of GBs in annihilating the segregated defects remains unclear. Here, we employed multi-scale models to determine how interstitials are annihilated at small-angle tilt GBs (STGBs) in SiC. First of all, we found the pipe diffusion of interstitials in STGBs is slower than bulk diffusion. This is because the increased interatomic distance at dislocation cores raises the migration barrier of interstitial dumbbells. Furthermore, we found both the annihilation of interstitials at jogs and jog nucleation from clusters are diffusion-controlled andmore » can occur under off-stoichiometric interstitial fluxes. Finally, a dislocation line model is developed to predict the role of STGBs in annihilating radiation damage. This model includes defect flux to GBs, pipe diffusion in STGBs, and the interaction of defects with jogs. The model predicts the role of STGBs in annihilating defects depends on the rate of defects segregation to and diffusion along STGBs. STGBs mainly serve as diffusion channel for defects to reach other sinks when defect diffusivity is high at boundaries. As a result, when defect diffusivity is low, most of the defects segregated to STGBs are annihilated by dislocation climb.« less

The multiple roles of small-angle tilt grain boundaries in annihilating radiation damage in SiC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jiang, Hao; Wang, Xing; Szlufarska, Izabela

Lattice defects generated by radiation damage can diffuse to grain boundaries (GBs) and be annihilated at GBs. However, the precise role of GBs in annihilating the segregated defects remains unclear. Here, we employed multi-scale models to determine how interstitials are annihilated at small-angle tilt GBs (STGBs) in SiC. First of all, we found the pipe diffusion of interstitials in STGBs is slower than bulk diffusion. This is because the increased interatomic distance at dislocation cores raises the migration barrier of interstitial dumbbells. Furthermore, we found both the annihilation of interstitials at jogs and jog nucleation from clusters are diffusion-controlled andmore » can occur under off-stoichiometric interstitial fluxes. Finally, a dislocation line model is developed to predict the role of STGBs in annihilating radiation damage. This model includes defect flux to GBs, pipe diffusion in STGBs, and the interaction of defects with jogs. The model predicts the role of STGBs in annihilating defects depends on the rate of defects segregation to and diffusion along STGBs. STGBs mainly serve as diffusion channel for defects to reach other sinks when defect diffusivity is high at boundaries. As a result, when defect diffusivity is low, most of the defects segregated to STGBs are annihilated by dislocation climb.« less

Investigation of matter-antimatter interaction for possible propulsion applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, D. L., Jr.

1974-01-01

Matter-antimatter annihilation is discussed as a means of rocket propulsion. The feasibility of different means of antimatter storage is shown to depend on how annihilation rates are affected by various circumstances. The annihilation processes are described, with emphasis on important features of atom-antiatom interatomic potential energies. A model is developed that allows approximate calculation of upper and lower bounds to the interatomic potential energy for any atom-antiatom pair. Formulae for the upper and lower bounds for atom-antiatom annihilation cross-sections are obtained and applied to the annihilation rates for each means of antimatter storage under consideration. Recommendations for further studies are presented.

Directed motion of vortices and annihilation of vortex-antivortex pairs in finite-gap superconductors via hot-lattice routes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulian, Ellen D.; Melkonyan, Gurgen G.; Gulian, Armen M.

2017-07-01

Using finite gap, time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations, generalized to include non-thermal phonons, we report numerical simulations of vortex nucleation, propagation, and annihilation in thin, finite strips of magnetic-impurity free, perfectly homogeneous superconductors. When a steady electric current passes through the strip with either surface defects or nonequilibrium phonon sources (e.g., local ;hotspots;), periodic vortex generation and annihilation is observed even in the absence of external magnetic fields. Local pulses of electric field are produced upon annihilation. The injected phonon lines steer the vortices during their motion within the strip, potentially allowing control of the annihilation site.

Ultrashort megaelectronvolt positron beam generation based on laser-accelerated electrons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Tongjun; Shen, Baifei, E-mail: bfshen@mail.shcnc.ac.cn; Xu, Jiancai, E-mail: jcxu@siom.ac.cn

Experimental generation of ultrashort MeV positron beams with high intensity and high density using a compact laser-driven setup is reported. A high-density gas jet is employed experimentally to generate MeV electrons with high charge; thus, a charge-neutralized MeV positron beam with high density is obtained during laser-accelerated electrons irradiating high-Z solid targets. It is a novel electron–positron source for the study of laboratory astrophysics. Meanwhile, the MeV positron beam is pulsed with an ultrashort duration of tens of femtoseconds and has a high peak intensity of 7.8 × 10{sup 21} s{sup −1}, thus allows specific studies of fast kinetics in millimeter-thick materials withmore » a high time resolution and exhibits potential for applications in positron annihilation spectroscopy.« less

Spin-orbit torque induced magnetic vortex polarity reversal utilizing spin-Hall effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Cheng; Cai, Li; Liu, Baojun; Yang, Xiaokuo; Cui, Huanqing; Wang, Sen; Wei, Bo

2018-05-01

We propose an effective magnetic vortex polarity reversal scheme that makes use of spin-orbit torque introduced by spin-Hall effect in heavy-metal/ferromagnet multilayers structure, which can result in subnanosecond polarity reversal without endangering the structural stability. Micromagnetic simulations are performed to investigate the spin-Hall effect driven dynamics evolution of magnetic vortex. The mechanism of magnetic vortex polarity reversal is uncovered by a quantitative analysis of exchange energy density, magnetostatic energy density, and their total energy density. The simulation results indicate that the magnetic vortex polarity is reversed through the nucleation-annihilation process of topological vortex-antivortex pair. This scheme is an attractive option for ultra-fast magnetic vortex polarity reversal, which can be used as the guidelines for the choice of polarity reversal scheme in vortex-based random access memory.

Magnetic field dissipation in pulsar winds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirk, John

Rotation-powered pulsars lose most of their in the form of a relativistic wind containing elec-trons, positrons and possibly ions together with electromagnetic fields. Close to the star, Poynting flux probably accounts for most of the energy flow, but after the termination shock that forms the inner boundary of the nebula, the energy flux is mostly carried by particles. The energy conversion may take place by gradual annihilation of the magnetic field as a "striped" wind accelerates, or suddenly, when the stripes hit the termination shock. I will discuss these processes and the limits that can be placed on them from observation.

Momentum conservation and unitarity in parton showers and NLL resummation

DOE PAGES

Höche, Stefan; Reichelt, Daniel; Siegert, Frank

2018-01-23

We present a systematic study of differences between NLL resummation and parton showers. We first construct a Markovian Monte-Carlo algorithm for resummation of additive observables in electron-positron annihilation. Approximations intrinsic to the pure NLL result are then removed, in order to obtain a traditional, momentum and probability conserving parton shower based on the coherent branching formalism. The impact of each approximation is studied, and an overall comparison is made between the parton shower and pure NLL resummation. Differences compared to modern parton-shower algorithms formulated in terms of color dipoles are analyzed.

Gibbs-Thomson Law for Singular Step Segments: Thermodynamics Versus Kinetics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chernov, A. A.

2003-01-01

Classical Burton-Cabrera-Frank theory presumes that thermal fluctuations are so fast that at any time density of kinks on a step is comparable with the reciprocal intermolecular distance, so that the step rate is about isotropic within the crystal plane. Such azimuthal isotropy is, however, often not the case: Kink density may be much lower. In particular, it was recently found on the (010) face of orthorhombic lysozyme that interkink distance may exceed 500-600 intermolecular distances. Under such conditions, Gibbs-Thomson law (GTL) may not be applicable: On a straight step segment between two corners, communication between the comers occurs exclusively by kink exchange. Annihilation between kinks of opposite sign generated at the comers results in the grain in step energy entering GTL. If the step segment length l much greater than D/v, where D and v are the kink diffusivity and propagation rate, respectively, the opposite kinks have practically no chance to annihilate and GTL is not applicable. The opposite condition of the GTL applicability, l much less than D/v, is equivalent to the requirement that relative supersaturation Delta(sub mu)/kT much less than alpha/l, where alpha is molecular size. Thus, GTL may be applied to a segment of 10(exp 3)alpha approx. 3 x 10(exp -5)cm approx 0.3 micron only if supersaturation is less than 0.1%, while practically used driving forces for crystallization are much larger. Relationships alternative to the GTL for different, but low, kink density have been discussed. They confirm experimental evidences that the Burton-Cabrera-Frank theory of spiral growth is growth rates twice as low as compared to the observed figures. Also, application of GTL results in unrealistic step energy while suggested kinetic law give reasonable figures.

Dark matter and the baryon asymmetry of the universe.

PubMed

Farrar, Glennys R; Zaharijas, Gabrijela

2006-02-03

We present a mechanism to generate the baryon asymmetry of the Universe which preserves the net baryon number created in the big bang. If dark matter particles carry baryon number Bx, and sigmaxannih

Supramolecular interactions between triphenylphosphine oxide and benzamide evaluated by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, F. C.; Denadai, A. M. L.; Fulgêncio, F.; Oliveira, A. M.; Andrade, A. C. A.; Melo, A. C. A.; Yoshida, M. I.; Windmöller, D.; Magalhães, W. F.

2017-04-01

In the present work, intermolecular interactions between triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) and benzamide (BZM) has been studied in solid state by Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS) and supported by several analytical techniques (in solid state and in solution) and by computational modeling (in gaseous phase). Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) in ethyl acetate solvent showed that complexation is a stepwise process, with 2:1 and 1:1 TPPO/BZM stoichiometries, both driven by entropy. HPLC analysis of isolated single crystal confirmed the existence of a 2:1 TPPO/BZM crystalline complex in solid state. The results of thermal analysis (TGA, DTA and DSC) and FTIR spectroscopy showed that the interactions in the complexes are relatively weaker than those found in pure precursors. Finally, PALS showed higher positronium formation probability (I3) at [TPPO0.62·BZM0.38] and [TPPO0.25·BZM0.75] molar fractions, corroborating the existence of two stoichiometries for the TPPO/BZM system and suggesting greater electronic availability of n- and π-electrons in heterosynton complexes, as resulting of interactions, bring forward new evidences of the participation of electronic excited states on the positronium formation mechanism.

Singular trajectories: space-time domain topology of developing speckle fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasil'ev, Vasiliy; Soskin, Marat S.

2010-02-01

It is shown the space-time dynamics of optical singularities is fully described by singularities trajectories in space-time domain, or evolution of transverse coordinates(x, y) in some fixed plane z0. The dynamics of generic developing speckle fields was realized experimentally by laser induced scattering in LiNbO3:Fe photorefractive crystal. The space-time trajectories of singularities can be divided topologically on two classes with essentially different scenario and duration. Some of them (direct topological reactions) consist from nucleation of singularities pair at some (x, y, z0, t) point, their movement and annihilation. They possess form of closed loops with relatively short time of existence. Another much more probable class of trajectories are chain topological reactions. Each of them consists from sequence of links, i.e. of singularities nucleation in various points (xi yi, ti) and following annihilation of both singularities in other space-time points with alien singularities of opposite topological indices. Their topology and properties are established. Chain topological reactions can stop on the borders of a developing speckle field or go to infinity. Examples of measured both types of topological reactions for optical vortices (polarization C points) in scalar (elliptically polarized) natural developing speckle fields are presented.

Chemical quenching of positronium in Fe 2O 3/Al 2O 3 catalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, C.; Zhang, H. J.; Chen, Z. Q.

2010-09-01

Fe 2O 3/Al 2O 3 catalysts were prepared by solid state reaction method using α-Fe 2O 3 and γ-Al 2O 3 nano powders. The microstructure and surface properties of the catalyst were studied using positron lifetime and coincidence Doppler broadening annihilation radiation measurements. The positron lifetime spectrum shows four components. The two long lifetimes τ3 and τ4 are attributed to positronium annihilation in two types of pores distributed inside Al 2O 3 grain and between the grains, respectively. With increasing Fe 2O 3 content from 3 wt% to 40 wt%, the lifetime τ3 keeps nearly unchanged, while the longest lifetime τ4 shows decrease from 96 ns to 64 ns. Its intensity decreases drastically from 24% to less than 8%. The Doppler broadening S parameter shows also a continuous decrease. Further analysis of the Doppler broadening spectra reveals a decrease in the p-Ps intensity with increasing Fe 2O 3 content, which rules out the possibility of spin-conversion of positronium. Therefore the decrease of τ4 is most probably due to the chemical quenching reaction of positronium with Fe ions on the surface of the large pores.

A spatially explicit model for an Allee effect: why wolves recolonize so slowly in Greater Yellowstone.

PubMed

Hurford, Amy; Hebblewhite, Mark; Lewis, Mark A

2006-11-01

A reduced probability of finding mates at low densities is a frequently hypothesized mechanism for a component Allee effect. At low densities dispersers are less likely to find mates and establish new breeding units. However, many mathematical models for an Allee effect do not make a distinction between breeding group establishment and subsequent population growth. Our objective is to derive a spatially explicit mathematical model, where dispersers have a reduced probability of finding mates at low densities, and parameterize the model for wolf recolonization in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). In this model, only the probability of establishing new breeding units is influenced by the reduced probability of finding mates at low densities. We analytically and numerically solve the model to determine the effect of a decreased probability in finding mates at low densities on population spread rate and density. Our results suggest that a reduced probability of finding mates at low densities may slow recolonization rate.

Concepts, Problems and Opportunities for Use of Annihilation Energy: An annotated Briefing on Near-Term RDT&E to Assess Feasibility,

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-06-01

released when matter and antimatter annihilate. It reviews some of the funiamental ’lifficulties in producing antimatter and moans for storing it. If...summer of 1983 Rand examined the possibilities for exploiting the high energy release resulting from matter -antimatter annihilation. The resultant...several issues inherent in exploiting the energy released when matter and antimatter annihilate. Some of the fundamental difficulties in producing

Positron Annihilation Ratio Spectroscopy Study of Electric Fields Applied to Positronium at Material Interfaces

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

from 142 ns to a few ns [3:3]. Through the application of positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) on a material, the o-Ps lifetime can be...Force Base, Ohio APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. POSITRON ANNIHILATION RATIO SPECTROSCOPY STUDY OF ELECTRIC FIELDS APPLIED TO...protection in the United States. AFIT/GNE/ENP/11-M19 POSITRON ANNIHILATION RATIO SPECTROSCOPY STUDY OF ELECTRIC FIELDS APPLIED TO POSITRONIUM AT

Proposed method to construct Boolean functions with maximum possible annihilator immunity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goyal, Rajni; Panigrahi, Anupama; Bansal, Rohit

2017-07-01

Nonlinearity and Algebraic(annihilator) immunity are two core properties of a Boolean function because optimum values of Annihilator Immunity and nonlinearity are required to resist fast algebraic attack and differential cryptanalysis respectively. For a secure cypher system, Boolean function(S-Boxes) should resist maximum number of attacks. It is possible if a Boolean function has optimal trade-off among its properties. Before constructing Boolean functions, we fixed the criteria of our constructions based on its properties. In present work, our construction is based on annihilator immunity and nonlinearity. While keeping above facts in mind,, we have developed a multi-objective evolutionary approach based on NSGA-II and got the optimum value of annihilator immunity with good bound of nonlinearity. We have constructed balanced Boolean functions having the best trade-off among balancedness, Annihilator immunity and nonlinearity for 5, 6 and 7 variables by the proposed method.

Escape and finite-size scaling in diffusion-controlled annihilation

DOE PAGES

Ben-Naim, Eli; Krapivsky, Paul L.

2016-12-16

In this paper, we study diffusion-controlled single-species annihilation with a finite number of particles. In this reaction-diffusion process, each particle undergoes ordinary diffusion, and when two particles meet, they annihilate. We focus on spatial dimensions d>2 where a finite number of particles typically survive the annihilation process. Using scaling techniques we investigate the average number of surviving particles, M, as a function of the initial number of particles, N. In three dimensions, for instance, we find the scaling law M ~ N 1/3 in the asymptotic regime N»1. We show that two time scales govern the reaction kinetics: the diffusionmore » time scale, T ~ N 2/3, and the escape time scale, τ ~ N 4/3. The vast majority of annihilation events occur on the diffusion time scale, while no annihilation events occur beyond the escape time scale.« less

Relic neutrinos, monopoles, and cosmic rays above ~1020 eV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiler, Thomas J.

1998-06-01

The observation of cosmic ray events above the Greisen-Kuzmin-Zatsepin (GZK) cut-off of 5×1019 eV offers an enormous opportunity for the discovery of new physics. We explore two possible origins for these super-GZK events. The first example uses Standard Model (SM) physics augmented only by <~ eV neutrino masses as suggested by solar, atmospheric, and terrestrial neutrino detection, and by the cosmological need for a hot dark matter component. In this example, cosmic ray neutrinos from distant, highest energy sources annihilate relatively nearby on the relic neutrino background to produce ``Z-bursts,'' highly collimated, highly boosted (γZ~1011) hadronic jets. The SM and hot Big Bang cosmology give the probability for each neutrino flavor at its resonant energy to annihilate within the halo of our galactic supercluster as likely within an order of magnitude of 1%. The kinematics are completely determined by the neutrino masses and the properties of the Z boson. The burst energy is ER=4 (eV/mν)×1021 eV, and the burst content includes, on average, thirty photons and 2.7 nucleons with super-GZK energies. The second example goes beyond SM physics to invoke relativistic magnetic monopoles as the cosmic ray primaries. Motivations for this hypothesis are twofold: (i) conventional primaries are problematic, while monopoles are naturally accelerated to E~1020 eV by galactic magnetic fields; (ii) the observed highest energy cosmic ray flux is just a few orders of magnitude below the Parker flux limit for monopoles. By matching the cosmic monopole production mechanism to the observed highest energy cosmic ray flux we estimate the monopole mass to be <~1010 GeV. Several tests of the neutrino annihilation and monopole hypotheses are indicated.

Baryon-antibaryon annihilation and reproduction in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seifert, E.; Cassing, W.

2018-02-01

The quark rearrangement model for baryon-antibaryon annihilation and reproduction (B B ¯↔3 M )—incorporated in the Parton-Hadron-String Dynamics (PHSD) transport approach—is extended to the strangeness sector. A derivation of the transition probabilities for the three-body processes is presented and a strangeness suppression factor for the invariant matrix element squared is introduced to account for the higher mass of the strange quark compared to the light up and down quarks. In simulations of the baryon-antibaryon annihilation and reformation in a box with periodic boundary conditions, we demonstrate that our numerical implementation fulfills detailed balance on a channel-by-channel basis for more than 2000 individual 2 ↔3 channels. Furthermore, we study central Pb+Pb collisions within PHSD from 11.7 A GeV to 158 A GeV and investigate the impact of the additionally implemented reaction channels in the strangeness sector. We find that the new reaction channels have a visible impact essentially only on the rapidity spectra of antibaryons. The spectra with the additional channels in the strangeness sector are closer to the experimental data than without for all antihyperons. Due to the chemical redistribution between baryons-antibaryons and mesons we find a slightly larger production of antiprotons thus moderately overestimating the available experimental data. We additionally address the question if the antibaryon spectra (with strangeness) from central heavy-ion reactions at these energies provide further information on the issue of chiral symmetry restoration and deconfinement. However, by comparing transport results with and without partonic phase as well as including and excluding effects from chiral symmetry restoration we find no convincing signals in the strange antibaryon sector for either transition due to the strong final-state interactions.

Human Tissues Investigation Using PALS Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasińska, B.; Zgardzińska, B.; Chołubek, G.; Gorgol, M.; Wiktor, K.; Wysogląd, K.; Białas, P.; Curceanu, C.; Czerwiński, E.; Dulski, K.; Gajos, A.; Głowacz, B.; Hiesmayr, B.; Jodłowska-Jędrych, B.; Kamińska, D.; Korcyl, G.; Kowalski, P.; Kozik, T.; Krawczyk, N.; Krzemień, W.; Kubicz, E.; Mohammed, M.; Pawlik-Niedźwiecka, M.; Niedźwiecki, S.; Pałka, M.; Raczyński, L.; Rudy, Z.; Sharma, N. G.; Sharma, S.; Shopa, R.; Silarski, M.; Skurzok, M.; Wieczorek, A.; Wiktor, H.; Wiślicki, W.; Zieliński, M.; Moskal, P.

Samples of uterine leiomyomatis and normal tissues taken from patients after surgery were investigated using the Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS). Significant differences in all PALS parameters between normal and diseased tissues were observed. For all studied patients, it was found that the values of the free annihilation and ortho-positronium lifetime are larger for the tumorous tissues than for the healthy ones. For most of the patients, the intensity of the free annihilation and ortho-positronium annihilation was smaller for the tumorous than for the healthy tissues. For the first time, in this kind of studies, the $3\\gamma$ fraction of positron annihilation was determined to describe changes in the tissue porosity during morphologic alteration.

A highly coarse-grained model to simulate entangled polymer melts.

PubMed

Zhu, You-Liang; Liu, Hong; Lu, Zhong-Yuan

2012-04-14

We introduce a highly coarse-grained model to simulate the entangled polymer melts. In this model, a polymer chain is taken as a single coarse-grained particle, and the creation and annihilation of entanglements are regarded as stochastic events in proper time intervals according to certain rules and possibilities. We build the relationship between the probability of appearance of an entanglement between any pair of neighboring chains at a given time interval and the rate of variation of entanglements which describes the concurrence of birth and death of entanglements. The probability of disappearance of entanglements is tuned to keep the total entanglement number around the target value. This useful model can reflect many characteristics of entanglements and macroscopic properties of polymer melts. As an illustration, we apply this model to simulate the polyethylene melt of C(1000)H(2002) at 450 K and further validate this model by comparing to experimental data and other simulation results.

Application Of Positron Beams For The Characterization Of Nano-scale Pores In Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirata, K.; Ito, K.; Kobayashi, Y.; Suzuki, R.; Ohdaira, T.; Eijt, S. W. H.; Schut, H.; van Veen, A.

2003-08-01

We applied three positron annihilation techniques, positron 3γ-annihilation spectroscopy, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, and angular correlation of annihilation radiation, to the characterization of nano-scale pores in thin films by combining them with variable-energy positron beams. Characterization of pores in thin films is an important part of the research on various thin films of industrial importance. The results of our recent studies on pore characterization of thin films by positron beams will be reported here.

Constraints on small-scale primordial power by annihilation signals from extragalactic dark matter minihalos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakama, Tomohiro; Suyama, Teruaki; Kohri, Kazunori; Hiroshima, Nagisa

2018-01-01

We revisit constraints on small-scale primordial power from annihilation signals from dark matter minihalos. Using gamma rays and neutrinos from extragalactic minihalos and assuming the delta-function primordial spectrum, we show the dependence of the constraints on annihilation modes, the mass of dark matter, and the annihilation cross section. We report conservative constraints by assuming minihalos are fully destructed when becoming part of halos originating from the standard almost-scale invariant primordial spectrum and optimistic constraints by neglecting destruction.

Positron annihilation studies of silicon-based materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petkov, Mihail Petkov

Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy (PAS) is used as a defect-profiling tool in the characterization of Si-based materials. PAS, in conjunction with variable energy positron beams, is a non-destructive depth-profiling probe, ideally suited for studying thin films, multi-layered structures, and buried interfaces. Its sensitivity to open-volume defects covers a wide range of defect sizes and concentrations, and surpasses that of most other techniques. This dissertation presents PAS investigations of electrical, chemical and mechanical properties of a number of advanced materials for future use by the semiconductor industry. Among the subjects of this work are: hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) for use in solar cells and flat-panel displays; low dielectric constant materials (low-k) for interlayer dielectrics; and thin-gate transistors, focusing on the defects at the Si/SiO 2 interface, which limit the device reliability. Results from extensive research on various possibilities to enhance the PAS capability by increasing its efficiency are presented in the appendices. The recognition of different dangling bond defects for low defect densities is achieved in these first PAS studies of void-free a-Si:H. Direct evidence of the existence of dopant-defect complexes is obtained for the first time. This research lays the foundation for future studies of the role of the impurities in light- and thermal degradation of a-Si:H PAS was applied to the characterization of porous low-k dielectrics. The annihilation observables are correlated with the dielectric properties of the material and their preparation conditions. PAS is the only non-destructive local k-probe, and the only tool for measuring void densities and sizes. The method is also sensitive to the chemical environment of the voids, seen during oxidation, water absorption, and forming gas anneal. Industrial research, partially based on these results, is currently in progress at IBM. A decade-old controversy, involving different models of defect states at Si/SiO2 interfaces, has been resolved. The two-defect model was confirmed and previous results were reevaluated. Research in this area will promote the use of PAS as an on-line diagnostic tool in the manufacturing of integrated circuits.

Particle-hole symmetry in many-body theories of electron correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kats, Daniel; Usvyat, Denis; Manby, Frederick R.

2018-06-01

Second-quantised creation and annihilation operators for fermionic particles anticommute, but the same is true for the creation and annihilation operators for holes. This introduces a symmetry into the quantum theory of fermions that is absent for bosons. In ab initio electronic structure theory, it is common to classify methods by the number of electrons for which the method returns exact results: for example Hartree-Fock theory is exact for one-electron systems, whereas coupled-cluster theory with single and double excitations is exact for two-electron systems. Here, we discuss the generalisation: methods based on approximate wavefunctions that are exact for n-particle systems are also exact for n-hole systems. Novel electron correlation methods that attempt to improve on the coupled-cluster framework sometimes retain this property, and sometimes lose it. Here, we argue for retaining particle-hole symmetry as a desirable design criterion of approximate electron correlation methods. Dispensing with it might lead to loss of n-representability of density matrices, and this in turn can lead to spurious long-range behaviour in the correlation energy.

Study of the boxlike dark matter signals from dwarf spheroidal galaxies with Fermi-LAT data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shang; Liang, Yun-Feng; Xia, Zi-Qing; Zu, Lei; Duan, Kai-Kai; Shen, Zhao-Qiang; Feng, Lei; Yuan, Qiang; Fan, Yi-Zhong

2018-04-01

The observation of a special spectral feature in the gamma-ray data would be one of the best ways to identify dark matter (DM). The box-shaped gamma-ray spectra could be generated by the decay of intermediate particles produced by DM annihilation or decay. It provides another kind of signal that can be relatively easily distinguished from astrophysical backgrounds besides the linelike signals. Dwarf spheroidal galaxies are expected to be dominated by DM and may be one of the most promising targets for indirect DM searches. In this paper, we study the box-shaped DM signals with Fermi-LAT observations of dwarf spheroidal galaxies. We analyze 106 months of Fermi-LAT data to derive the upper limits on the annihilation cross section or the decay timescale of DM. In addition, we compare the results for different sample selections and DM density distributions. We expect that more dwarf spheroidal galaxies will be found and the sensitivity of box-shaped gamma-ray signal searches will be significantly improved in the future.

Basic Brackets of a 2D Model for the Hodge Theory Without its Canonical Conjugate Momenta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, R.; Gupta, S.; Malik, R. P.

2016-06-01

We deduce the canonical brackets for a two (1+1)-dimensional (2D) free Abelian 1-form gauge theory by exploiting the beauty and strength of the continuous symmetries of a Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) invariant Lagrangian density that respects, in totality, six continuous symmetries. These symmetries entail upon this model to become a field theoretic example of Hodge theory. Taken together, these symmetries enforce the existence of exactly the same canonical brackets amongst the creation and annihilation operators that are found to exist within the standard canonical quantization scheme. These creation and annihilation operators appear in the normal mode expansion of the basic fields of this theory. In other words, we provide an alternative to the canonical method of quantization for our present model of Hodge theory where the continuous internal symmetries play a decisive role. We conjecture that our method of quantization is valid for a class of field theories that are tractable physical examples for the Hodge theory. This statement is true in any arbitrary dimension of spacetime.

Dark Matter's secret liaisons: phenomenology of a dark U(1) sector with bound states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cirelli, Marco; Panci, Paolo; Petraki, Kalliopi; Sala, Filippo; Taoso, Marco

2017-05-01

Dark matter (DM) charged under a dark U(1) force appears in many extensions of the Standard Model, and has been invoked to explain anomalies in cosmic-ray data, as well as a self-interacting DM candidate. In this paper, we perform a comprehensive phenomenological analysis of such a model, assuming that the DM abundance arises from the thermal freeze-out of the dark interactions. We include, for the first time, bound-state effects both in the DM production and in the indirect detection signals, and quantify their importance for FERMI, AMS-02, and CMB experiments. We find that DM in the mass range 1 GeV to 100 TeV, annihilating into dark photons of MeV to GeV mass, is in conflict with observations. Instead, DM annihilation into heavier dark photons is viable. We point out that the late decays of multi-GeV dark photons can produce significant entropy and thus dilute the DM density. This can lower considerably the dark coupling needed to obtain the DM abundance, and in turn relax the existing constraints.

Low amplified spontaneous emission threshold and suppression of electroluminescence efficiency roll-off in layers doped with ter(9,9'-spirobifluorene)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, Munetomo; Matsushima, Toshinori; Adachi, Chihaya

2016-03-01

We demonstrate that ter(9,9'-spirobifluorene) (TSBF) doped in a host matrix layer of 4,4'-bis(carbazol-9-yl)biphenyl (CBP) shows a low amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) threshold (Eth = 1.0 μJ cm-2) and suppressed electroluminescence efficiency roll-off at high current densities (no roll-off up to 100 mA cm-2). One origin of the low ASE threshold is that the TSBF-doped CBP layer possesses a very large radiative decay constant (kr = 1.1 × 109 s-1). Singlet-triplet annihilation is almost suppressed in the TSBF-doped CBP layer, which can be ascribed to the small overlap between the emission and triplet absorption of TSBF. Also, the small energy level difference between TSBF and CBP minimizes carrier trapping in TSBF, leading to the suppression of singlet-polaron annihilation. TSBF showed one of the lowest Eth and the most suppressed efficiency roll-off among organic laser dyes investigated in this study and, therefore, is believed to be a promising candidate to realize electrically pumped organic semiconductor laser diodes in the future.

Free volume of mixed cation borosilicate glass sealants elucidated by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and its correlation with glass properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ojha, Prasanta K.; Rath, Sangram K.; Sharma, Sandeep K.; Sudarshan, Kathi; Pujari, Pradeep K.; Chongdar, Tapas K.; Gokhale, Nitin M.

2015-01-01

The role of La+3/Sr+2 ratios, which is varied from 0.08 to 5.09, on density, molar volume, packing fraction, free volume, thermal and electrical properties in strontium lanthanum aluminoborosilicate based glass sealants intended for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications is evaluated. The studies reveal expansion of the glass network evident from increasing molar volume and decreasing packing fraction of glasses with progressive La+3 substitutions. The molecular origin of these macroscopic structural features can be accounted for by the free volume parameters measured from positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). The La+3 induced expanded glass networks show increased number of subnanoscopic voids with larger sizes, as revealed from the ortho-positronium (o-Ps) lifetime and its intensity. A remarkably direct correspondence between the molar volume and fractional free volume trend is established with progressive La2O3 substitution in the glasses. The effect of these structural changes on the glass transition temperature, softening temperature, coefficient of thermal expansion, thermal stability as well as electrical conductivity has been studied.

The Correlation Between Dislocations and Vacancy Defects Using Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, Jinbiao; Li, Hui; Zhou, Kai; Wang, Zhu

2012-07-01

An analysis program for positron annihilation lifetime spectra is only applicable to isolated defects, but is of no use in the presence of defective correlations. Such limitations have long caused problems for positron researchers in their studies of complicated defective systems. In order to solve this problem, we aim to take a semiconductor material, for example, to achieve a credible average lifetime of single crystal silicon under plastic deformation at different temperatures using positron life time spectroscopy. By establishing reasonable positron trapping models with defective correlations and sorting out four lifetime components with multiple parameters, as well as their respective intensities, information is obtained on the positron trapping centers, such as the positron trapping rates of defects, the density of the dislocation lines and correlation between the dislocation lines, and the vacancy defects, by fitting with the average lifetime with the aid of Matlab software. These results give strong grounds for the existence of dislocation-vacancy correlation in plastically deformed silicon, and lay a theoretical foundation for the analysis of positron lifetime spectra when the positron trapping model involves dislocation-related defects.

Photoluminescence and positron annihilation studies on Mg-doped nitrogen-polarity semipolar (101xAF1xAF) GaN heteroepitaxial layers grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onuma, T.; Uedono, A.; Asamizu, H.; Sato, H.; Kaeding, J. F.; Iza, M.; DenBaars, S. P.; Nakamura, S.; Chichibu, S. F.

2010-03-01

The influences of enhanced stacking fault (SF) formation, which is peculiar to nitrogen-(N-) polarity growth and lattice-mismatched semipolar heteroepitaxy, on the electrical properties of (101¯1¯) Mg-doped GaN (GaN:Mg) epilayers were investigated. Although the residual donor concentration was higher than (0001) GaN because of N-polar growth, comparatively low Mg doping (3×1019 cm-3) gave a hole concentration approximately 1.5×1018 cm-3, which was an order of magnitude higher than (0001) GaN:Mg. As the acceptor ionization energy estimated from low temperature photoluminescence was quite similar for (101¯1¯) and (0001) GaN:Mg, the high Mg activation seems to result with the aid of high density SFs. Because the Doppler broadening S parameter for the positron annihilation measurement, which reflects the concentration or size of negatively charged cation vacancies, of (101¯1¯) GaN:Mg was smaller than (0001) case, (101¯1¯) orientation is well suited to Mg-doping.

Dark Matter's secret liaisons: phenomenology of a dark U(1) sector with bound states

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cirelli, Marco; Petraki, Kalliopi; Sala, Filippo

Dark matter (DM) charged under a dark U(1) force appears in many extensions of the Standard Model, and has been invoked to explain anomalies in cosmic-ray data, as well as a self-interacting DM candidate. In this paper, we perform a comprehensive phenomenological analysis of such a model, assuming that the DM abundance arises from the thermal freeze-out of the dark interactions. We include, for the first time, bound-state effects both in the DM production and in the indirect detection signals, and quantify their importance for FERMI, AMS-02, and CMB experiments. We find that DM in the mass range 1 GeVmore » to 100 TeV, annihilating into dark photons of MeV to GeV mass, is in conflict with observations. Instead, DM annihilation into heavier dark photons is viable. We point out that the late decays of multi-GeV dark photons can produce significant entropy and thus dilute the DM density. This can lower considerably the dark coupling needed to obtain the DM abundance, and in turn relax the existing constraints.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Yizhou, E-mail: yliu062@ucr.edu; Yin, Gen; Lake, Roger K., E-mail: rlake@ece.ucr.edu

Single skyrmion creation and annihilation by spin waves in a crossbar geometry are theoretically analyzed. A critical spin-wave frequency is required both for the creation and the annihilation of a skyrmion. The minimum frequencies for creation and annihilation are similar, but the optimum frequency for creation is below the critical frequency for skyrmion annihilation. If a skyrmion already exists in the cross bar region, a spin wave below the critical frequency causes the skyrmion to circulate within the central region. A heat assisted creation process reduces the spin-wave frequency and amplitude required for creating a skyrmion. The effective field resultingmore » from the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and the emergent field of the skyrmion acting on the spin wave drive the creation and annihilation processes.« less

Comparison between photon annihilation-then-creation and photon creation-then-annihilation thermal states: Non-classical and non-Gaussian properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xue-Xiang; Yuan, Hong-Chun; Wang, Yan

2014-07-01

We investigate the nonclassical properties of arbitrary number photon annihilation-then-creation operation (AC) and creation-then-annihilation operation (CA) to the thermal state (TS), whose normalization factors are related to the polylogarithm function. Then we compare their quantum characters, such as photon number distribution, average photon number, Mandel Q-parameter, purity and the Wigner function. Because of the noncommutativity between the annihilation operator and the creation operator, the ACTS and the CATS have different nonclassical properties. It is found that nonclassical properties are exhibited more strongly after AC than after CA. In addition we also examine their non-Gaussianity. The result shows that the ACTS can present a slightly bigger non-Gaussianity than the CATS.

Force Density Function Relationships in 2-D Granular Media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Youngquist, Robert C.; Metzger, Philip T.; Kilts, Kelly N.

2004-01-01

An integral transform relationship is developed to convert between two important probability density functions (distributions) used in the study of contact forces in granular physics. Developing this transform has now made it possible to compare and relate various theoretical approaches with one another and with the experimental data despite the fact that one may predict the Cartesian probability density and another the force magnitude probability density. Also, the transforms identify which functional forms are relevant to describe the probability density observed in nature, and so the modified Bessel function of the second kind has been identified as the relevant form for the Cartesian probability density corresponding to exponential forms in the force magnitude distribution. Furthermore, it is shown that this transform pair supplies a sufficient mathematical framework to describe the evolution of the force magnitude distribution under shearing. Apart from the choice of several coefficients, whose evolution of values must be explained in the physics, this framework successfully reproduces the features of the distribution that are taken to be an indicator of jamming and unjamming in a granular packing. Key words. Granular Physics, Probability Density Functions, Fourier Transforms

A statistical method to estimate low-energy hadronic cross sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balassa, Gábor; Kovács, Péter; Wolf, György

2018-02-01

In this article we propose a model based on the Statistical Bootstrap approach to estimate the cross sections of different hadronic reactions up to a few GeV in c.m.s. energy. The method is based on the idea, when two particles collide a so-called fireball is formed, which after a short time period decays statistically into a specific final state. To calculate the probabilities we use a phase space description extended with quark combinatorial factors and the possibility of more than one fireball formation. In a few simple cases the probability of a specific final state can be calculated analytically, where we show that the model is able to reproduce the ratios of the considered cross sections. We also show that the model is able to describe proton-antiproton annihilation at rest. In the latter case we used a numerical method to calculate the more complicated final state probabilities. Additionally, we examined the formation of strange and charmed mesons as well, where we used existing data to fit the relevant model parameters.

Generation of high-density biskyrmions by electric current

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peng, Licong; Zhang, Ying; He, Min

Much interest has been focused on the manipulation of magnetic skyrmions, including the generation, annihilation, and motion behaviors, for potential applications in spintronics. We experimentally demonstrate that a high-density Bloch-type biskyrmion lattice in MnNiGa can be generated by applying electric current. It is revealed that the density of biskyrmions can be remarkably increased by increasing the electric current, in contrast to the scattered biskyrmions induced by a magnetic field alone. Furthermore, the transition from the ferromagnetic state to the stripe domain structure can be terminated by the electric current, leading to the biskyrmions dominated residual domain pattern. These biskyrmions inmore » such residual domain structure are extremely stable at zero magnetic and electric fields and can further evolve into the high-density biskyrmion lattice over a temperature range from 100 to 330 K. Finally, our experimental findings open up a new pathway for the generation of skyrmion lattice by electric current manipulation.« less

Generation of high-density biskyrmions by electric current

DOE PAGES

Peng, Licong; Zhang, Ying; He, Min; ...

2017-06-16

Much interest has been focused on the manipulation of magnetic skyrmions, including the generation, annihilation, and motion behaviors, for potential applications in spintronics. We experimentally demonstrate that a high-density Bloch-type biskyrmion lattice in MnNiGa can be generated by applying electric current. It is revealed that the density of biskyrmions can be remarkably increased by increasing the electric current, in contrast to the scattered biskyrmions induced by a magnetic field alone. Furthermore, the transition from the ferromagnetic state to the stripe domain structure can be terminated by the electric current, leading to the biskyrmions dominated residual domain pattern. These biskyrmions inmore » such residual domain structure are extremely stable at zero magnetic and electric fields and can further evolve into the high-density biskyrmion lattice over a temperature range from 100 to 330 K. Finally, our experimental findings open up a new pathway for the generation of skyrmion lattice by electric current manipulation.« less

Application of the weighted-density approximation to the accurate description of electron-positron correlation effects in materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callewaert, Vincent; Saniz, Rolando; Barbiellini, Bernardo; Bansil, Arun; Partoens, Bart

2017-08-01

We discuss positron-annihilation lifetimes for a set of illustrative bulk materials within the framework of the weighted-density approximation (WDA). The WDA can correctly describe electron-positron correlations in strongly inhomogeneous systems, such as surfaces, where the applicability of (semi-)local approximations is limited. We analyze the WDA in detail and show that the electrons which cannot screen external charges efficiently, such as the core electrons, cannot be treated accurately via the pair correlation of the homogeneous electron gas. We discuss how this problem can be addressed by reducing the screening in the homogeneous electron gas by adding terms depending on the gradient of the electron density. Further improvements are obtained when core electrons are treated within the LDA and the valence electron using the WDA. Finally, we discuss a semiempirical WDA-based approach in which a sum rule is imposed to reproduce the experimental lifetimes.

Spectra from pair-equilibrium plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zdziarski, A. A.

1984-01-01

A numerical model of relativistic nonmagnetized plasma with uniform temperature and electron density distributions is considered, and spectra from plasma in pair equilibrium are studied. A range of dimensionless temperature (T) greater than about 0.2 is considered. The spectra from low pair density plasmas in pair equilibrium vary from un-Comptonized bremsstrahlung spectra at Thomson cross section tau(N) much less than one to Comptonized bremsstrahlung spectra with tau(N) over one. For high pair density plasmas the spectra are flat for T greater than about one, and have broad intensity peaks at energy roughly equal to 3T for T less than one. In the latter region the total luminosity is approximately twice the annihilation luminosity. All spectra are flat in the X-ray region, in contradiction to observed AGN spectra. For dimensionless luminosity greater than about 100, the cooling time becomes shorter than the Thomson time.

Red-light-controllable liquid-crystal soft actuators via low-power excited upconversion based on triplet-triplet annihilation.

PubMed

Jiang, Zhen; Xu, Ming; Li, Fuyou; Yu, Yanlei

2013-11-06

A red-light-controllable soft actuator has been achieved, driven by low-power excited triplet-triplet annihilation-based upconversion luminescence (TTA-UCL). First, a red-to-blue TTA-based upconversion system with a high absolute quantum yield of 9.3 ± 0.5% was prepared by utilizing platinum(II) tetraphenyltetrabenzoporphyrin (PtTPBP) as the sensitizer and 9,10-bis(diphenylphosphoryl)anthracene (BDPPA) as the annihilator. In order to be employed as a highly effective phototrigger of photodeformable cross-linked liquid-crystal polymers (CLCPs), the PtTPBP&BDPPA system was incorporated into a rubbery polyurethane film and then assembled with an azotolane-containing CLCP film. The generating assembly film bent toward the light source when irradiated with a 635 nm laser at low power density of 200 mW cm(-2) because the TTA-UCL was effectively utilized by the azotolane moieties in the CLCP film, inducing their trans-cis photoisomerization and an alignment change of the mesogens via an emission-reabsorption process. It is the first example of a soft actuator in which the TTA-UCL is trapped and utilized to create photomechanical effect. Such advantages of using this novel red-light-controllable soft actuator in potential biological applications have also been demonstrated as negligible thermal effect and its excellent penetration ability into tissues. This work not only provides a novel photomanipulated soft actuation material system based on the TTA-UCL technology but also introduces a new technological application of the TTA-based upconversion system in photonic devices.

An Experiment to Demonstrate the Energy Broadening of Annihilation Gamma Rays

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ouseph, P. J.; DuBard, James L.

1978-01-01

Shows that when positions annihilate in solid materials the energy distribution of the annihilation gamma rays is much broader than that of a 0.511-Mev gamma peak. This broadening is caused by the momentum distribution of the electrons in the material. (Author/GA)

Dark matter detection in supersymmetric models with non-universal gaugino masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Eun-Kyung

SUSY is one of the most promising new physics ideas, and will soon be tested at high energy accelerators like the CERN LHC. Moreover SUSY provides a good candidate for cold dark matter (CDM). In this dissertation, we investigated phenomenology of SUSY models with non-universal gaugino masses (NUGM) at colliding experiments using event generators such as ISAJET and examined direct and indirect detection rates of relic neutralino CDM in the universe. The motivation of these models is that in most of mSUGRA parameter space, the relic density WZ1˜ h2 is considerably larger than the WMAP measurement, and it is well known that if non-universal gaugino masses are allowed, then qualitatively new possibilities arise that are not realized in the mSUGRA model. Our first NUGM attempt is to allow a mixed wino-bino lightest SUSY particle (LSP) by lowering SU(2) gaugino mass M2 at the weak scale from its mSUGRA value while keeping the hypercharge gaugino mass M1 fixed (Mixed Wino Dark Matter). In this model, wino-like Z˜1 with sufficiently low M2 compared to M1 enhances Z˜1Z˜ 1 → W+1W-1 annihilations to reach the WMAP measured relic density. The second attempt is study on the NUGM model with different signs of M 1 and M2 (Bino-Wino Co-Annihilation Scenario). In this case, there is little mixing, so that Z˜1 remains nearly a pure bino or a pure wino. By increasing M1 ≃ M 2, enhanced bino-wino co-annihilation can achieve the relic neutralino abundance. The final attempt of NUGM models is lowering the SU(3) gaugino mass to diminish the effect of the large top quark Yukawa coupling in the running of the higgs mass, so that the value of superpotential mu parameter gets efficiently low to give rise to mixed higgsino dark matter (Mixed Higgsino Dark Matter). Consequences of these NUGM model studies show us that relaxing universality of gaugino masses in SUSY models leads to enhanced direct and indirect dark matter detection rates and reduced mZ2˜-m Z1˜ mass gap so that the LHC and ILC can distinguish each NUGM model from others. Finally, we found that models with well-tempered neutralinos, where the composition of the neutralino is adjusted to give observed relic density, yield target cross sections which are detectable at proposed experiments.

Statistical tests for whether a given set of independent, identically distributed draws comes from a specified probability density.

PubMed

Tygert, Mark

2010-09-21

We discuss several tests for determining whether a given set of independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) draws does not come from a specified probability density function. The most commonly used are Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, particularly Kuiper's variant, which focus on discrepancies between the cumulative distribution function for the specified probability density and the empirical cumulative distribution function for the given set of i.i.d. draws. Unfortunately, variations in the probability density function often get smoothed over in the cumulative distribution function, making it difficult to detect discrepancies in regions where the probability density is small in comparison with its values in surrounding regions. We discuss tests without this deficiency, complementing the classical methods. The tests of the present paper are based on the plain fact that it is unlikely to draw a random number whose probability is small, provided that the draw is taken from the same distribution used in calculating the probability (thus, if we draw a random number whose probability is small, then we can be confident that we did not draw the number from the same distribution used in calculating the probability).

Maximum likelihood estimation for predicting the probability of obtaining variable shortleaf pine regeneration densities

Treesearch

Thomas B. Lynch; Jean Nkouka; Michael M. Huebschmann; James M. Guldin

2003-01-01

A logistic equation is the basis for a model that predicts the probability of obtaining regeneration at specified densities. The density of regeneration (trees/ha) for which an estimate of probability is desired can be specified by means of independent variables in the model. When estimating parameters, the dependent variable is set to 1 if the regeneration density (...

J/Ψ resonant formation and mass measurement in antiproton-proton annihilations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baglin, C.; Bassompierre, G.; Brient, J. C.; Broll, C.; Bussiere, A.; Guillaud, J. P.; Morch, C.; Poulet, M.; Baird, S.; Khan-Aronsen, E.; Leistam, L.; Lundby, A.; Mouellic, B.; Poole, J.; Buzzo, A.; Ferroni, S.; Gracco, V.; Macri', M.; Mattera, L.; Pia, M. G.; Pozzo, A.; Santroni, A.; Tomasini, F.; Valbusa, U.; Burq, J. P.; Chemarin, M.; Chevallier, M.; Fay, J.; Ille, B.; Lambert, M.; Bugge, L.; Buran, T.; Kirsebom, K.; Skjevling, G.; Stapnes, S.; Stugu, B.; Petrillo, L.; Severi, M.; Brom, J. M.; Escoubes, B.; Biino, C.; Borreani, G.; Cester, R.; Marchetto, F.; Menichetti, E.; Pastrone, N.; Rinaudo, G.

Experiment R704, the last to be performed at the CERN-ISR, has successfully applied a new method to study ( overlinecc ) states formed directly in antiproton-proton annihilations. The novelty of the method rests on the capability to build a highly performing annihilation source by letting a cold

Constraining antimatter domains in the early universe with big bang nucleosynthesis.

PubMed

Kurki-Suonio, H; Sihvola, E

2000-04-24

We consider the effect of a small-scale matter-antimatter domain structure on big bang nucleosynthesis and place upper limits on the amount of antimatter in the early universe. For small domains, which annihilate before nucleosynthesis, this limit comes from underproduction of 4He. For larger domains, the limit comes from 3He overproduction. Since most of the 3He from &pmacr; 4He annihilation are themselves annihilated, the main source of primordial 3He is the photodisintegration of 4He by the electromagnetic cascades initiated by the annihilation.

Indirect dark matter signatures in the cosmic dark ages. I. Generalizing the bound on s -wave dark matter annihilation from Planck results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slatyer, Tracy R.

2016-01-01

Recent measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies by Planck provide a sensitive probe of dark matter annihilation during the cosmic dark ages, and specifically constrain the annihilation parameter feff⟨σ v ⟩/mχ. Using new results (paper II) for the ionization produced by particles injected at arbitrary energies, we calculate and provide feff values for photons and e+e- pairs injected at keV-TeV energies; the feff value for any dark matter model can be obtained straightforwardly by weighting these results by the spectrum of annihilation products. This result allows the sensitive and robust constraints on dark matter annihilation presented by the Planck collaboration to be applied to arbitrary dark matter models with s -wave annihilation. We demonstrate the validity of this approach using principal component analysis. As an example, we integrate over the spectrum of annihilation products for a range of Standard Model final states to determine the CMB bounds on these models as a function of dark matter mass, and demonstrate that the new limits generically exclude models proposed to explain the observed high-energy rise in the cosmic ray positron fraction. We make our results publicly available at http://nebel.rc.fas.harvard.edu/epsilon.

Dispersion and interaction of graphene oxide in amorphous and semi-crystalline nano-composites: a PALS study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maurer, Frans H. J.; Arza, Carlos R.

2015-06-01

The influence of dispersion and interaction of Graphene Oxide (GO) in semicrystalline Polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB) and glassy amorphous Poly(tBP-oda) is explored by Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS). The ortho-Positronium lifetimes which represent the main free volume hole size of both polymers are mainly affected by the large differences in internal stresses built up by the shrinkage of the polymers during their preparation, restricted by the platelet structure of GO. The ortho-Positronium intensities, which represent the ortho-Positronium formation probabilities, suggest a strong dependency of on the dispersion of the nano-particles and their aspect ratio.

Series approximation to probability densities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, L.

2018-04-01

One of the historical and fundamental uses of the Edgeworth and Gram-Charlier series is to "correct" a Gaussian density when it is determined that the probability density under consideration has moments that do not correspond to the Gaussian [5, 6]. There is a fundamental difficulty with these methods in that if the series are truncated, then the resulting approximate density is not manifestly positive. The aim of this paper is to attempt to expand a probability density so that if it is truncated it will still be manifestly positive.

Observation of a stationary, current-free double layer in a plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hairapetian, G.; Stenzel, R. L.

1990-01-01

A stationary, current-free, potential double layer is formed in a two-electron-population plasma due to self-consistent separation of the two electron species. The position and amplitude of the double layer are controlled by the relative densities of the two electron populations. The steady-state double layer traps the colder electrons on the high potential side, and generates a neutralized, monoenergetic ion beam on the low potential side. The field-aligned double layer is annihilated when an electron current is drawn through the plasma.

Alcohol Dehydration on Monooxo W=O and Dioxo O=W=O Species

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Zhenjun; Smid, Bretislav; Kim, Yu Kwon

2012-08-16

The dehydration of 1-propanol on nanoporous WO3 films prepared via ballistic deposition at ~20 K has been investigated using temperature programmed desorption, infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory. The as deposited films are extremely efficient in 1-propanol dehydration to propene. This activity is correlated with the presence of dioxo O=W=O groups while monooxo W=O species are shown to be inactive. Annealing of the film induces densification that results in the loss of catalytic activity due to annihilation O=W=O species.

High efficiency and brightness fluorescent organic light emitting diode by triplet-triplet fusion

DOEpatents

Forrest, Stephen; Zhang, Yifan

2015-02-10

A first device is provided. The first device further comprises an organic light emitting device. The organic light emitting device further comprises an anode, a cathode, and an emissive layer disposed between the anode and the cathode. The emissive layer may include an organic host compound and at least one organic emitting compound capable of fluorescent emission at room temperature. Various configurations are described for providing a range of current densities in which T-T fusion dominates over S-T annihilation, leading to very high efficiency fluorescent OLEDs.

RF Manipulation and Detection of Protons in the High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, James J.; Lewis, Raymond A.; Pearson, J. Boise; Sims, W. Herb; Chakrabarti, Suman; Fant, Wallace E.; McDonald, Stan

2003-01-01

The significant energy density of matter-antimatter annihilation is attractive to the designers of future space propulsion systems, with the potential to offer a highly compact source of power. Many propulsion concepts exist that could take advantage of matter-antimatter reactions, and current antiproton production rates are sufficient to support basic proof-of-principle evaluation of technology associated with antimatter-derived propulsion. One enabling technology for such experiments is portable storage of low energy antiprotons, allowing antiprotons to be trapped, stored, and transported for use at an experimental facility.

Positron Annihilation Ratio Spectroscopy (PsARS) Applied to Positronium Formation Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

POSITRON ANNIHILATION RATIO SPECTROSCOPY (PsARS) APPLIED TO POSITRONIUM FORMATION STUDIES THESIS...AFIT/GNE/ENP/10-M07 POSITRON ANNIHILATION RATIO SPECTROSCOPY (PsARS) APPLIED TO POSITRONIUM FORMATION STUDIES ...lifetime studies in local electric field experiments. High local electric fields can polarize a positron -electron pair, which may result in an extended

Zero-range effective field theory for resonant wino dark matter. Part III. Annihilation effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braaten, Eric; Johnson, Evan; Zhang, Hong

2018-05-01

Near a critical value of the wino mass where there is a zero-energy S-wave resonance at the neutral-wino-pair threshold, low-energy winos can be described by a zero-range effective field theory (ZREFT) in which the winos interact nonperturbatively through a contact interaction and through Coulomb interactions. The effects of wino-pair annihilation into electroweak gauge bosons are taken into account through the analytic continuation of the real parameters for the contact interaction to complex values. The parameters of ZREFT can be determined by matching wino-wino scattering amplitudes calculated by solving the Schrödinger equation for winos interacting through a real potential due to the exchange of electroweak gauge bosons and an imaginary potential due to wino-pair annihilation into electroweak gauge bosons. ZREFT at leading order gives an accurate analytic description of low-energy wino-wino scattering, inclusive wino-pair annihilation, and a wino-pair bound state. ZREFT can also be applied to partial annihilation rates, such as the Sommerfeld enhancement of the annihilation rate of wino pairs into monochromatic photons.

Impact of Sommerfeld enhancement on helium reionization via WIMP dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandyopadhyay, Bidisha; Schleicher, Dominik R. G.

2018-03-01

Dark matter annihilation can have a strong impact on many astrophysical processes in the Universe. In the case of Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation cross sections, the annihilation rates are enhanced at late times, thus enhancing the potential annihilation signatures. We here calculate the Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation signatures during the epoch of helium reionization, the epoch where helium becomes fully ionized due to energetic photons. When considering the upper limits on the energy injection from the CMB, we find that the resulting abundance of He++ becomes independent of the dark matter particle mass. The resulting enhancement compared to a standard scenario is thus 1-2 orders of magnitude higher. For realistic scenarios compatible with CMB constraints, there is no significant shift in the epoch of helium reionization, which is completed between redshifts 3 and 4. While it is thus difficult to disentangle dark matter annihilation from astrophysical contributions (active galactic nuclei), a potential detection of dark matter particles and its interactions using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) would allow one to quantify the dark matter contribution.

Positron emission tomography wrist detector

DOEpatents

Schlyer, David J.; O'Connor, Paul; Woody, Craig; Junnarkar, Sachin Shrirang; Radeka, Veljko; Vaska, Paul; Pratte, Jean-Francois

2006-08-15

A method of serially transferring annihilation information in a compact positron emission tomography (PET) scanner includes generating a time signal representing a time-of-occurrence of an annihilation event, generating an address signal representing a channel detecting the annihilation event, and generating a channel signal including the time and address signals. The method also includes generating a composite signal including the channel signal and another similarly generated channel signal concerning another annihilation event. An apparatus that serially transfers annihilation information includes a time signal generator, address signal generator, channel signal generator, and composite signal generator. The time signal is asynchronous and the address signal is synchronous to a clock signal. A PET scanner includes a scintillation array, detection array, front-end array, and a serial encoder. The serial encoders include the time signal generator, address signal generator, channel signal generator, and composite signal generator.

Predicting critical transitions in dynamical systems from time series using nonstationary probability density modeling.

PubMed

Kwasniok, Frank

2013-11-01

A time series analysis method for predicting the probability density of a dynamical system is proposed. A nonstationary parametric model of the probability density is estimated from data within a maximum likelihood framework and then extrapolated to forecast the future probability density and explore the system for critical transitions or tipping points. A full systematic account of parameter uncertainty is taken. The technique is generic, independent of the underlying dynamics of the system. The method is verified on simulated data and then applied to prediction of Arctic sea-ice extent.

A study of fast ionic conductors by positron annihilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yung-Yu; Yang, Ju-Hua; Pan, Xiao-Liang; Lei, Zhen-Xi

1988-06-01

New fast ionic conductor systems of LiCl-LiF-B2O3 and LiF-B2O3 were studied by using the positron annihilation technique. It was found that the mid-life intensity I2 in positron annihilation has a linear relationship with the material's electrical conductivity log sigma. This result, combined with the measurement result on the linear annihilation parameter, indicated that the voids between microcrystals and network phases provided more transfer paths in the micro-crystalline LiF-LiCl-B2O3 system, which led to improved electrical conductivity in this type of material.

Simplified models of dark matter with a long-lived co-annihilation partner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khoze, Valentin V.; Plascencia, Alexis D.; Sakurai, Kazuki

2017-06-01

We introduce a new set of simplified models to address the effects of 3-point interactions between the dark matter particle, its dark co-annihilation partner, and the Standard Model degree of freedom, which we take to be the tau lepton. The contributions from dark matter co-annihilation channels are highly relevant for a determination of the correct relic abundance. We investigate these effects as well as the discovery potential for dark matter co-annihilation partners at the LHC. A small mass splitting between the dark matter and its partner is preferred by the co-annihilation mechanism and suggests that the co-annihilation partners may be long-lived (stable or meta-stable) at collider scales. It is argued that such long-lived electrically charged particles can be looked for at the LHC in searches of anomalous charged tracks. This approach and the underlying models provide an alternative/complementarity to the mono-jet and multi-jet based dark matter searches widely used in the context of simplified models with s-channel mediators. We consider four types of simplified models with different particle spins and coupling structures. Some of these models are manifestly gauge invariant and renormalizable, others would ultimately require a UV completion. These can be realised in terms of supersymmetric models in the neutralino-stau co-annihilation regime, as well as models with extra dimensions or composite models.

Annealing behavior of the EB-centers and M-center in low-energy electron irradiated n-type 4H-SiC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyer, F. C.; Hemmingsson, C.; Pedersen, H.; Henry, A.; Janzén, E.; Isoya, J.; Morishita, N.; Ohshima, T.

2011-05-01

After low-energy electron irradiation of epitaxial n-type 4H-SiC with a dose of 5×1016 cm-2, the bistable M-center, previously reported in high-energy proton implanted 4H-SiC, is detected in the deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) spectrum. The annealing behavior of the M-center is confirmed, and an enhanced recombination process is suggested. The annihilation process is coincidental with the evolvement of the bistable EB-centers in the low temperature range of the DLTS spectrum. The annealing energy of the M-center is similar to the generation energy of the EB-centers, thus partial transformation of the M-center to the EB-centers is suggested. The EB-centers completely disappeared after annealing temperatures higher than 700 ∘C without the formation of new defects in the observed DLTS scanning range. The threshold energy for moving Si atom in SiC is higher than the applied irradiation energy, and the annihilation temperatures are relatively low, therefore the M-center, EH1 and EH3, as well as the EB-centers are attributed to defects related to the C atom in SiC, most probably to carbon interstitials and their complexes.

films on silicon at different annealing temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yan; Zhou, Chunlan; Zhang, Xiang; Zhang, Peng; Dou, Yanan; Wang, Wenjing; Cao, Xingzhong; Wang, Baoyi; Tang, Yehua; Zhou, Su

2013-03-01

Thermal atomic layer-deposited (ALD) aluminum oxide (Al2O3) acquires high negative fixed charge density ( Q f) and sufficiently low interface trap density after annealing, which enables excellent surface passivation for crystalline silicon. Q f can be controlled by varying the annealing temperatures. In this study, the effect of the annealing temperature of thermal ALD Al2O3 films on p-type Czochralski silicon wafers was investigated. Corona charging measurements revealed that the Q f obtained at 300°C did not significantly affect passivation. The interface-trapping density markedly increased at high annealing temperature (>600°C) and degraded the surface passivation even at a high Q f. Negatively charged or neutral vacancies were found in the samples annealed at 300°C, 500°C, and 750°C using positron annihilation techniques. The Al defect density in the bulk film and the vacancy density near the SiO x /Si interface region decreased with increased temperature. Measurement results of Q f proved that the Al vacancy of the bulk film may not be related to Q f. The defect density in the SiO x region affected the chemical passivation, but other factors may dominantly influence chemical passivation at 750°C.

The Antiproton-Nucleon Annihilation Process (Antiproton Collaboration Experiment)

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Barkas, W. H.; Birge, R. W.; Chupp, W. W.; Ekspong, A. G.; Goldhaber, G.; Goldhaber, S.; Heckman, H. H.; Perkins, D. H.; Sandweiss, J.; Segre, E.; Smith, F. M.; Stork, D. H.; Rossum, L. Van; Amaldi, E.; Baroni, G.; Castagnoli, C.; Franzinetti, C.; Manfredini, A.

1956-09-10

In the exposure to a 700-MeV/c negative particle beam, 35 antiproton stars have been found. Of these antiprotons, 21 annihilate in flight and three give large-angle scatters ({Theta} > 15 , T{sub P-} > 50 Mev), while 14 annihilate at rest. From the interactions in flight we obtain the total cross section for antiproton interaction.

Monte Carlo investigation of positron annihilation in medical positron emission tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chin, P. W.; Spyrou, N. M.

2007-09-01

A number of Monte Carlo codes are available for simulating positron emission tomography (PET), however, physics approximations differ. A number of radiation processes are deemed negligible, some without rigorous investigation. Some PET literature quantify approximations to be valid, without citing the data source. The radiation source is the first step in Monte Carlo simulations, for some codes this is 511 keV photons 180° apart, not polyenergetic positrons with radiation histories of their own. Without prior assumptions, we investigated electron-positron annihilation under clinical PET conditions. Just before annihilation, we tallied the positron energy and position. Right after annihilation, we tallied the energy and separation angle of photon pairs. When comparing PET textbooks with theory, PENELOPE and EGSnrc, only the latter three agreed. From 10 6 radiation histories, a positron source of 15O in a chest phantom annihilated at as high as 1.58 MeV, producing photons with energies 0.30-2.20 MeV, 79-180° apart. From 10 6 radiation histories, an 18F positron source in a head phantom annihilated at energies as high as 0.56 MeV, producing 0.33-1.18 MeV photons 109-180° apart. 2.5% and 0.8% annihilation events occurred inflight in the chest and the head phantoms, respectively. PET textbooks typically either do not mention any deviation from 180°, or state a deviation of 0.25° or 0.5°. Our findings are founded on the well-established Heitler cross-sections and relativistic kinematics, both adopted unanimously by PENELOPE, EGSnrc and GEANT4. Our results highlight the effects of annihilation in-flight, a process sometimes forgotten within the PET community.

The 21 cm signal and the interplay between dark matter annihilations and astrophysical processes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lopez-Honorez, Laura; Mena, Olga; Moliné, Ángeles

2016-08-01

Future dedicated radio interferometers, including HERA and SKA, are very promising tools that aim to study the epoch of reionization and beyond via measurements of the 21 cm signal from neutral hydrogen. Dark matter (DM) annihilations into charged particles change the thermal history of the Universe and, as a consequence, affect the 21 cm signal. Accurately predicting the effect of DM strongly relies on the modeling of annihilations inside halos. In this work, we use up-to-date computations of the energy deposition rates by the products from DM annihilations, a proper treatment of the contribution from DM annihilations in halos, asmore » well as values of the annihilation cross section allowed by the most recent cosmological measurements from the Planck satellite. Given current uncertainties on the description of the astrophysical processes driving the epochs of reionization, X-ray heating and Lyman-α pumping, we find that disentangling DM signatures from purely astrophysical effects, related to early-time star formation processes or late-time galaxy X-ray emissions, will be a challenging task. We conclude that only annihilations of DM particles with masses of ∼100 MeV, could leave an unambiguous imprint on the 21 cm signal and, in particular, on the 21 cm power spectrum. This is in contrast to previous, more optimistic results in the literature, which have claimed that strong signatures might also be present even for much higher DM masses. Additional measurements of the 21 cm signal at different cosmic epochs will be crucial in order to break the strong parameter degeneracies between DM annihilations and astrophysical effects and undoubtedly single out a DM imprint for masses different from ∼100 MeV.« less

The precise time course of lexical activation: MEG measurements of the effects of frequency, probability, and density in lexical decision.

PubMed

Stockall, Linnaea; Stringfellow, Andrew; Marantz, Alec

2004-01-01

Visually presented letter strings consistently yield three MEG response components: the M170, associated with letter-string processing (Tarkiainen, Helenius, Hansen, Cornelissen, & Salmelin, 1999); the M250, affected by phonotactic probability, (Pylkkänen, Stringfellow, & Marantz, 2002); and the M350, responsive to lexical frequency (Embick, Hackl, Schaeffer, Kelepir, & Marantz, 2001). Pylkkänen et al. found evidence that the M350 reflects lexical activation prior to competition among phonologically similar words. We investigate the effects of lexical and sublexical frequency and neighborhood density on the M250 and M350 through orthogonal manipulation of phonotactic probability, density, and frequency. The results confirm that probability but not density affects the latency of the M250 and M350; however, an interaction between probability and density on M350 latencies suggests an earlier influence of neighborhoods than previously reported.

Measurement of antiproton annihilation on Cu, Ag and Au with emulsion films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aghion, S.; Amsler, C.; Ariga, A.; Ariga, T.; Bonomi, G.; Bräunig, P.; Brusa, R. S.; Cabaret, L.; Caccia, M.; Caravita, R.; Castelli, F.; Cerchiari, G.; Comparat, D.; Consolati, G.; Demetrio, A.; Di Noto, L.; Doser, M.; Ereditato, A.; Evans, C.; Ferragut, R.; Fesel, J.; Fontana, A.; Gerber, S.; Giammarchi, M.; Gligorova, A.; Guatieri, F.; Haider, S.; Hinterberger, A.; Holmestad, H.; Huse, T.; Kawada, J.; Kellerbauer, A.; Kimura, M.; Krasnický, D.; Lagomarsino, V.; Lansonneur, P.; Lebrun, P.; Malbrunot, C.; Mariazzi, S.; Matveev, V.; Mazzotta, Z.; Müller, S. R.; Nebbia, G.; Nedelec, P.; Oberthaler, M.; Pacifico, N.; Pagano, D.; Penasa, L.; Petracek, V.; Pistillo, C.; Prelz, F.; Prevedelli, M.; Ravelli, L.; Rienaecker, B.; RØhne, O. M.; Rotondi, A.; Sacerdoti, M.; Sandaker, H.; Santoro, R.; Scampoli, P.; Simon, M.; Smestad, L.; Sorrentino, F.; Testera, G.; Tietje, I. C.; Vamosi, S.; Vladymyrov, M.; Widmann, E.; Yzombard, P.; Zimmer, C.; Zmeskal, J.; Zurlo, N.

2017-04-01

The characteristics of low energy antiproton annihilations on nuclei (e.g. hadronization and product multiplicities) are not well known, and Monte Carlo simulation packages that use different models provide different descriptions of the annihilation events. In this study, we measured the particle multiplicities resulting from antiproton annihilations on nuclei. The results were compared with predictions obtained using different models in the simulation tools GEANT4 and FLUKA. For this study, we exposed thin targets (Cu, Ag and Au) to a very low energy antiproton beam from CERN's Antiproton Decelerator, exploiting the secondary beamline available in the AEgIS experimental zone. The antiproton annihilation products were detected using emulsion films developed at the Laboratory of High Energy Physics in Bern, where they were analysed at the automatic microscope facility. The fragment multiplicity measured in this study is in good agreement with results obtained with FLUKA simulations for both minimally and heavily ionizing particles.

Identification of vacancy defect complexes in transparent semiconducting oxides ZnO, In2O3 and SnO2.

PubMed

Makkonen, Ilja; Korhonen, Esa; Prozheeva, Vera; Tuomisto, Filip

2016-06-08

Positron annihilation spectroscopy, when combined with supporting high-quality modeling of positron states and annihilation in matter, is a powerful tool for detailed defect identification of vacancy-type defects in semiconductors and oxides. Here we demonstrate that the Doppler broadening of the positron annihilation radiation is a very sensitive means for observing the oxygen environment around cation vacancies, the main open-volume defects trapping positrons in measurements made for transparent semiconducting oxides. Changes in the positron annihilation signal due to external manipulation such as irradiation and annealing can be correlated with the associated changes in the sizes of the detected vacancy clusters. Our examples for ZnO, In2O3 and SnO2 demonstrate that oxygen vacancies in oxides can be detected directly using positron annihilation spectroscopy when they are complexed with cation vacancies.

Identification of vacancy defect complexes in transparent semiconducting oxides ZnO, In2O3 and SnO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makkonen, Ilja; Korhonen, Esa; Prozheeva, Vera; Tuomisto, Filip

2016-06-01

Positron annihilation spectroscopy, when combined with supporting high-quality modeling of positron states and annihilation in matter, is a powerful tool for detailed defect identification of vacancy-type defects in semiconductors and oxides. Here we demonstrate that the Doppler broadening of the positron annihilation radiation is a very sensitive means for observing the oxygen environment around cation vacancies, the main open-volume defects trapping positrons in measurements made for transparent semiconducting oxides. Changes in the positron annihilation signal due to external manipulation such as irradiation and annealing can be correlated with the associated changes in the sizes of the detected vacancy clusters. Our examples for ZnO, In2O3 and SnO2 demonstrate that oxygen vacancies in oxides can be detected directly using positron annihilation spectroscopy when they are complexed with cation vacancies.

Digitized detection of gamma-ray signals concentrated in narrow time windows for transient positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinomura, A.; Suzuki, R.; Oshima, N.; O'Rourke, B. E.; Nishijima, T.; Ogawa, H.

2014-12-01

A pulsed slow-positron beam generated by an electron linear accelerator was directly used for positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy without any positron storage devices. A waveform digitizer was introduced to simultaneously capture multiple gamma-ray signals originating from positron annihilation events during a single accelerator pulse. The positron pulse was chopped and bunched with the chopper signals also sent to the waveform digitizer. Time differences between the annihilation gamma-ray and chopper peaks were calculated and accumulated as lifetime spectra in a computer. The developed technique indicated that positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy can be performed in a 20 μs time window at a pulse repetition rate synchronous with the linear accelerator. Lifetime spectra of a Kapton sheet and a thermally grown SiO2 layer on Si were successfully measured. Synchronization of positron lifetime measurements with pulsed ion irradiation was demonstrated by this technique.

Magnetic Field Effects on Triplet-Triplet Annihilation in Solutions: Modulation of Visible/NIR Luminescence.

PubMed

Mani, Tomoyasu; Vinogradov, Sergei A

2013-08-06

Photon upconversion based on sensitized triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) presents interest for such areas as photovoltaics and imaging. Usually energy upconversion is observed as p -type delayed fluorescence from molecules whose triplet states are populated via energy transfer from a suitable triplet donor, followed by TTA. Magnetic field effects (MFE) on delayed fluorescence in molecular crystals are well known; however, there exist only a few examples of MFE on TTA in solutions, and all of them are limited to UV-emitting materials. Here we present MFE on TTA-mediated visible and near infrared (NIR) emission, sensitized by far-red absorbing metalloporphyrins in solutions at room temperature. In addition to visible delayed fluorescence from annihilator, we also observed NIR emission from the sensitizer, occurring as a result of triplet-triplet energy transfer back from annihilator, termed "delayed phosphorescence". This emission also exhibits MFE, but opposite in sign to the annihilator fluorescence.

Estimating loblolly pine size-density trajectories across a range of planting densities

Treesearch

Curtis L. VanderSchaaf; Harold E. Burkhart

2013-01-01

Size-density trajectories on the logarithmic (ln) scale are generally thought to consist of two major stages. The first is often referred to as the density-independent mortality stage where the probability of mortality is independent of stand density; in the second, often referred to as the density-dependent mortality or self-thinning stage, the probability of...

The Effect of Incremental Changes in Phonotactic Probability and Neighborhood Density on Word Learning by Preschool Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storkel, Holly L.; Bontempo, Daniel E.; Aschenbrenner, Andrew J.; Maekawa, Junko; Lee, Su-Yeon

2013-01-01

Purpose: Phonotactic probability or neighborhood density has predominately been defined through the use of gross distinctions (i.e., low vs. high). In the current studies, the authors examined the influence of finer changes in probability (Experiment 1) and density (Experiment 2) on word learning. Method: The authors examined the full range of…

Gamma-Ray background spectrum and annihilation rate in the baryon-symmetric big-bang cosmology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Puget, J. L.

1973-01-01

An attempt was made to extract experimental data on baryon symmetry by observing annihilation products. Specifically, gamma rays and neutrons with long mean free paths were analyzed. Data cover absorption cross sections and radiation background of the 0.511 MeV gamma rays from positron annihilations and the 70 MeV gamma rays from neutral pion decay.

Limits on a Muon Flux from Neutralino Annihilations in the Sun with the IceCube 22-String Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbasi, R.; Abdou, Y.; Ackermann, M.; Adams, J.; Ahlers, M.; Andeen, K.; Auffenberg, J.; Bai, X.; Baker, M.; Barwick, S. W.; Bay, R.; Bazo Alba, J. L.; Beattie, K.; Beatty, J. J.; Bechet, S.; Becker, J. K.; Becker, K.-H.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berdermann, J.; Berghaus, P.; Berley, D.; Bernardini, E.; Bertrand, D.; Besson, D. Z.; Bissok, M.; Blaufuss, E.; Boersma, D. J.; Bohm, C.; Bolmont, J.; Böser, S.; Botner, O.; Bradley, L.; Braun, J.; Breder, D.; Burgess, T.; Castermans, T.; Chirkin, D.; Christy, B.; Clem, J.; Cohen, S.; Cowen, D. F.; D'Agostino, M. V.; Danninger, M.; Day, C. T.; de Clercq, C.; Demirörs, L.; Depaepe, O.; Descamps, F.; Desiati, P.; de Vries-Uiterweerd, G.; De Young, T.; Diaz-Velez, J. C.; Dreyer, J.; Dumm, J. P.; Duvoort, M. R.; Edwards, W. R.; Ehrlich, R.; Eisch, J.; Ellsworth, R. W.; Engdegård, O.; Euler, S.; Evenson, P. A.; Fadiran, O.; Fazely, A. R.; Feusels, T.; Filimonov, K.; Finley, C.; Foerster, M. M.; Fox, B. D.; Franckowiak, A.; Franke, R.; Gaisser, T. K.; Gallagher, J.; Ganugapati, R.; Gerhardt, L.; Gladstone, L.; Goldschmidt, A.; Goodman, J. A.; Gozzini, R.; Grant, D.; Griesel, T.; Groß, A.; Grullon, S.; Gunasingha, R. M.; Gurtner, M.; Ha, C.; Hallgren, A.; Halzen, F.; Han, K.; Hanson, K.; Hasegawa, Y.; Heise, J.; Helbing, K.; Herquet, P.; Hickford, S.; Hill, G. C.; Hoffman, K. D.; Hoshina, K.; Hubert, D.; Huelsnitz, W.; Hülß, J.-P.; Hulth, P. O.; Hultqvist, K.; Hussain, S.; Imlay, R. L.; Inaba, M.; Ishihara, A.; Jacobsen, J.; Japaridze, G. S.; Johansson, H.; Joseph, J. M.; Kampert, K.-H.; Kappes, A.; Karg, T.; Karle, A.; Kelley, J. L.; Kenny, P.; Kiryluk, J.; Kislat, F.; Klein, S. R.; Klepser, S.; Knops, S.; Kohnen, G.; Kolanoski, H.; Köpke, L.; Kowalski, M.; Kowarik, T.; Krasberg, M.; Kuehn, K.; Kuwabara, T.; Labare, M.; Lafebre, S.; Laihem, K.; Landsman, H.; Lauer, R.; Leich, H.; Lennarz, D.; Lucke, A.; Lundberg, J.; Lünemann, J.; Madsen, J.; Majumdar, P.; Maruyama, R.; Mase, K.; Matis, H. S.; McParland, C. P.; Meagher, K.; Merck, M.; Mészáros, P.; Middell, E.; Milke, N.; Miyamoto, H.; Mohr, A.; Montaruli, T.; Morse, R.; Movit, S. M.; Münich, K.; Nahnhauer, R.; Nam, J. W.; Nießen, P.; Nygren, D. R.; Odrowski, S.; Olivas, A.; Olivo, M.; Ono, M.; Panknin, S.; Patton, S.; Pérez de Los Heros, C.; Petrovic, J.; Piegsa, A.; Pieloth, D.; Pohl, A. C.; Porrata, R.; Potthoff, N.; Price, P. B.; Prikockis, M.; Przybylski, G. T.; Rawlins, K.; Redl, P.; Resconi, E.; Rhode, W.; Ribordy, M.; Rizzo, A.; Rodrigues, J. P.; Roth, P.; Rothmaier, F.; Rott, C.; Roucelle, C.; Rutledge, D.; Ryckbosch, D.; Sander, H.-G.; Sarkar, S.; Satalecka, K.; Schlenstedt, S.; Schmidt, T.; Schneider, D.; Schukraft, A.; Schulz, O.; Schunck, M.; Seckel, D.; Semburg, B.; Seo, S. H.; Sestayo, Y.; Seunarine, S.; Silvestri, A.; Slipak, A.; Spiczak, G. M.; Spiering, C.; Stamatikos, M.; Stanev, T.; Stephens, G.; Stezelberger, T.; Stokstad, R. G.; Stoufer, M. C.; Stoyanov, S.; Strahler, E. A.; Straszheim, T.; Sulanke, K.-H.; Sullivan, G. W.; Swillens, Q.; Taboada, I.; Tarasova, O.; Tepe, A.; Ter-Antonyan, S.; Terranova, C.; Tilav, S.; Tluczykont, M.; Toale, P. A.; Tosi, D.; Turčan, D.; van Eijndhoven, N.; Vandenbroucke, J.; van Overloop, A.; Voigt, B.; Walck, C.; Waldenmaier, T.; Walter, M.; Wendt, C.; Westerhoff, S.; Whitehorn, N.; Wiebusch, C. H.; Wiedemann, A.; Wikström, G.; Williams, D. R.; Wischnewski, R.; Wissing, H.; Woschnagg, K.; Xu, X. W.; Yodh, G.; Yoshida, S.

2009-05-01

A search for muon neutrinos from neutralino annihilations in the Sun has been performed with the IceCube 22-string neutrino detector using data collected in 104.3 days of live time in 2007. No excess over the expected atmospheric background has been observed. Upper limits have been obtained on the annihilation rate of captured neutralinos in the Sun and converted to limits on the weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) proton cross sections for WIMP masses in the range 250-5000 GeV. These results are the most stringent limits to date on neutralino annihilation in the Sun.

Effect of post-irradiation annealing on the irradiated microstructure of neutron-irradiated 304L stainless steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, Z.; Hesterberg, J.; Was, G. S.

2018-03-01

Post-irradiation annealing was performed on a 304L SS that was irradiated to 5.9 dpa in the Barsebäck 1 BWR reactor. Evolution of dislocation loops, radiation-induced solute clusters and radiation-induced segregation at the grain boundary was investigated following thermal annealing at 500 °C and 550 °C up to 20 h. Dislocation loops, Ni-Si and Al-Cu clusters, and enrichment of Ni, Si and depletion of Cr at the grain boundary were observed in the as-irradiated condition. Dislocation loop size did not change significantly after annealing at 550 °C for 5 h but the loop number density decreased considerably and loops mostly disappeared after annealing at 550 °C for 20 h. The average size of Ni-Si and Al-Cu clusters increased while the number density decreased with annealing. The increase in cluster size was due to diffusion of solutes rather than cluster coarsening. Significant volume fractions of Ni-Si and Al-Cu clusters still remained after annealing at 550 °C for 20 h. Substantial recovery of Cr and Ni at the grain boundary was observed after annealing at 550 °C for 5 h but neither Cr nor Ni was fully recovered after 20 h. Annihilation of dislocation loops, driven by the thermal vacancy concentration gradient caused by the strain field and stacking fault associated with the loops appeared to be faster than annihilation of solute clusters and recovery of Ni and Si at the grain boundary, both of which are driven by the solute concentration gradients.

Hierarchical phase space structure of dark matter haloes: Tidal debris, caustics, and dark matter annihilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afshordi, Niayesh; Mohayaee, Roya; Bertschinger, Edmund

2009-04-01

Most of the mass content of dark matter haloes is expected to be in the form of tidal debris. The density of debris is not constant, but rather can grow due to formation of caustics at the apocenters and pericenters of the orbit, or decay as a result of phase mixing. In the phase space, the debris assemble in a hierarchy that is truncated by the primordial temperature of dark matter. Understanding this phase structure can be of significant importance for the interpretation of many astrophysical observations and, in particular, dark matter detection experiments. With this purpose in mind, we develop a general theoretical framework to describe the hierarchical structure of the phase space of cold dark matter haloes. We do not make any assumption of spherical symmetry and/or smooth and continuous accretion. Instead, working with correlation functions in the action-angle space, we can fully account for the hierarchical structure (predicting a two-point correlation function ∝ΔJ-1.6 in the action space), as well as the primordial discreteness of the phase space. As an application, we estimate the boost to the dark matter annihilation signal due to the structure of the phase space within virial radius: the boost due to the hierarchical tidal debris is of order unity, whereas the primordial discreteness of the phase structure can boost the total annihilation signal by up to an order of magnitude. The latter is dominated by the regions beyond 20% of the virial radius, and is largest for the recently formed haloes with the least degree of phase mixing. Nevertheless, as we argue in a companion paper, the boost due to small gravitationally-bound substructure can dominate this effect at low redshifts.

Robust location and spread measures for nonparametric probability density function estimation.

PubMed

López-Rubio, Ezequiel

2009-10-01

Robustness against outliers is a desirable property of any unsupervised learning scheme. In particular, probability density estimators benefit from incorporating this feature. A possible strategy to achieve this goal is to substitute the sample mean and the sample covariance matrix by more robust location and spread estimators. Here we use the L1-median to develop a nonparametric probability density function (PDF) estimator. We prove its most relevant properties, and we show its performance in density estimation and classification applications.

Penrose pair production as a power source of quasars and active galactic nuclei. [black hole mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kafatos, M.; Leiter, D.

1979-01-01

Penrose pair production in massive canonical Kerr black holes (those with a/M equal to 0.998) is proposed as a way to explain the nature of the vast fluctuating energy production associated with active galactic nuclei and quasars. It is assumed that a Kerr black hole with a mass of the order of 100 million solar masses lies at the center of an active nucleus and that an accretion disk is formed. Penrose pair production in the inner ergosphere of such a massive canonical Kerr black hole is analyzed. The results indicate that: (1) particle pairs are ejected within a 40 deg angle relative to the equator; (2) the particle energy is of the order of 1 GeV per pair; (3) the pressure of the electron-positron relativistic gas is proportional to the electron-positron number density; (4) pair production may occur in bursts; and (5) the overall lifetime of an active nucleus would depend on the time required to exhaust the disk of its matter content. A test of the theory is suggested which involves observation of the 0.5-MeV pair-annihilation gamma rays that would be generated by annihilating particle pairs.

Electronic structure Fermi liquid theory of high T(sub c) superconductors: Comparison with experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freeman, A. J.; Yu, Jaejun

1990-04-01

For years, there has been controversy on whether the normal state of the Cu-oxide superconductors is a Fermi liquid or some other exotic ground state. However, some experimentalists are clarifying the nature of the normal state of the high T(sub c) superconductors by surmounting the experimental difficulties in producing clean, well characterized surfaces so as to obtain meaningful high resolved photoemission data, which agrees with earlier positron-annihilation experiments. The experimental work on high resolution angle resolved photoemission by Campuzano et al. and positron-annihilation studies by Smedskjaer et al. has verified the calculated Fermi surfaces in YBa2Cu3O7 superconductors and has provided evidence for the validity of the energy band approach. Similar good agreement was found for Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 by Olson et al. As a Fermi liquid (metallic) nature of the normal state of the high T(sub c) superconductors becomes evident, these experimental observations have served to confirm the predictions of the local density functional calculations and hence the energy band approach as a valid natural starting point for further studies of their superconductivity.

Electronic structure Fermi liquid theory of high T(sub c) superconductors: Comparison with experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freeman, A. J.; Yu, Jaejun

1990-01-01

For years, there has been controversy on whether the normal state of the Cu-oxide superconductors is a Fermi liquid or some other exotic ground state. However, some experimentalists are clarifying the nature of the normal state of the high T(sub c) superconductors by surmounting the experimental difficulties in producing clean, well characterized surfaces so as to obtain meaningful high resolved photoemission data, which agrees with earlier positron-annihilation experiments. The experimental work on high resolution angle resolved photoemission by Campuzano et al. and positron-annihilation studies by Smedskjaer et al. has verified the calculated Fermi surfaces in YBa2Cu3O7 superconductors and has provided evidence for the validity of the energy band approach. Similar good agreement was found for Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 by Olson et al. As a Fermi liquid (metallic) nature of the normal state of the high T(sub c) superconductors becomes evident, these experimental observations have served to confirm the predictions of the local density functional calculations and hence the energy band approach as a valid natural starting point for further studies of their superconductivity.

Non-abelian vector boson dark matter, its unified route and signatures at the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barman, Basabendu; Bhattacharya, Subhaditya; Patra, Sunando Kumar; Chakrabortty, Joydeep

2017-12-01

Vector boson dark matter (DM) appears in SU(2)N extension (N stands for neutral) of Standard Model (SM) where an additional global U(1)P symmetry is assumed and results in a generalized lepton number defined as: L=P+T3N. Breaking of U(1)P leads to the breaking of L to (‑1)L, thus stabilizing DM through modified R=(‑1)3B+L+2J. This model, already discussed in literature, offers several novel features to elaborate upon. For example, t-channel annihilation and dominant s-channel direct search, along with co-annihilation, helps the DM to evade stringent direct search bounds from LUX and XENON1T after satisfying relic density constraints. On the other hand, the exotic particles of the model can be produced at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) yielding multilepton final states. Hadronically quiet four lepton signal with large missing energy, in specific, is shown to provide a smoking gun signature of such a framework. We study the details of E(6) → SM SU(2)N breaking patterns (through D-parity odd/even cases) which yield important phenomenological consequences.

Characterization of free volume during vulcanization of styrene butadiene rubber by means of positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and dynamic mechanical test.

PubMed

Marzocca, A J; Cerveny, S; Salgueiro, W; Somoza, A; Gonzalez, L

2002-02-01

An experimental investigation was performed to study the effect on the free volume of the advance of the cross-linking reaction in a copolymer of styrene butadiene rubber by sulfur vulcanization. The dynamic modulus and loss tangent were evaluated over samples cured for different times at 433 K by dynamic mechanical tests over a range of frequencies between 5 and 80 Hz at temperatures between 200 and 300 K. Using the William-Landel-Ferry relationship, master curves were obtained at a reference temperature of 298 K and the coefficients c(0)(1) and c(0)(2) were evaluated. From these parameters the dependence of the free volume on the cure time is obtained. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy was also used to estimate the size and number density of free volume sites in the material. The spectra were analyzed in terms of continuous distributions of free volume size. The results suggest an increase of the lower free volume size when cross linking takes place. Both techniques give similar results for the dependence of free volume on the time of cure of the polymer.

Dark Matter Constraints from Observations of 25 Milky Way Satellite Galaxies with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ackermann, M.; Albert, A.; Anderson, B.; Baldini, L.; Ballet, J.; Barbiellini, G.; Bastieri, D.; Bechtol, K.; Bellazzini, R.; Bissaldi, E.;

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Jing; Liang, Zheng-Liang; Wu, Yue-Liang

We investigate the implications of the long-rang self-interaction on both the self-capture and the annihilation of the self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) trapped in the Sun. Our discussion is based on a specific SIDM model in which DM particles self-interact via a light scalar mediator, or Yukawa potential, in the context of quantum mechanics. Within this framework, we calculate the self-capture rate across a broad region of parameter space. While the self-capture rate can be obtained separately in the Born regime with perturbative method, and in the classical limits with the Rutherford formula, our calculation covers the gap between in amore » non-perturbative fashion. Besides, the phenomenology of both the Sommerfeld-enhanced s- and p-wave annihilation of the solar SIDM is also involved in our discussion. Moreover, by combining the analysis of the Super-Kamiokande (SK) data and the observed DM relic density, we constrain the nuclear capture rate of the DM particles in the presence of the dark Yukawa potential. The consequence of the long-range dark force on probing the solar SIDM turns out to be significant if the force-carrier is much lighter than the DM particle, and a quantitative analysis is provided.« less

Surfaces of nanomaterials for sustainable energy applications: thin-film 2D-ACAR and PALS studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbiellini, B.; Chai, L.; Al-Sawai, W.; Eijt, S. W. H.; Mijnarends, P. E.; Schut, H.; Gao, Y.; Houtepen, A. J.; Ravelli, L.; Egger, W.; van Huis, M. A.; Bansil, A.

2013-03-01

Positron (e+) annihilation spectroscopy is one of only a few techniques to probe the surfaces of nanoparticles. We investigated thin films of PbSe colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) in the range 2-10 nm as prospective highly efficient absorbers for solar cells. We compare and contrast our findings with previous studies on CdSe NCs. Evidence obtained from our e+ lifetime spectroscopy study using the PLEPS spectrometer shows that 90-95% of the implanted positrons are effectively trapped and confined at the surfaces of these NCs. The remaining 5-10% of the e+ annihilate in the relatively large oleic acid ligands, in fair agreement with the estimated positron stopping power of the PbSe nanoparticle ``core'' relative to the ligand ``shell.'' 2D-ACAR measurements on the same set of films using the low-energy e+ beam POSH showed that the e+ wavefunction at the surfaces of the PbSe NCs is more localized than for the case of CdSe NCs. Comparison with calculated e+ - e- momentum densities indicates a Pb deficiency at the surfaces of the PbSe NCs, which correlates with e+ lifetime and the NCs morphology. Work supported in part by the US Department of Energy.

Long-range Self-interacting Dark Matter in the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jing; Liang, Zheng-Liang; Wu, Yue-Liang; Zhou, Yu-Feng

2015-12-01

We investigate the implications of the long-rang self-interaction on both the self-capture and the annihilation of the self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) trapped in the Sun. Our discussion is based on a specific SIDM model in which DM particles self-interact via a light scalar mediator, or Yukawa potential, in the context of quantum mechanics. Within this framework, we calculate the self-capture rate across a broad region of parameter space. While the self-capture rate can be obtained separately in the Born regime with perturbative method, and in the classical limits with the Rutherford formula, our calculation covers the gap between in a non-perturbative fashion. Besides, the phenomenology of both the Sommerfeld-enhanced s- and p-wave annihilation of the solar SIDM is also involved in our discussion. Moreover, by combining the analysis of the Super-Kamiokande (SK) data and the observed DM relic density, we constrain the nuclear capture rate of the DM particles in the presence of the dark Yukawa potential. The consequence of the long-range dark force on probing the solar SIDM turns out to be significant if the force-carrier is much lighter than the DM particle, and a quantitative analysis is provided.

3D Long-Range Triplet Migration in a Water-Stable Metal-Organic Framework for Upconversion-Based Ultralow-Power in Vivo Imaging.

PubMed

Park, Jihye; Xu, Ming; Li, Fuyou; Zhou, Hong-Cai

2018-04-25

Triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) has gained increasing attention because it allows for harvesting of low-energy photons in the solar spectrum with high efficiency in relevant applications including solar cells and bioimaging. However, the utilization of conventional TTA-UC systems for low-power bioapplications is significantly hampered by their general incompatibility and low efficiency in aqueous media. Herein we report a metal-organic framework (MOF) as a biocompatible nanoplatform for TTA-UC to realize low-power in vivo imaging. Our MOF consists of a porphyrinic sensitizer in an anthracene-based Zr-MOF as a TTA-UC platform. In particular, closely aligned chromophores in the MOF facilitate a long-range 3D triplet diffusion of 1.6 μm allowing efficient energy migration in water. The tunable ratio between sensitizer and annihilator by our synthetic method also allows an optimization of the system for maximized TTA-UC efficiency in water at a very low excitation power density. Consequently, the low-power imaging of lymph node in a live mouse was successfully demonstrated with an excellent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR > 30 at 5 mW cm -2 ).

The Influence of Part-Word Phonotactic Probability/Neighborhood Density on Word Learning by Preschool Children Varying in Expressive Vocabulary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storkel, Holly L.; Hoover, Jill R.

2011-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine the influence of part-word phonotactic probability/neighborhood density on word learning by preschool children with normal vocabularies that varied in size. Ninety-eight children (age 2 ; 11-6 ; 0) were taught consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) nonwords orthogonally varying in the probability/density of the CV…

Low-Energy Positron-Matter Interactions Using Trap-Based Beams

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-06-24

qualitatively by the recent exploitation of nonneutral plasma physics techniques to produce antimatter plasmas and beams in new regimes of parameter space...a quantitative antimatter - matter chemistry, important not only in obtaining a fundamental understanding of nature, but also in using antimatter in...ANNIHILATION MEASUREMENTS The fate of all antimatter in our world is annihilation with ordinary matter. Thus understanding the details of these annihilation

A study of B0-B0(bar) oscillations frequency and determination of flavor-tagging efficiency using semileptonic and hadronic B0 decays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barrera, Barbara

B{sup 0}{bar B}{sup 0} flavor oscillations are studied in e{sup +}e{sup -} annihilation data collected with the BABAR detector at center-of-mass energies near the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance. One B is reconstructed in a hadronic or semileptonic decay mode, and the flavor of the other B in the event is determined with a tagging algorithm that exploits the relation between the flavor of the heavy quark and the charges of its decay products. Tagging performance is characterized by an efficiency {epsilon}{sub i} and a probability for mis-identification, w{sub i}, for each tagging category. We report a determination of the wrong-tag probabilities, w{submore » i}, and a preliminary result for the time-dependent B{sup 0}{bar B}{sup 0} oscillation frequency, {Delta}m{sub d} = 0.512 {+-} 0.017 {+-} 0.022 {Dirac_h} ps{sup -1}.« less

Effect of noise on defect chaos in a reaction-diffusion model.

PubMed

Wang, Hongli; Ouyang, Qi

2005-06-01

The influence of noise on defect chaos due to breakup of spiral waves through Doppler and Eckhaus instabilities is investigated numerically with a modified Fitzhugh-Nagumo model. By numerical simulations we show that the noise can drastically enhance the creation and annihilation rates of topological defects. The noise-free probability distribution function for defects in this model is found not to fit with the previously reported squared-Poisson distribution. Under the influence of noise, the distributions are flattened, and can fit with the squared-Poisson or the modified-Poisson distribution. The defect lifetime and diffusive property of defects under the influence of noise are also checked in this model.

Is the gamma-ray source 3FGL J2212.5+0703 a dark matter subhalo?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertoni, Bridget; Hooper, Dan; Linden, Tim

2016-05-01

In a previous paper, we pointed out that the gamma-ray source 3FGL J2212.5+\\linebreak 0703 shows evidence of being spatially extended. If a gamma-ray source without detectable emission at other wavelengths were unambiguously determined to be spatially extended, it could not be explained by known astrophysics, and would constitute a smoking gun for dark matter particles annihilating in a nearby subhalo. With this prospect in mind, we scrutinize the gamma-ray emission from this source, finding that it prefers a spatially extended profile over that of a single point-like source with 5.1σ statistical significance. We also use a large sample of active galactic nuclei and other known gamma-rays sources as a control group, confirming, as expected, that statistically significant extension is rare among such objects. We argue that the most likely (non-dark matter) explanation for this apparent extension is a pair of bright gamma-ray sources that serendipitously lie very close to each other, and estimate that there is a chance probability of ~2% that such a pair would exist somewhere on the sky. In the case of 3FGL J2212.5+0703, we test an alternative model that includes a second gamma-ray point source at the position of the radio source BZQ J2212+0646, and find that the addition of this source alongside a point source at the position of 3FGL J2212.5+0703 yields a fit of comparable quality to that obtained for a single extended source. If 3FGL J2212.5+0703 is a dark matter subhalo, it would imply that dark matter particles have a mass of ~18-33 GeV and an annihilation cross section on the order of σ v ~ 10-26 cm3/s (for the representative case of annihilations to bbar b), similar to the values required to generate the Galactic Center gamma-ray excess.

Is the gamma-ray source 3FGL J2212.5+0703 a dark matter subhalo?

DOE PAGES

Bertoni, Bridget; Hooper, Dan; Linden, Tim

2016-05-23

In a previous study, we pointed out that the gamma-ray source 3FGL J2212.5+0703 shows evidence of being spatially extended. If a gamma-ray source without detectable emission at other wavelengths were unambiguously determined to be spatially extended, it could not be explained by known astrophysics, and would constitute a smoking gun for dark matter particles annihilating in a nearby subhalo. With this prospect in mind, we scrutinize the gamma-ray emission from this source, finding that it prefers a spatially extended profile over that of a single point-like source with 5.1σ statistical significance. We also use a large sample of active galactic nuclei and other known gamma-rays sources as a control group, confirming, as expected, that statistically significant extension is rare among such objects. We argue that the most likely (non-dark matter) explanation for this apparent extension is a pair of bright gamma-ray sources that serendipitously lie very close to each other, and estimate that there is a chance probability of ~2% that such a pair would exist somewhere on the sky. In the case of 3FGL J2212.5+0703, we test an alternative model that includes a second gamma-ray point source at the position of the radio source BZQ J2212+0646, and find that the addition of this source alongside a point source at the position of 3FGL J2212.5+0703 yields a fit of comparable quality to that obtained for a single extended source. If 3FGL J2212.5+0703 is a dark matter subhalo, it would imply that dark matter particles have a mass of ~18–33 GeV and an annihilation cross section on the order of σv ~ 10 –26 cm(3)/s (for the representative case of annihilations tomore » $$b\\bar{b}$$), similar to the values required to generate the Galactic Center gamma-ray excess.« less

Is the gamma-ray source 3FGL J2212.5+0703 a dark matter subhalo?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bertoni, Bridget; Hooper, Dan; Linden, Tim

In a previous study, we pointed out that the gamma-ray source 3FGL J2212.5+0703 shows evidence of being spatially extended. If a gamma-ray source without detectable emission at other wavelengths were unambiguously determined to be spatially extended, it could not be explained by known astrophysics, and would constitute a smoking gun for dark matter particles annihilating in a nearby subhalo. With this prospect in mind, we scrutinize the gamma-ray emission from this source, finding that it prefers a spatially extended profile over that of a single point-like source with 5.1σ statistical significance. We also use a large sample of active galactic nuclei and other known gamma-rays sources as a control group, confirming, as expected, that statistically significant extension is rare among such objects. We argue that the most likely (non-dark matter) explanation for this apparent extension is a pair of bright gamma-ray sources that serendipitously lie very close to each other, and estimate that there is a chance probability of ~2% that such a pair would exist somewhere on the sky. In the case of 3FGL J2212.5+0703, we test an alternative model that includes a second gamma-ray point source at the position of the radio source BZQ J2212+0646, and find that the addition of this source alongside a point source at the position of 3FGL J2212.5+0703 yields a fit of comparable quality to that obtained for a single extended source. If 3FGL J2212.5+0703 is a dark matter subhalo, it would imply that dark matter particles have a mass of ~18–33 GeV and an annihilation cross section on the order of σv ~ 10 –26 cm(3)/s (for the representative case of annihilations tomore » $$b\\bar{b}$$), similar to the values required to generate the Galactic Center gamma-ray excess.« less

Efficient kinetic Monte Carlo method for reaction-diffusion problems with spatially varying annihilation rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwarz, Karsten; Rieger, Heiko

2013-03-01

We present an efficient Monte Carlo method to simulate reaction-diffusion processes with spatially varying particle annihilation or transformation rates as it occurs for instance in the context of motor-driven intracellular transport. Like Green's function reaction dynamics and first-passage time methods, our algorithm avoids small diffusive hops by propagating sufficiently distant particles in large hops to the boundaries of protective domains. Since for spatially varying annihilation or transformation rates the single particle diffusion propagator is not known analytically, we present an algorithm that generates efficiently either particle displacements or annihilations with the correct statistics, as we prove rigorously. The numerical efficiency of the algorithm is demonstrated with an illustrative example.

Limits on a muon flux from Kaluza-Klein dark matter annihilations in the Sun from the IceCube 22-string detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbasi, R.; Abdou, Y.; Abu-Zayyad, T.; Adams, J.; Aguilar, J. A.; Ahlers, M.; Andeen, K.; Auffenberg, J.; Bai, X.; Baker, M.; Barwick, S. W.; Bay, R.; Bazo Alba, J. L.; Beattie, K.; Beatty, J. J.; Bechet, S.; Becker, J. K.; Becker, K.-H.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berdermann, J.; Berghaus, P.; Berley, D.; Bernardini, E.; Bertrand, D.; Besson, D. Z.; Bissok, M.; Blaufuss, E.; Boersma, D. J.; Bohm, C.; Bolmont, J.; Botner, O.; Bradley, L.; Braun, J.; Breder, D.; Carson, M.; Castermans, T.; Chirkin, D.; Christy, B.; Clem, J.; Cohen, S.; Cowen, D. F.; D'Agostino, M. V.; Danninger, M.; Day, C. T.; de Clercq, C.; Demirörs, L.; Depaepe, O.; Descamps, F.; Desiati, P.; de Vries-Uiterweerd, G.; Deyoung, T.; Díaz-Vélez, J. C.; Dreyer, J.; Dumm, J. P.; Duvoort, M. R.; Edwards, W. R.; Ehrlich, R.; Eisch, J.; Ellsworth, R. W.; Engdegård, O.; Euler, S.; Evenson, P. A.; Fadiran, O.; Fazely, A. R.; Feusels, T.; Filimonov, K.; Finley, C.; Foerster, M. M.; Fox, B. D.; Franckowiak, A.; Franke, R.; Gaisser, T. K.; Gallagher, J.; Ganugapati, R.; Gerhardt, L.; Gladstone, L.; Goldschmidt, A.; Goodman, J. A.; Gozzini, R.; Grant, D.; Griesel, T.; Groß, A.; Grullon, S.; Gunasingha, R. M.; Gurtner, M.; Ha, C.; Hallgren, A.; Halzen, F.; Han, K.; Hanson, K.; Hasegawa, Y.; Helbing, K.; Herquet, P.; Hickford, S.; Hill, G. C.; Hoffman, K. D.; Homeier, A.; Hoshina, K.; Hubert, D.; Huelsnitz, W.; Hülß, J.-P.; Hulth, P. O.; Hultqvist, K.; Hussain, S.; Imlay, R. L.; Inaba, M.; Ishihara, A.; Jacobsen, J.; Japaridze, G. S.; Johansson, H.; Joseph, J. M.; Kampert, K.-H.; Kappes, A.; Karg, T.; Karle, A.; Kelley, J. L.; Kemming, N.; Kenny, P.; Kiryluk, J.; Kislat, F.; Klein, S. R.; Knops, S.; Kohnen, G.; Kolanoski, H.; Köpke, L.; Koskinen, D. J.; Kowalski, M.; Kowarik, T.; Krasberg, M.; Krings, T.; Kroll, G.; Kuehn, K.; Kuwabara, T.; Labare, M.; Lafebre, S.; Laihem, K.; Landsman, H.; Lauer, R.; Lehmann, R.; Lennarz, D.; Lucke, A.; Lundberg, J.; Lünemann, J.; Madsen, J.; Majumdar, P.; Maruyama, R.; Mase, K.; Matis, H. S.; McParland, C. P.; Meagher, K.; Merck, M.; Mészáros, P.; Meures, T.; Middell, E.; Milke, N.; Miyamoto, H.; Montaruli, T.; Morse, R.; Movit, S. M.; Nahnhauer, R.; Nam, J. W.; Nießen, P.; Nygren, D. R.; Odrowski, S.; Olivas, A.; Olivo, M.; Ono, M.; Panknin, S.; Patton, S.; Paul, L.; Pérez de Los Heros, C.; Petrovic, J.; Piegsa, A.; Pieloth, D.; Pohl, A. C.; Porrata, R.; Potthoff, N.; Price, P. B.; Prikockis, M.; Przybylski, G. T.; Rawlins, K.; Redl, P.; Resconi, E.; Rhode, W.; Ribordy, M.; Rizzo, A.; Rodrigues, J. P.; Roth, P.; Rothmaier, F.; Rott, C.; Roucelle, C.; Rutledge, D.; Ruzybayev, B.; Ryckbosch, D.; Sander, H.-G.; Sarkar, S.; Schatto, K.; Schlenstedt, S.; Schmidt, T.; Schneider, D.; Schukraft, A.; Schulz, O.; Schunck, M.; Seckel, D.; Semburg, B.; Seo, S. H.; Sestayo, Y.; Seunarine, S.; Silvestri, A.; Slipak, A.; Spiczak, G. M.; Spiering, C.; Stamatikos, M.; Stanev, T.; Stephens, G.; Stezelberger, T.; Stokstad, R. G.; Stoufer, M. C.; Stoyanov, S.; Strahler, E. A.; Straszheim, T.; Sulanke, K.-H.; Sullivan, G. W.; Swillens, Q.; Taboada, I.; Tamburro, A.; Tarasova, O.; Tepe, A.; Ter-Antonyan, S.; Terranova, C.; Tilav, S.; Toale, P. A.; Tooker, J.; Tosi, D.; Turčan, D.; van Eijndhoven, N.; Vandenbroucke, J.; van Overloop, A.; van Santen, J.; Voigt, B.; Walck, C.; Waldenmaier, T.; Wallraff, M.; Walter, M.; Wendt, C.; Westerhoff, S.; Whitehorn, N.; Wiebe, K.; Wiebusch, C. H.; Wiedemann, A.; Wikström, G.; Williams, D. R.; Wischnewski, R.; Wissing, H.; Woschnagg, K.; Xu, C.; Xu, X. W.; Yodh, G.; Yoshida, S.; IceCube Collaboration

2010-03-01

A search for muon neutrinos from Kaluza-Klein dark matter annihilations in the Sun has been performed with the 22-string configuration of the IceCube neutrino detector using data collected in 104.3 days of live time in 2007. No excess over the expected atmospheric background has been observed. Upper limits have been obtained on the annihilation rate of captured lightest Kaluza-Klein particle (LKP) WIMPs in the Sun and converted to limits on the LKP-proton cross sections for LKP masses in the range 250-3000 GeV. These results are the most stringent limits to date on LKP annihilation in the Sun.

Application of a digital data acquisition system for time of flight Positron annihilation-induced Auger Electron Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gladen, R. W.; Chirayath, V. A.; McDonald, A. D.; Fairchild, A. J.; Chrysler, M. D.; Imam, S. K.; Koymen, A. R.; Weiss, A. H.

We describe herein a digital data acquisition system for a time-of-flight Positron annihilation-induced Auger Electron Spectrometer. This data acquisition system consists of a high-speed digitizer collecting signals induced by Auger electrons and annihilation gammas in a multi-channel plate electron detector and a BaF2 gamma detector, respectively. The time intervals between these two signals is used to determine the times of flight of the Auger electrons, which are analyzed by algorithms based on traditional nuclear electronics methods. Ultimately, this digital data acquisition system will be expanded to incorporate the first coincidence measurements of Auger electron and annihilation gamma energies.

Dark matter annihilation with s-channel internal Higgsstrahlung

DOE PAGES

Kumar, Jason; Liao, Jiajun; Marfatia, Danny

2016-05-31

We study the scenario of fermionic dark matter that annihilates to standard model fermions through an s-channel axial vector mediator. We point out that the well-known chirality suppression of the annihilation cross section can be alleviated by s-channel internal Higgsstrahlung. The shapes of the cosmic ray spectra are identical to that of t-channel internal Higgsstrahlung in the limit of a heavy mediating particle. Unlike the general case of t-channel bremsstrahlung, s-channel Higgsstrahlung can be the dominant annihilation process even for Dirac dark matter. Finally, since the s-channel mediator can be a standard model singlet, collider searches for the mediator aremore » easily circumvented.« less

Dark matter annihilation with s-channel internal Higgsstrahlung

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumar, Jason; Liao, Jiajun; Marfatia, Danny

We study the scenario of fermionic dark matter that annihilates to standard model fermions through an s-channel axial vector mediator. We point out that the well-known chirality suppression of the annihilation cross section can be alleviated by s-channel internal Higgsstrahlung. The shapes of the cosmic ray spectra are identical to that of t-channel internal Higgsstrahlung in the limit of a heavy mediating particle. Unlike the general case of t-channel bremsstrahlung, s-channel Higgsstrahlung can be the dominant annihilation process even for Dirac dark matter. Finally, since the s-channel mediator can be a standard model singlet, collider searches for the mediator aremore » easily circumvented.« less

Neutralinos and the Origin of Radio Halos in Clusters of Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colafrancesco, S.; Mele, B.

2001-11-01

We assume that the supersymmetric lightest neutralino is a good candidate for the cold dark matter in the galaxy halo and explore the possibility to produce extended diffuse radio emission from high-energy electrons arising from the neutralino annihilation in galaxy clusters whose intracluster medium is filled with a large-scale magnetic field. We show that these electrons fit the population of seed relativistic electrons that is postulated in many models for the origin of cluster radio halos. For a uniform magnetic field of ~1-3 μG the population of seed relativistic electrons from neutralino annihilation can fit the radio halo spectra of two well-studied clusters: Coma and 1E 0657-56. In the case of a magnetic field that is radially decreasing from the cluster center, central values ~8 μG (for Coma) and ~50 μG (for 1E 0657-56) are required to fit the data. The radio halo data strongly favor a centrally peaked dark matter density profile (like a Navarro, Frenk, & White [NFW97] density profile). The shape and the frequency extension of the radio halo spectra are connected with the mass and physical composition of the neutralino. A pure gaugino neutralino with mass Mχ>=80 GeV can reasonably fit the radio halo spectra of both Coma and 1E 0657-56. The model we present here provides a number of extra predictions that make it definitely testable. On the one hand, it agrees quite well with the observations that (1) the radio halo is centered on the cluster dynamical center, usually coincident with the center of its X-ray emission; (2) the radio halo surface brightness is similar to the X-ray one; and (3) the monochromatic radio luminosity at 1.4 GHz correlates strongly with the intracluster (IC) gas temperature. On the other hand, the same model predicts that radio halos should be present in every cluster, which is not presently observed, although the predicted radio halo luminosities can change (decrease) by factors of up to ~102-106, depending on the amplitude and the structure of the IC magnetic field. In addition, neutral pions arising from neutralino annihilation should give rise to substantial amounts of diffuse gamma-ray emission, up to energies of order Mχ, that could be tested by the next-generation gamma-ray experiments.

A wave function for stock market returns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ataullah, Ali; Davidson, Ian; Tippett, Mark

2009-02-01

The instantaneous return on the Financial Times-Stock Exchange (FTSE) All Share Index is viewed as a frictionless particle moving in a one-dimensional square well but where there is a non-trivial probability of the particle tunneling into the well’s retaining walls. Our analysis demonstrates how the complementarity principle from quantum mechanics applies to stock market prices and of how the wave function presented by it leads to a probability density which exhibits strong compatibility with returns earned on the FTSE All Share Index. In particular, our analysis shows that the probability density for stock market returns is highly leptokurtic with slight (though not significant) negative skewness. Moreover, the moments of the probability density determined under the complementarity principle employed here are all convergent - in contrast to many of the probability density functions on which the received theory of finance is based.

Digitized detection of gamma-ray signals concentrated in narrow time windows for transient positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kinomura, A., E-mail: a.kinomura@aist.go.jp; Suzuki, R.; Oshima, N.

2014-12-15

A pulsed slow-positron beam generated by an electron linear accelerator was directly used for positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy without any positron storage devices. A waveform digitizer was introduced to simultaneously capture multiple gamma-ray signals originating from positron annihilation events during a single accelerator pulse. The positron pulse was chopped and bunched with the chopper signals also sent to the waveform digitizer. Time differences between the annihilation gamma-ray and chopper peaks were calculated and accumulated as lifetime spectra in a computer. The developed technique indicated that positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy can be performed in a 20 μs time window at amore » pulse repetition rate synchronous with the linear accelerator. Lifetime spectra of a Kapton sheet and a thermally grown SiO{sub 2} layer on Si were successfully measured. Synchronization of positron lifetime measurements with pulsed ion irradiation was demonstrated by this technique.« less

Design of an Operando Positron Annihilation Gamma Spectrometer (OPAGS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satyal, Suman; Shastry, Kartik; Kalaskar, Sushant; Lim, Larry; Joglekar, Vibek; Weiss, Alexander

2009-10-01

Surface properties measured under UHV conditions cannot be extended to surfaces interacting with gases under realistic pressures due to surface reconstruction and other strong perturbations of the surface. Many surface probing techniques used till now have required UHV conditions to avoid data loss due to scattering of outgoing particles. Here we describe the design of an Operando Positron Annihilation Gamma Spectrometer (OPAGS) currently under construction at the University of Texas at Arlington. The new system will be capable of obtaining surface and defect specific chemical and charge state information from surfaces under realistic pressures. Differential pumping will be used to maintain the sample in a gas environment while the rest of the beam is under UHV. The Elemental content of the surface interacting with the gas environment will be determined from the Doppler broadened gamma spectra. This system will also include a time of flight (TOF) positron annihilation induced Auger spectrometer (TOF-PAES) for use in combined annihilation induced Auger and annihilation gamma measurements made under low pressure conditions.

New insights into the nanostructure of innovative thin film solar cells gained by positron annihilation spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eijt, S. W. H.; Shi, W.; Mannheim, A.; Butterling, M.; Schut, H.; Egger, W.; Dickmann, M.; Hugenschmidt, C.; Shakeri, B.; Meulenberg, R. W.; Callewaert, V.; Saniz, R.; Partoens, B.; Barbiellini, B.; Bansil, A.; Melskens, J.; Zeman, M.; Smets, A. H. M.; Kulbak, M.; Hodes, G.; Cahen, D.; Brück, E.

2017-01-01

Recent studies showed that positron annihilation methods can provide key insights into the nanostructure and electronic structure of thin film solar cells. In this study, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) is applied to investigate CdSe quantum dot (QD) light absorbing layers, providing evidence of positron trapping at the surfaces of the QDs. This enables one to monitor their surface composition and electronic structure. Further, 2D-Angular Correlation of Annihilation Radiation (2D-ACAR) is used to investigate the nanostructure of divacancies in photovoltaic-high-quality a-Si:H films. The collected momentum distributions were converted by Fourier transformation to the direct space representation of the electron-positron autocorrelation function. The evolution of the size of the divacancies as a function of hydrogen dilution during deposition of a-Si:H thin films was examined. Finally, we present a first positron Doppler Broadening of Annihilation Radiation (DBAR) study of the emerging class of highly efficient thin film solar cells based on perovskites.

Photon-induced positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy using ultrashort laser-Compton-scattered gamma-ray pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taira, Y.; Toyokawa, H.; Kuroda, R.; Yamamoto, N.; Adachi, M.; Tanaka, S.; Katoh, M.

2013-05-01

High-energy ultrashort gamma-ray pulses can be generated via laser Compton scattering with 90° collisions at the UVSOR-II electron storage ring. As an applied study of ultrashort gamma-ray pulses, a new photon-induced positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy approach has been developed. Ultrashort gamma-ray pulses with a maximum energy of 6.6 MeV and pulse width of 2.2 ps created positrons throughout bulk lead via pair production. Annihilation gamma rays were detected by a BaF2 scintillator mounted on a photomultiplier tube. A positron lifetime spectrum was obtained by measuring the time difference between the RF frequency of the electron storage ring and the detection time of the annihilation gamma rays. We calculated the response of the BaF2 scintillator and the time jitter caused by the variation in the total path length of the ultrashort gamma-ray pulses, annihilation gamma rays, and scintillation light using a Monte Carlo simulation code. The positron lifetime for bulk lead was successfully measured.

Dissipation of ‘dark energy’ by cortex in knowledge retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capolupo, Antonio; Freeman, Walter J.; Vitiello, Giuseppe

2013-03-01

We have devised a thermodynamic model of cortical neurodynamics expressed at the classical level by neural networks and at the quantum level by dissipative quantum field theory. Our model is based on features in the spatial images of cortical activity newly revealed by high-density electrode arrays. We have incorporated the mechanism and necessity for so-called dark energy in knowledge retrieval. We have extended the model first using the Carnot cycle to define our measures for energy, entropy and temperature, and then using the Rankine cycle to incorporate criticality and phase transitions. We describe the dynamics of two interactive fields of neural activity that express knowledge, one at high and the other at low energy density, and the two operators that create and annihilate the fields. We postulate that the extremely high density of energy sequestered briefly in cortical activity patterns can account for the vividness, richness of associations, and emotional intensity of memories recalled by stimuli.

Dissipation of 'dark energy' by cortex in knowledge retrieval.

PubMed

Capolupo, Antonio; Freeman, Walter J; Vitiello, Giuseppe

2013-03-01

We have devised a thermodynamic model of cortical neurodynamics expressed at the classical level by neural networks and at the quantum level by dissipative quantum field theory. Our model is based on features in the spatial images of cortical activity newly revealed by high-density electrode arrays. We have incorporated the mechanism and necessity for so-called dark energy in knowledge retrieval. We have extended the model first using the Carnot cycle to define our measures for energy, entropy and temperature, and then using the Rankine cycle to incorporate criticality and phase transitions. We describe the dynamics of two interactive fields of neural activity that express knowledge, one at high and the other at low energy density, and the two operators that create and annihilate the fields. We postulate that the extremely high density of energy sequestered briefly in cortical activity patterns can account for the vividness, richness of associations, and emotional intensity of memories recalled by stimuli. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In situ study of heavy ion irradiation response of immiscible Cu/Fe multilayers

DOE PAGES

Chen, Youxing; Li, Nan; Bufford, Daniel Charles; ...

2016-04-09

By providing active defect sinks that capture and annihilate radiation induced defect clusters immiscible metallic multilayers with incoherent interfaces can effectively reduce defect density in ion irradiated metals. Although it is anticipated that defect density within the layers should vary as a function of distance to the layer interface, there is, to date, little in situ TEM evidence to validate this hypothesis. In our study monolithic Cu films and Cu/Fe multilayers with individual layer thickness, h, of 100 and 5 nm were subjected to in situ Cu ion irradiation at room temperature to nominally 1 displacement-per-atom inside a transmission electronmore » microscope. Rapid formation and propagation of defect clusters were observed in monolithic Cu, whereas fewer defects with smaller dimensions were generated in Cu/Fe multilayers with smaller h. Moreover, in situ video shows that the cumulative defect density in Cu/Fe 100 nm multilayers indeed varies, as a function of distance to the layer interfaces, supporting a long postulated hypothesis.« less

The Effects of Phonotactic Probability and Neighborhood Density on Adults' Word Learning in Noisy Conditions

PubMed Central

Storkel, Holly L.; Lee, Jaehoon; Cox, Casey

2016-01-01

Purpose Noisy conditions make auditory processing difficult. This study explores whether noisy conditions influence the effects of phonotactic probability (the likelihood of occurrence of a sound sequence) and neighborhood density (phonological similarity among words) on adults' word learning. Method Fifty-eight adults learned nonwords varying in phonotactic probability and neighborhood density in either an unfavorable (0-dB signal-to-noise ratio [SNR]) or a favorable (+8-dB SNR) listening condition. Word learning was assessed using a picture naming task by scoring the proportion of phonemes named correctly. Results The unfavorable 0-dB SNR condition showed a significant interaction between phonotactic probability and neighborhood density in the absence of main effects. In particular, adults learned more words when phonotactic probability and neighborhood density were both low or both high. The +8-dB SNR condition did not show this interaction. These results are inconsistent with those from a prior adult word learning study conducted under quiet listening conditions that showed main effects of word characteristics. Conclusions As the listening condition worsens, adult word learning benefits from a convergence of phonotactic probability and neighborhood density. Clinical implications are discussed for potential populations who experience difficulty with auditory perception or processing, making them more vulnerable to noise. PMID:27788276

The Effects of Phonotactic Probability and Neighborhood Density on Adults' Word Learning in Noisy Conditions.

PubMed

Han, Min Kyung; Storkel, Holly L; Lee, Jaehoon; Cox, Casey

2016-11-01

Noisy conditions make auditory processing difficult. This study explores whether noisy conditions influence the effects of phonotactic probability (the likelihood of occurrence of a sound sequence) and neighborhood density (phonological similarity among words) on adults' word learning. Fifty-eight adults learned nonwords varying in phonotactic probability and neighborhood density in either an unfavorable (0-dB signal-to-noise ratio [SNR]) or a favorable (+8-dB SNR) listening condition. Word learning was assessed using a picture naming task by scoring the proportion of phonemes named correctly. The unfavorable 0-dB SNR condition showed a significant interaction between phonotactic probability and neighborhood density in the absence of main effects. In particular, adults learned more words when phonotactic probability and neighborhood density were both low or both high. The +8-dB SNR condition did not show this interaction. These results are inconsistent with those from a prior adult word learning study conducted under quiet listening conditions that showed main effects of word characteristics. As the listening condition worsens, adult word learning benefits from a convergence of phonotactic probability and neighborhood density. Clinical implications are discussed for potential populations who experience difficulty with auditory perception or processing, making them more vulnerable to noise.

A high density field reversed configuration (FRC) target for magnetized target fusion: First internal profile measurements of a high density FRC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Intrator, T.; Zhang, S. Y.; Degnan, J. H.; Furno, I.; Grabowski, C.; Hsu, S. C.; Ruden, E. L.; Sanchez, P. G.; Taccetti, J. M.; Tuszewski, M.; Waganaar, W. J.; Wurden, G. A.

2004-05-01

Magnetized target fusion (MTF) is a potentially low cost path to fusion, intermediate in plasma regime between magnetic and inertial fusion energy. It requires compression of a magnetized target plasma and consequent heating to fusion relevant conditions inside a converging flux conserver. To demonstrate the physics basis for MTF, a field reversed configuration (FRC) target plasma has been chosen that will ultimately be compressed within an imploding metal liner. The required FRC will need large density, and this regime is being explored by the FRX-L (FRC-Liner) experiment. All theta pinch formed FRCs have some shock heating during formation, but FRX-L depends further on large ohmic heating from magnetic flux annihilation to heat the high density (2-5×1022m-3), plasma to a temperature of Te+Ti≈500 eV. At the field null, anomalous resistivity is typically invoked to characterize the resistive like flux dissipation process. The first resistivity estimate for a high density collisional FRC is shown here. The flux dissipation process is both a key issue for MTF and an important underlying physics question.

Model for threading dislocations in metamorphic tandem solar cells on GaAs (001) substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Yifei; Kujofsa, Tedi; Ayers, John E.

2018-02-01

We present an approximate model for the threading dislocations in III-V heterostructures and have applied this model to study the defect behavior in metamorphic triple-junction solar cells. This model represents a new approach in which the coefficient for second-order threading dislocation annihilation and coalescence reactions is considered to be determined by the length of misfit dislocations, LMD, in the structure, and we therefore refer to it as the LMD model. On the basis of this model we have compared the average threading dislocation densities in the active layers of triple junction solar cells using linearly-graded buffers of varying thicknesses as well as S-graded (complementary error function) buffers with varying thicknesses and standard deviation parameters. We have shown that the threading dislocation densities in the active regions of metamorphic tandem solar cells depend not only on the thicknesses of the buffer layers but on their compositional grading profiles. The use of S-graded buffer layers instead of linear buffers resulted in lower threading dislocation densities. Moreover, the threading dislocation densities depended strongly on the standard deviation parameters used in the S-graded buffers, with smaller values providing lower threading dislocation densities.

Optical-vortex pair creation and annihilation and helical astigmatism of a nonplanar ring resonator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heckenberg, N.R.; Vaupel, M.; Malos, J.T.

1996-09-01

The creation and annihilation of pairs of optical vortices have been studied in transitions between patterns produced in a photorefractive oscillator. Smooth metamorphosis between stable patterns occurs through pair creation or annihilation but can be modeled using superposition of modes taking into account lifting of degeneracy of helical modes by helical astigmatism of the resonator. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

Annihilation of Antiprotons in Heavy Nuclei.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-04-01

Scattering Models, Acta Physica Polonica 1311, 425 (1980). T.E. Kalogeropoalos, L. Gray, A . Nandy, and J. Roy, Antiproton-nucleon Annihilation into...I th a Rpor Annihilation of AntiprotonsI the period ,- tpril 1985 to in Heavy Nuclei December 1985 April 1986 Author: Lawrence Livermore National...will be available to the general public, including foreign nationals. A ~AY 2 - >i K2U~ prepared for the: Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory Air

Positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weiss, A.

1991-02-01

A review is given on the results of PAES (positron annihilation induced Auger Electron Spectroscopy) studies to data, with a concentration on those results obtained at the University of Texas at Arlington. Low energy positions, trapped in a surface localized state annihilate with core electrons resulting in the emission of Auger electrons. The advantages of PEAS include: (i) the elimination of the very large secondary electron background, and (ii) increased surface selectivity. (AIP)

The effects of Dark Matter annihilation on cosmic reionization

DOE PAGES

Kaurov, Alexander A.; Hooper, Dan; Gnedin, Nickolay Y.

2016-12-15

We revisit the possibility of constraining the properties of dark matter (DM) by studying the epoch of cosmic reionization. Previous studies have shown that DM annihilation was unlikely to have provided a large fraction of the photons that ionized the universe, but instead played a subdominant role relative to stars and quasars. The DM, however, begins to efficiently annihilate with the formation of primordial microhalos atmore » $$z\\sim100-200$$, much earlier than the formation of the first stars. Therefore, if DM annihilation ionized the universe at even the percent level over the interval $$z \\sim 20-100$$, it can leave a significant imprint on the global optical depth, $$\\tau$$. Moreover, we show that cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization data and future 21 cm measurements will enable us to more directly probe the DM contribution to the optical depth. In order to compute the annihilation rate throughout the epoch of reionization, we adopt the latest results from structure formation studies and explore the impact of various free parameters on our results. Here, we show that future measurements could make it possible to place constraints on the dark matter's annihilation cross section that are at a level comparable to those obtained from the observations of dwarf galaxies, cosmic ray measurements, and studies of recombination.« less

Reflection of Low Energy Positrons from the Surface of Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite and Single Layer Graphene.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imam, S. K.; Chirayath, V. A.; Chrysler, M. D.; Fairchild, A. J.; Gladen, R. W.; Koymen, A. R.; Weiss, A. H.; UT Arlington Positron Surface Laboratory Team

A time of flight positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectrometer (TOF-PAES) was utilized to measure the reflection of positrons as a function of incident positron energy (0 to 10 eV) from the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and from a single layer graphene (SLG) on a Cu foil. A NaI scintillation detector was used to measure the annihilation gamma from the reflected positrons as a function of incident positron kinetic energy. The annihilation of the positrons on HOPG and SLG were simultaneously measured using another NaI detector near the sample. The Auger electrons emitted as a result of the annihilation of positrons from the surface of the sample were also measured concurrently. As the positron kinetic energy was increased, the number of reflected positrons calculated from the intensity under the annihilation gamma peak showed a steady decrease. The positronium formation measured at the sample using the gamma spectrum showed a peak at 6 eV. The intensity of the carbon KVV Auger peak showed a dip at the same energy. The correlation of the three signals, intensity of reflected positrons, positrons annihilating at the sample and the Auger intensity are discussed for both samples. This work was supported by NSF Grant No. DMR 1508719 and DMR 1338130.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moutanabbir, O.; Scholz, R.; Senz, S.

We investigated the microstructural transformations during hydrogen ion-induced splitting of GaN thin layers. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and positron annihilation spectroscopy data show that the implanted region is decorated with a high density of 1-2 nm bubbles resulting from vacancy clustering during implantation. These nanobubbles persist up to 450 deg. C. Ion channeling data show a strong dechanneling enhancement in this temperature range tentatively attributed to strain-induced lattice distortion. The dechanneling level decreases following the formation of plateletlike structures at 475 deg. C. Extended internal surfaces develop around 550 deg. C leading to the exfoliation of GaN thin layer.

Indirect searches for dark matter with the Fermi large area telescope

DOE PAGES

Albert, Andrea

2015-03-24

There is overwhelming evidence that non-baryonic dark matter constitutes ~ 27% of the energy density of the Universe. Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) are promising dark matter candidates that may produce γ rays via annihilation or decay detectable by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). A detection of WIMPs would also indicate the existence of physics beyond the Standard Model. We present recent results from the two cleanest indirect WIMP searches by the Fermi-LAT Collaboration: searches for γ-ray spectral lines and γ-ray emission associated with Milky Way dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies.

Antimatter as an Energy Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jackson, Gerald P.

2009-03-16

Antiprotons and positrons are constantly generated in space, and periodically manufactured by humans here on Earth. Harvesting of these particles in space and forming stable antimatter atoms and molecules would create a significant energy source for power and propulsion. Though dedicated fabrication of these particles on Earth consumes much more energy than could be liberated upon annihilation, manufactured antimatter represents a high-density energy storage mechanism well suited for spacecraft power and propulsion. In this paper the creation, storage, and utilization of antimatter is introduced. Specific examples of electrical energy generation and deep-space propulsion based on antimatter are also reviewed.

Antimatter Propulsion Developed by NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

This Quick Time movie shows possible forms of an antimatter propulsion system being developed by NASA. Antimatter annihilation offers the highest possible physical energy density of any known reaction substance. It is about 10 billion times more powerful than that of chemical energy such as hydrogen and oxygen combustion. Antimatter would be the perfect rocket fuel, but the problem is that the basic component of antimatter, antiprotons, doesn't exist in nature and has to manufactured. The process of antimatter development is ongoing and making some strides, but production of this as a propulsion system is far into the future.

Momentum density and Fermi surface of Nd2-xCexCuO4-δ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shukla, A.; Barbiellini, B.; Hoffmann, L.; Manuel, A. A.; Sadowski, W.; Walker, E.; Peter, M.

1996-02-01

High-temperature positron two-dimensional angular correlation of annihilation radiation (2D-ACAR) measurements have recently been succesfully applied to map parts of the Fermi surface of YBa2Cu3O7-δ. Using the same principle, we have been able to observe with a bulk sensitive method, the Fermi surface of Nd2-xCexCuO4-δ. Although positron trapping by defects and correlation effects are strong, positron 2D-ACAR measurements provide a signal from the Fermi surface which agrees with band-structure calculations, confirming earlier surface sensitive photoemission experiments.

Fluorescence spectroscopy of UV-MALDI matrices and implications of ionization mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Hou-Yu; Hsu, Hsu Chen; Lu, I.-Chung; Hsu, Kuo-Tung; Liao, Chih-Yu; Lee, Yin-Yu; Tseng, Chien-Ming; Lee, Yuan-Tseh; Ni, Chi-Kung

2014-10-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) has been widely used in the mass analysis of biomolecules; however, there are a lot of debates about the ionization mechanisms. Previous studies have indicated that S1-S1 annihilation might be a key process in the generation of primary ions. This study investigates S1-S1 annihilation by examining the time-resolved fluorescence spectra of 12 matrices. No S1-S1 annihilation was observed in six of these matrices (3-hydroxy-picolinic acid, 6-aza-2-thiothymine, 2,4-dihydroxy-acetophenone, 2,6-dihydroxy-acetophenone, 2,4,6-trihydroxy-acetophenone, and ferulic acid). We observed two matrix molecules reacting in an electronically excited state (S1) in five of these matrices (2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid, 2,5-dihydroxy-acetophenone, 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid), and S1-S1 annihilation was a possible reaction. Among these five matrices, no S1-S1 annihilation was observed for 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid in typical peak power region of nanosecond laser pulses in MALDI, but a very small value of reaction rate constant was observed only in the high peak power region. The excited-state lifetime of sinapinic acid was too short to determine whether the molecules reacted in an electronically excited state. No correlation was observed between the ion generation efficiency of MALDI and S1-S1 annihilation. The results indicate that the proposal of S1-S1 annihilation is unnecessary in MALDI and energy pooling model for MALDI ionization mechanism has to be modified.

Recovering the triple coincidence of non-pure positron emitters in preclinical PET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Hsin-Hon; Chuang, Keh-Shih; Chen, Szu-Yu; Jan, Meei-Ling

2016-03-01

Non-pure positron emitters, with their long half-lives, allow for the tracing of slow biochemical processes which cannot be adequately examined by the commonly used short-lived positron emitters. Most of these isotopes emit high-energy cascade gamma rays in addition to positron decay that can be detected and create a triple coincidence with annihilation photons. Triple coincidence is discarded in most scanners, however, the majority of the triple coincidence contains true photon pairs that can be recovered. In this study, we propose a strategy for recovering triple coincidence events to raise the sensitivity of PET imaging for non-pure positron emitters. To identify the true line of response (LOR) from a triple coincidence, a framework utilizing geometrical, energy and temporal information is proposed. The geometrical criterion is based on the assumption that the LOR with the largest radial offset among the three sub pairs of triple coincidences is least likely to be a true LOR. Then, a confidence time window is used to test the valid LOR among those within triple coincidence. Finally, a likelihood ratio discriminant rule based on the energy probability density distribution of cascade and annihilation gammas is established to identify the true LOR. An Inveon preclinical PET scanner was modeled with GATE (GEANT4 application for tomographic emission) Monte Carlo software. We evaluated the performance of the proposed method in terms of identification fraction, noise equivalent count rates (NECR), and image quality on various phantoms. With the inclusion of triple coincidence events using the proposed method, the NECR was found to increase from 11% to 26% and 19% to 29% for I-124 and Br-76, respectively, when 7.4-185 MBq of activity was used. Compared to the reconstructed images using double coincidence, this technique increased the SNR by 5.1-7.3% for I-124 and 9.3-10.3% for Br-76 within the activity range of 9.25-74 MBq, without compromising the spatial resolution or contrast. We conclude that the proposed method can improve the counting statistics of PET imaging for non-pure positron emitters and is ready to be implemented on current PET systems. Parts of this work were presented at the 2012 Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine.

Monte Carlo simulations of time-of-flight PET with double-ended readout: calibration, coincidence resolving times and statistical lower bounds

PubMed Central

Derenzo, Stephen E

2017-01-01

This paper demonstrates through Monte Carlo simulations that a practical positron emission tomograph with (1) deep scintillators for efficient detection, (2) double-ended readout for depth-of-interaction information, (3) fixed-level analog triggering, and (4) accurate calibration and timing data corrections can achieve a coincidence resolving time (CRT) that is not far above the statistical lower bound. One Monte Carlo algorithm simulates a calibration procedure that uses data from a positron point source. Annihilation events with an interaction near the entrance surface of one scintillator are selected, and data from the two photodetectors on the other scintillator provide depth-dependent timing corrections. Another Monte Carlo algorithm simulates normal operation using these corrections and determines the CRT. A third Monte Carlo algorithm determines the CRT statistical lower bound by generating a series of random interaction depths, and for each interaction a set of random photoelectron times for each of the two photodetectors. The most likely interaction times are determined by shifting the depth-dependent probability density function to maximize the joint likelihood for all the photoelectron times in each set. Example calculations are tabulated for different numbers of photoelectrons and photodetector time jitters for three 3 × 3 × 30 mm3 scintillators: Lu2SiO5:Ce,Ca (LSO), LaBr3:Ce, and a hypothetical ultra-fast scintillator. To isolate the factors that depend on the scintillator length and the ability to estimate the DOI, CRT values are tabulated for perfect scintillator-photodetectors. For LSO with 4000 photoelectrons and single photoelectron time jitter of the photodetector J = 0.2 ns (FWHM), the CRT value using the statistically weighted average of corrected trigger times is 0.098 ns FWHM and the statistical lower bound is 0.091 ns FWHM. For LaBr3:Ce with 8000 photoelectrons and J = 0.2 ns FWHM, the CRT values are 0.070 and 0.063 ns FWHM, respectively. For the ultra-fast scintillator with 1 ns decay time, 4000 photoelectrons, and J = 0.2 ns FWHM, the CRT values are 0.021 and 0.017 ns FWHM, respectively. The examples also show that calibration and correction for depth-dependent variations in pulse height and in annihilation and optical photon transit times are necessary to achieve these CRT values. PMID:28327464

Monte Carlo simulations of time-of-flight PET with double-ended readout: calibration, coincidence resolving times and statistical lower bounds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Derenzo, Stephen E.

Here, this paper demonstrates through Monte Carlo simulations that a practical positron emission tomograph with (1) deep scintillators for efficient detection, (2) double-ended readout for depth-of-interaction information, (3) fixed-level analog triggering, and (4) accurate calibration and timing data corrections can achieve a coincidence resolving time (CRT) that is not far above the statistical lower bound. One Monte Carlo algorithm simulates a calibration procedure that uses data from a positron point source. Annihilation events with an interaction near the entrance surface of one scintillator are selected, and data from the two photodetectors on the other scintillator provide depth-dependent timing corrections. Anothermore » Monte Carlo algorithm simulates normal operation using these corrections and determines the CRT. A third Monte Carlo algorithm determines the CRT statistical lower bound by generating a series of random interaction depths, and for each interaction a set of random photoelectron times for each of the two photodetectors. The most likely interaction times are determined by shifting the depth-dependent probability density function to maximize the joint likelihood for all the photoelectron times in each set. Example calculations are tabulated for different numbers of photoelectrons and photodetector time jitters for three 3 × 3 × 30 mm 3 scintillators: Lu 2SiO 5 :Ce,Ca (LSO), LaBr 3:Ce, and a hypothetical ultra-fast scintillator. To isolate the factors that depend on the scintillator length and the ability to estimate the DOI, CRT values are tabulated for perfect scintillator-photodetectors. For LSO with 4000 photoelectrons and single photoelectron time jitter of the photodetector J = 0.2 ns (FWHM), the CRT value using the statistically weighted average of corrected trigger times is 0.098 ns FWHM and the statistical lower bound is 0.091 ns FWHM. For LaBr 3:Ce with 8000 photoelectrons and J = 0.2 ns FWHM, the CRT values are 0.070 and 0.063 ns FWHM, respectively. For the ultra-fast scintillator with 1 ns decay time, 4000 photoelectrons, and J = 0.2 ns FWHM, the CRT values are 0.021 and 0.017 ns FWHM, respectively. Lastly, the examples also show that calibration and correction for depth-dependent variations in pulse height and in annihilation and optical photon transit times are necessary to achieve these CRT values.« less

Monte Carlo simulations of time-of-flight PET with double-ended readout: calibration, coincidence resolving times and statistical lower bounds

DOE PAGES

Derenzo, Stephen E.

2017-04-11

Here, this paper demonstrates through Monte Carlo simulations that a practical positron emission tomograph with (1) deep scintillators for efficient detection, (2) double-ended readout for depth-of-interaction information, (3) fixed-level analog triggering, and (4) accurate calibration and timing data corrections can achieve a coincidence resolving time (CRT) that is not far above the statistical lower bound. One Monte Carlo algorithm simulates a calibration procedure that uses data from a positron point source. Annihilation events with an interaction near the entrance surface of one scintillator are selected, and data from the two photodetectors on the other scintillator provide depth-dependent timing corrections. Anothermore » Monte Carlo algorithm simulates normal operation using these corrections and determines the CRT. A third Monte Carlo algorithm determines the CRT statistical lower bound by generating a series of random interaction depths, and for each interaction a set of random photoelectron times for each of the two photodetectors. The most likely interaction times are determined by shifting the depth-dependent probability density function to maximize the joint likelihood for all the photoelectron times in each set. Example calculations are tabulated for different numbers of photoelectrons and photodetector time jitters for three 3 × 3 × 30 mm 3 scintillators: Lu 2SiO 5 :Ce,Ca (LSO), LaBr 3:Ce, and a hypothetical ultra-fast scintillator. To isolate the factors that depend on the scintillator length and the ability to estimate the DOI, CRT values are tabulated for perfect scintillator-photodetectors. For LSO with 4000 photoelectrons and single photoelectron time jitter of the photodetector J = 0.2 ns (FWHM), the CRT value using the statistically weighted average of corrected trigger times is 0.098 ns FWHM and the statistical lower bound is 0.091 ns FWHM. For LaBr 3:Ce with 8000 photoelectrons and J = 0.2 ns FWHM, the CRT values are 0.070 and 0.063 ns FWHM, respectively. For the ultra-fast scintillator with 1 ns decay time, 4000 photoelectrons, and J = 0.2 ns FWHM, the CRT values are 0.021 and 0.017 ns FWHM, respectively. Lastly, the examples also show that calibration and correction for depth-dependent variations in pulse height and in annihilation and optical photon transit times are necessary to achieve these CRT values.« less

Probability function of breaking-limited surface elevation. [wind generated waves of ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tung, C. C.; Huang, N. E.; Yuan, Y.; Long, S. R.

1989-01-01

The effect of wave breaking on the probability function of surface elevation is examined. The surface elevation limited by wave breaking zeta sub b(t) is first related to the original wave elevation zeta(t) and its second derivative. An approximate, second-order, nonlinear, non-Gaussian model for zeta(t) of arbitrary but moderate bandwidth is presented, and an expression for the probability density function zeta sub b(t) is derived. The results show clearly that the effect of wave breaking on the probability density function of surface elevation is to introduce a secondary hump on the positive side of the probability density function, a phenomenon also observed in wind wave tank experiments.

High throughput nonparametric probability density estimation.

PubMed

Farmer, Jenny; Jacobs, Donald

2018-01-01

In high throughput applications, such as those found in bioinformatics and finance, it is important to determine accurate probability distribution functions despite only minimal information about data characteristics, and without using human subjectivity. Such an automated process for univariate data is implemented to achieve this goal by merging the maximum entropy method with single order statistics and maximum likelihood. The only required properties of the random variables are that they are continuous and that they are, or can be approximated as, independent and identically distributed. A quasi-log-likelihood function based on single order statistics for sampled uniform random data is used to empirically construct a sample size invariant universal scoring function. Then a probability density estimate is determined by iteratively improving trial cumulative distribution functions, where better estimates are quantified by the scoring function that identifies atypical fluctuations. This criterion resists under and over fitting data as an alternative to employing the Bayesian or Akaike information criterion. Multiple estimates for the probability density reflect uncertainties due to statistical fluctuations in random samples. Scaled quantile residual plots are also introduced as an effective diagnostic to visualize the quality of the estimated probability densities. Benchmark tests show that estimates for the probability density function (PDF) converge to the true PDF as sample size increases on particularly difficult test probability densities that include cases with discontinuities, multi-resolution scales, heavy tails, and singularities. These results indicate the method has general applicability for high throughput statistical inference.

High throughput nonparametric probability density estimation

PubMed Central

Farmer, Jenny

2018-01-01

In high throughput applications, such as those found in bioinformatics and finance, it is important to determine accurate probability distribution functions despite only minimal information about data characteristics, and without using human subjectivity. Such an automated process for univariate data is implemented to achieve this goal by merging the maximum entropy method with single order statistics and maximum likelihood. The only required properties of the random variables are that they are continuous and that they are, or can be approximated as, independent and identically distributed. A quasi-log-likelihood function based on single order statistics for sampled uniform random data is used to empirically construct a sample size invariant universal scoring function. Then a probability density estimate is determined by iteratively improving trial cumulative distribution functions, where better estimates are quantified by the scoring function that identifies atypical fluctuations. This criterion resists under and over fitting data as an alternative to employing the Bayesian or Akaike information criterion. Multiple estimates for the probability density reflect uncertainties due to statistical fluctuations in random samples. Scaled quantile residual plots are also introduced as an effective diagnostic to visualize the quality of the estimated probability densities. Benchmark tests show that estimates for the probability density function (PDF) converge to the true PDF as sample size increases on particularly difficult test probability densities that include cases with discontinuities, multi-resolution scales, heavy tails, and singularities. These results indicate the method has general applicability for high throughput statistical inference. PMID:29750803

Annihilation in Gases and Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drachman, Richard J. (Editor)

1990-01-01

This publication contains most of the papers, both invited and contributed, that were presented at the Workshop of Annihilation in Gases and Galaxies. This was the fifth in a biennial series associated with the International Conference on the Physics of Electronic and Atomic Collisions. Subjects covered included the scattering and annihilation of positrons and positronium atoms in various media, including those of astrophysical interest. In addition, the topics of antimatter and dark matter were covered.

Defect Characterization in Semiconductors with Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuomisto, Filip

Positron annihilation spectroscopy is an experimental technique that allows the selective detection of vacancy defects in semiconductors, providing a means to both identify and quantify them. This chapter gives an introduction to the principles of the positron annihilation techniques and then discusses the physics of some interesting observations on vacancy defects related to growth and doping of semiconductors. Illustrative examples are selected from studies performed in silicon, III-nitrides, and ZnO.

Materials characterization of free volume and void properties by two-dimensional positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hongmin; Van Horn, J. David; Jean, Y. C.; Hung, Wei-Song; Lee, Kueir-Rarn

2013-04-01

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) has been widely used to determine the free volume and void properties in polymeric materials. Recently, a two dimensional positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (2DPALS) system has been developed for membrane applications. The system measures the coincident signals between the lifetime and the energy which could separate the 2γ and 3γ annihilations and improve the accuracy in the determination of the free volume and void properties. When 2D-PALS is used in coupling with a variable mono-energy slow positron beam, it could be applied to a variety of material characterization. Results of free volumes and voids properties in a multi-layer polymer membrane characterized using 2D-PALS are presented.

Utility of positron annihilation lifetime technique for the assessment of spectroscopic data of some charge-transfer complexes derived from N-(1-Naphthyl)ethylenediamine dihydrochloride

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Refat, Moamen S.; Adam, Abdel Majid A.; Sharshar, T.; Saad, Hosam A.; Eldaroti, Hala H.

2014-03-01

In this work, structural, thermal, morphological, pharmacological screening and positron annihilation lifetime measurements were performed on the interactions between a N-(1-Naphthyl)ethylenediamine dihydrochloride (NEDA·2HCl) donor and three types of acceptors to characterize these CT complexes. The three types of acceptors include π-acceptors (quinol and picric acid), σ-acceptors (iodine) and vacant orbital acceptors (tin(IV) tetrachloride and zinc chloride). The positron annihilation lifetime parameters were found to be dependent on the structure, electronic configuration, the power of acceptors and molecular weight of the CT complexes. The positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy can be used as a probe for the formation of charge-transfer (CT) complexes.

Moments of the Particle Phase-Space Density at Freeze-out and Coincidence Probabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bialas, A.; Czyż, W.; Zalewski, K.

2005-10-01

It is pointed out that the moments of phase-space particle density at freeze-out can be determined from the coincidence probabilities of the events observed in multiparticle production. A method to measure the coincidence probabilities is described and its validity examined.

Use of uninformative priors to initialize state estimation for dynamical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worthy, Johnny L.; Holzinger, Marcus J.

2017-10-01

The admissible region must be expressed probabilistically in order to be used in Bayesian estimation schemes. When treated as a probability density function (PDF), a uniform admissible region can be shown to have non-uniform probability density after a transformation. An alternative approach can be used to express the admissible region probabilistically according to the Principle of Transformation Groups. This paper uses a fundamental multivariate probability transformation theorem to show that regardless of which state space an admissible region is expressed in, the probability density must remain the same under the Principle of Transformation Groups. The admissible region can be shown to be analogous to an uninformative prior with a probability density that remains constant under reparameterization. This paper introduces requirements on how these uninformative priors may be transformed and used for state estimation and the difference in results when initializing an estimation scheme via a traditional transformation versus the alternative approach.

Mapping out the QCD phase transition in multiparticle production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kabana, Sonja; Minkowski, Peter

2001-04-01

We analyse multiparticle production in a thermal framework for seven central nucleus + nucleus collisions, e+ + e- annihilation into hadrons on the Z resonance and four hadronic reactions p + p and p + pbar with partial centrality selection), with centre of mass energies ranging from √(s) = 2.6 GeV (per nucleon pair) to 1.8 TeV. Thermodynamic parameters at chemical freeze-out (temperature and baryon and strangeness fugacities) are obtained from appropriate fits, generally improving in quality for reactions subjected to centrality cuts. All systems with non-vanishing fugacities are extrapolated along trajectories of equal energy density, density and entropy density to zero fugacities. The so-obtained temperatures extrapolated to zero fugacities as a function of initial energy density ɛin universally show a strong rise followed by a saturating limit of Tlim = 155 +/- 6 +/- 20 MeV. We interpret this behaviour as mapping out the boundary between quark gluon plasma and hadronic phases. The ratio of strange antiquarks to light ones as a function of the initial energy density ɛin shows the same behaviour as the temperature, saturating at a value of 0.365 +/- 0.033 +/- 0.07. No distinctive feature of `strangeness enhancement' is seen for heavy ion collisions relative to hadronic and leptonic reactions, when compared at the same initial energy density.

Passivation mechanism of thermal atomic layer-deposited Al2O3 films on silicon at different annealing temperatures.

PubMed

Zhao, Yan; Zhou, Chunlan; Zhang, Xiang; Zhang, Peng; Dou, Yanan; Wang, Wenjing; Cao, Xingzhong; Wang, Baoyi; Tang, Yehua; Zhou, Su

2013-03-02

Thermal atomic layer-deposited (ALD) aluminum oxide (Al2O3) acquires high negative fixed charge density (Qf) and sufficiently low interface trap density after annealing, which enables excellent surface passivation for crystalline silicon. Qf can be controlled by varying the annealing temperatures. In this study, the effect of the annealing temperature of thermal ALD Al2O3 films on p-type Czochralski silicon wafers was investigated. Corona charging measurements revealed that the Qf obtained at 300°C did not significantly affect passivation. The interface-trapping density markedly increased at high annealing temperature (>600°C) and degraded the surface passivation even at a high Qf. Negatively charged or neutral vacancies were found in the samples annealed at 300°C, 500°C, and 750°C using positron annihilation techniques. The Al defect density in the bulk film and the vacancy density near the SiOx/Si interface region decreased with increased temperature. Measurement results of Qf proved that the Al vacancy of the bulk film may not be related to Qf. The defect density in the SiOx region affected the chemical passivation, but other factors may dominantly influence chemical passivation at 750°C.

Passivation mechanism of thermal atomic layer-deposited Al2O3 films on silicon at different annealing temperatures

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Thermal atomic layer-deposited (ALD) aluminum oxide (Al2O3) acquires high negative fixed charge density (Qf) and sufficiently low interface trap density after annealing, which enables excellent surface passivation for crystalline silicon. Qf can be controlled by varying the annealing temperatures. In this study, the effect of the annealing temperature of thermal ALD Al2O3 films on p-type Czochralski silicon wafers was investigated. Corona charging measurements revealed that the Qf obtained at 300°C did not significantly affect passivation. The interface-trapping density markedly increased at high annealing temperature (>600°C) and degraded the surface passivation even at a high Qf. Negatively charged or neutral vacancies were found in the samples annealed at 300°C, 500°C, and 750°C using positron annihilation techniques. The Al defect density in the bulk film and the vacancy density near the SiOx/Si interface region decreased with increased temperature. Measurement results of Qf proved that the Al vacancy of the bulk film may not be related to Qf. The defect density in the SiOx region affected the chemical passivation, but other factors may dominantly influence chemical passivation at 750°C. PMID:23452508

Fluorescence spectroscopy of UV-MALDI matrices and implications of ionization mechanisms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Hou-Yu; Hsu, Hsu Chen; Lu, I-Chung

2014-10-28

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) has been widely used in the mass analysis of biomolecules; however, there are a lot of debates about the ionization mechanisms. Previous studies have indicated that S{sub 1}-S{sub 1} annihilation might be a key process in the generation of primary ions. This study investigates S{sub 1}-S{sub 1} annihilation by examining the time-resolved fluorescence spectra of 12 matrices. No S{sub 1}-S{sub 1} annihilation was observed in six of these matrices (3-hydroxy-picolinic acid, 6-aza-2-thiothymine, 2,4-dihydroxy-acetophenone, 2,6-dihydroxy-acetophenone, 2,4,6-trihydroxy-acetophenone, and ferulic acid). We observed two matrix molecules reacting in an electronically excited state (S{sub 1}) in five of thesemore » matrices (2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid, 2,5-dihydroxy-acetophenone, 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid), and S{sub 1}-S{sub 1} annihilation was a possible reaction. Among these five matrices, no S{sub 1}-S{sub 1} annihilation was observed for 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid in typical peak power region of nanosecond laser pulses in MALDI, but a very small value of reaction rate constant was observed only in the high peak power region. The excited-state lifetime of sinapinic acid was too short to determine whether the molecules reacted in an electronically excited state. No correlation was observed between the ion generation efficiency of MALDI and S{sub 1}-S{sub 1} annihilation. The results indicate that the proposal of S{sub 1}-S{sub 1} annihilation is unnecessary in MALDI and energy pooling model for MALDI ionization mechanism has to be modified.« less

Indirect search for dark matter in the Sun

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rott, Carsten, E-mail: rott@skku.edu

If dark matter is be captured in the Sun and self-annihilate, evidence of this process might be observable on the Earth in form of a neutrinos, which are copiously produced in the annihilation process. We discuss a novel signature of dark matter annihilations in the Sun that originates from monoenergetic neutrinos produced in pion and kaon decays. Based on this signature we find competitive sensitivities for the detection of dark matter at present and next-generation neutrino detectors.

Investigation of estimators of probability density functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Speed, F. M.

1972-01-01

Four research projects are summarized which include: (1) the generation of random numbers on the IBM 360/44, (2) statistical tests used to check out random number generators, (3) Specht density estimators, and (4) use of estimators of probability density functions in analyzing large amounts of data.

Semi-inclusive production of two back-to-back hadron pairs in e+e- annihilation revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matevosyan, Hrayr H.; Bacchetta, Alessandro; Boer, Daniël; Courtoy, Aurore; Kotzinian, Aram; Radici, Marco; Thomas, Anthony W.

2018-04-01

The cross section for back-to-back hadron pair production in e+e- annihilation provides access to the dihadron fragmentation functions (DiFF) needed to extract nucleon parton distribution functions from the semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) experiments with two detected final state hadrons. Particular attention is given to the so-called interference DiFF (IFF), which makes it possible to extract the transversity parton distribution of the nucleon in the collinear framework. However, previously unnoticed discrepancies were recently highlighted between the definitions of the IFFs appearing in the collinear kinematics when reconstructed from DiFFs entering the unintegrated fully differential cross sections of SIDIS and e+e- annihilation processes. In this work, to clarify this problem we re-derive the fully differential cross section for e+e- annihilation at the leading-twist approximation. We find a mistake in the definition of the kinematics in the original expression that systematically affects a subset of terms and that leads to two significant consequences. First, the discrepancy between the IFF definitions in the cross sections for SIDIS and e+e- annihilation is resolved. Second, the previously derived azimuthal asymmetry for accessing the helicity dependent DiFF G1⊥ in e+e- annihilation vanishes, which explains the nonobservation of this asymmetry in the recent experimental searches by the BELLE collaboration. We discuss the recently proposed alternative option to extract G1⊥.

Measurement of the spectra of low energy electrons resulting from Auger transitions induced by the annihilation of low energy positrons implanted at The Ag (100) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shastry, Karthik; Joglekar, Prasad; Weiss, A. H.; Fazleev, N. G.

2013-04-01

A few percent of positrons bound to a solid surface annihilate with core electrons resulting in highly excited atoms containing core holes. These core holes may be filled in an auto-ionizing process in which a less tightly bound electron drops into the hole and the energy difference transferred to an outgoing "Auger electron." Because the core holes are created by annihilation and not impact it is possible to use very low energy positron beams to obtain annihilation induced Auger signals. The Auger signals so obtained have little or none of the large impact induced secondary electron background that interferes with measurements of the low energy Auger spectra obtained using the much higher incident energies necessary when using electron or photon beams. Here we present the results of measurements of the energy spectrum of low energy electrons emitted as a result of Positron Annihilation Induce Auger Electron Emission [1] from a clean Ag (100) surface. The measurements were performed using the University of Texas Arlington Time of Flight Positron Annihilation induced Auger Electron Spectrometer (T-O-F-PAES) System [2]. A strong double peak was observed at ˜35eV corresponding to the N2VV and N3VV Auger transitions in agreement with previous PAES studies [3].

Synchrotron Emission from Dark Matter Annihilation: Predictions for Constraints from Non-detections of Galaxy Clusters with New Radio Surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storm, Emma; Jeltema, Tesla E.; Splettstoesser, Megan; Profumo, Stefano

2017-04-01

The annihilation of dark matter particles is expected to yield a broad radiation spectrum via the production of Standard Model particles in astrophysical environments. In particular, electrons and positrons from dark matter annihilation produce synchrotron radiation in the presence of magnetic fields. Galaxy clusters are the most massive collapsed structures in the universe, and are known to host ˜μG-scale magnetic fields. They are therefore ideal targets to search for, or to constrain the synchrotron signal from dark matter annihilation. In this work, we use the expected sensitivities of several planned surveys from the next generation of radio telescopes to predict the constraints on dark matter annihilation models which will be achieved in the case of non-detections of diffuse radio emission from galaxy clusters. Specifically, we consider the Tier 1 survey planned for the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) at 120 MHz, the Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) survey planned for the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) at 1.4 GHz, and planned surveys for Aperture Tile in Focus (APERTIF) at 1.4 GHz. We find that, for massive clusters and dark matter masses ≲ 100 {GeV}, the predicted limits on the annihilation cross section would rule out vanilla thermal relic models for even the shallow LOFAR Tier 1, ASKAP, and APERTIF surveys.

Little Higgs dark matter after PandaX-II/LUX-2016 and LHC Run-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Lei; Yang, Bingfang; Zhang, Mengchao

2016-12-01

In the Littlest Higgs model with T-parity (LHT), the T-odd heavy photon ( A H ) is weakly interacting and can play the role of dark matter. We investigate the lower limit on the mass of A H dark matter under the constraints from Higgs data, EWPOs, R b , Planck 2015 dark matter relic abundance, PandaX-II/LUX 2016 direct detections and LHC-8 TeV monojet results. We find that (1) Higgs data, EWPOs and R b can exclude the mass of A H up to 99 GeV. To produce the correct dark matter relic abundance, A H has to co-annihilate with T-odd quarks ( q H ) or leptons ( ℓ H ); (2) the LUX (PandaX-II) 2016 data can further exclude {m}_{A_H} < 380(270) GeV for ℓ H - A H co-annihilation and {m}_{A_H} < 350(240) GeV for q H - A H co-annihilation; (3) LHC-8 TeV monojet result can give a strong lower limit, {m}_{A_H} > 540 GeV, for q H - A H co-annihilation; (4) future XENON1T(2017) experiment can fully cover the parameter space of ℓ H - A H co-annihilation and will push the lower limit of {m}_{A_H} up to about 640 GeV for q H - A H co-annihilation.

Shear response of grain boundaries with metastable structures by molecular dynamics simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Liang; Lu, Cheng; Shibuta, Yasushi

2018-04-01

Grain boundaries (GBs) can play a role as the favored locations to annihilate point defects, such as interstitial atoms and vacancies. It is thus highly probable that different boundary structures can be simultaneously present in equilibrium with each other in the same GB, and thus the GB achieves a metastable state. However, the structural transition and deformation mechanism of such GBs are currently not well understood. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to study the multiple structures of a Σ5(310)/[001] GB in bicrystal Al and to investigate the effect of structural multiplicity on the mechanical and kinetic properties of such a GB. Different GB structures were obtained by changing the starting atomic configuration of the bicrystal model, and the GB structures had significantly different atomic density. For the Σ5(310) GB with metastable structures, GB sliding was the dominant mechanism at a low temperature (T = 10 K) under shear stress. The sliding mechanism resulted from the uncoordinated transformation of the inhomogeneous structural units. The nucleation of voids was observed during GB sliding at the low temperature, and the voids subsequently evolved to a nanocrack at the boundary plane. Increasing the temperature can induce the structural transition of local GB structures and can change their overall kinetic properties. GB migration with occasional GB sliding dominated the deformation mechanism at elevated temperatures (T = 300 and 600 K), and the migration process of the metastable GB structures is closely related to the thermally assisted diffusion mechanism.

Fusion of Hard and Soft Information in Nonparametric Density Estimation

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-10

and stochastic optimization models, in analysis of simulation output, and when instantiating probability models. We adopt a constrained maximum...particular, density estimation is needed for generation of input densities to simulation and stochastic optimization models, in analysis of simulation output...an essential step in simulation analysis and stochastic optimization is the generation of probability densities for input random variables; see for

Proton-irradiation induced defects in modified 310S steels characterized with positron annihilation spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Weiping; Shen, Zhenyu; Tang, Rui; Jin, Suoxue; Song, Yaoxiang; Long, Yunxiang; Wei, Yaxia; Zhou, Xiong; Chen, Cheng; Guo, Liping

2018-07-01

An effective method to improve the irradiation resistance of austenitic stainless steels is adding oversized solutes into steels. In this work, the irradiation resistances of two type of modified 310S steels, in one of which Zr was added and in another Nb, Ta, and W were added, were investigated by proton irradiations at 563 K. Irradiation induced vacancy-type defects was characterized with positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), while dislocation loops and bubbles whose size are greater than 1 nm are characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is found that the relative S parameter ΔS/S extracted from PAS is more effective than S parameter in evaluating the quantity of vacancy-type defects. It was revealed from ΔS/S that more vacancy-type defects produced in (Nb, Ta, W)-added steels than that in Zr-added steels, and this trend became more obvious with the dose increasing. S-W curves reveal that proton irradiation induced two kinds of vacancy-type defects, i.e. vacancy clusters and proton-vacancy clusters. TEM observation shows that the density of small bubbles induced by proton in (Nb, Ta, W)-added steels is much higher than that in Zr-added steels. Both 1/3 <1 1 1> and 1/2 <1 1 0> dislocation loops were observed with TEM in all of the specimens. The mean size and number density of dislocation loops in (Nb, Ta, W)-added steels are slightly larger than that in Zr-added steels, and increased with increasing irradiation dose. Both PAS and TEM observations shows that irradiation damage in Zr-added steels is less serious than that (Nb, Ta, W)-added steels, and the possible mechanisms are discussed through the enhancement of point defect recombination by oversized solute atoms.

Effects of Substrate and Post-Growth Treatments on the Microstructure and Properties of ZnO Thin Films Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haseman, Micah; Saadatkia, P.; Winarski, D. J.; Selim, F. A.; Leedy, K. D.; Tetlak, S.; Look, D. C.; Anwand, W.; Wagner, A.

2016-12-01

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) thin films were synthesized by atomic layer deposition on silicon, quartz and sapphire substrates and characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, optical spectroscopy, conductivity mapping, Hall effect measurements and positron annihilation spectroscopy. XRD showed that the as-grown films are of single-phase ZnO wurtzite structure and do not contain any secondary or impurity phases. The type of substrate was found to affect the orientation and degree of crystallinity of the films but had no effect on the defect structure or the transport properties of the films. High conductivity of 10-3 Ω cm, electron mobility of 20 cm2/Vs and carrier density of 1020 cm-3 were measured in most films. Thermal treatments in various atmospheres induced a large effect on the thickness, structure and electrical properties of the films. Annealing in a Zn and nitrogen environment at 400°C for 1 h led to a 16% increase in the thickness of the film; this indicates that Zn extracts oxygen atoms from the matrix and forms new layers of ZnO. On the other hand, annealing in a hydrogen atmosphere led to the emergence of an Al2O3 peak in the XRD pattern, which implies that hydrogen and Al atoms compete to occupy Zn sites in the ZnO lattice. Only ambient air annealing had an effect on film defect density and electrical properties, generating reductions in conductivity and electron mobility. Depth-resolved measurements of positron annihilation spectroscopy revealed short positron diffusion lengths and high concentrations of defects in all as-grown films. However, these defects did not diminish the electrical conductivity in the films.

How light a higgsino or a wino dark matter can become in a compressed scenario of MSSM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborti, Manimala; Chattopadhyay, Utpal; Poddar, Sujoy

2017-09-01

Higgsinos and Wino have strong motivations for being Dark Matter (DM) candidates in supersymmetry, but their annihilation cross sections are quite large. For thermal generation and a single component DM setup the higgsinos or wino may have masses of around 1 or 2-3 TeV respectively. For such DM candidates, a small amount of slepton coannihilation may decrease the effective DM annihilation cross section. This, in turn reduces the lower limit of the relic density satisfied DM mass by more than 50%. Almost a similar degree of reduction of the same limit is also seen for squark coannihilations. However, on the contrary, for near degeneracy of squarks and higgsino DM, near its generic upper limit, the associated coannihilations may decrease the relic density, thus extending the upper limit towards higher DM masses. We also compute the direct and indirect detection signals. Here, because of the quasi-mass degeneracy of the squarks and the LSP, we come across a situation where squark exchange diagrams may contribute significantly or more strongly than the Higgs exchange contributions in the spin-independent direct detection cross section of DM. For the higgsino-DM scenario, we observe that a DM mass of 600 GeV to be consistent with WMAP/PLANCK and LUX data for sfermion coannihilations. The LUX data itself excludes the region of 450 to 600 GeV, by a half order of magnitude of the cross-section, well below the associated uncertainty. The similar combined lower limit for a wino DM is about 1.1 TeV. There is hardly any collider bound from the LHC for squarks and sleptons in such a compressed scenario where sfermion masses are close to the mass of a higgsino/wino LSP.

Evaluation of methyl eugenol and cue-lure traps with solid lure and insecticide dispensers for fruit fly monitoring and male annihilation in the Hawaii Areawide Pest Management Program.

PubMed

Vargas, Roger I; Mau, Ronald F L; Stark, John D; Piñero, Jaime C; Leblanc, Luc; Souder, Steven K

2010-04-01

Methyl eugenol (ME) and cue-lure (C-L) traps with solid lure dispensers were deployed in areas with low and high populations of oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), and melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett), respectively. In low-density areas, standard Jackson traps or Hawaii Fruit Fly Areawide Pest Management (AWPM) traps with FT Mallet ME wafers impregnated with dimethyl dichloro-vinyl phosphate (DDVP) or AWPM traps with Scentry ME cones and vapor tape performed equally as well as standard Jackson traps with liquid ME/C-L and naled. Standard Jackson traps or AWPM traps with FT Mallet C-L wafers impregnated with DDVP or AWPM traps with Scentry C-L plugs with vapor tape performed equally as well as standard Jackson traps with a lure-naled solution. In high density areas, captures with traps containing FT Mallet wafers (ME and C-L) outperformed AWPM traps with Scentry cones and plugs (ME and C-L) with DDVP insecticidal strips over a 6-mo period. Captures of B. dorsalis and B. cucurbitae with wafers containing both ME and raspberry ketone (FT Mallet MC) were equivalent to those containing separate lures. From a worker safety and convenience standpoint, FT Mallet ME and C-L wafers with DDVP or Scentry plugs, with or without DDVP vapor tape, are more convenient and safer to handle than standard liquid insecticide formulations used for monitoring and male annihilation programs in Hawaii, and for detections traps used on the U.S. mainland. Furthermore, the FT Mallet MC wafer might be used in a single trap in place of two separate traps for detection of both ME and C-L responding fruit flies.

On the Direct Detection of Dark Matter Annihilation

DOE PAGES

Cherry, John Francis Jr.; Frandsen, Mads T.; Shoemaker, Ian M.

2015-06-12

We investigate the direct detection phenomenology of a class of dark matter (DM) models in which DM does not directly interact with nuclei, but rather, the products of its annihilation do. When these annihilation products are very light compared to the DM mass, the scattering in direct detection experiments is controlled by relativistic kinematics. This results in a distinctive recoil spectrum, a nonstandard and/or even absent annual modulation, and the ability to probe DM masses as low as a ~ 10 MeV. Here, we use current LUX data to show that experimental sensitivity to thermal relic annihilation cross sections hasmore » already been reached in a class of models. Moreover, the compatibility of dark matter direct detection experiments can be compared directly in E min space without making assumptions about DM astrophysics, mass, or scattering form factors. Lastly, when DM has direct couplings to nuclei, the limit from annihilation to relativistic particlesin the Sun can be stronger than that of conventional nonrelativistic direct detection by more than 3 orders of magnitude for masses in a 2–7 GeV window.« less

Complete particle-pair annihilation as a dynamical signature of the spectral singularity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, G.R.; Zhang, X.Z.; Song, Z., E-mail: nkquantum@gmail.com

2014-10-15

Motivated by the physical relevance of a spectral singularity of interacting many-particle system, we explore the dynamics of two bosons as well as fermions in one-dimensional system with imaginary delta interaction strength. Based on the exact solution, it shows that the two-particle collision leads to amplitude-reduction of the wave function. For fermion pair, the amplitude-reduction depends on the spin configuration of two particles. In both cases, the residual amplitude can vanish when the relative group velocity of two single-particle Gaussian wave packets with equal width reaches the magnitude of the interaction strength, exhibiting complete particle-pair annihilation at the spectral singularity.more » - Highlights: • We investigate the physical relevance of a spectral singularity. • The two-particle collision leads to amplitude-reduction of the wave function. • There is a singularity spectrum which leads to complete particle-pair annihilation. • Complete particle-pair annihilation can only occur for two distinguishable bosons and singlet fermions. • Pair annihilation provides a detection method of the spectral singularity in the experiment.« less

Search for neutrinos from dark matter self-annihilations in the center of the Milky Way with 3 years of IceCube/DeepCore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aartsen, M. G.; Ackermann, M.; Adams, J.; Aguilar, J. A.; Ahlers, M.; Ahrens, M.; Al Samarai, I.; Altmann, D.; Andeen, K.; Anderson, T.; Ansseau, I.; Anton, G.; Argüelles, C.; Auffenberg, J.; Axani, S.; Bagherpour, H.; Bai, X.; Barron, J. P.; Barwick, S. W.; Baum, V.; Bay, R.; Beatty, J. J.; Tjus, J. Becker; Becker, K.-H.; BenZvi, S.; Berley, D.; Bernardini, E.; Besson, D. Z.; Binder, G.; Bindig, D.; Blaufuss, E.; Blot, S.; Bohm, C.; Börner, M.; Bos, F.; Bose, D.; Böser, S.; Botner, O.; Bourbeau, J.; Bradascio, F.; Braun, J.; Brayeur, L.; Brenzke, M.; Bretz, H.-P.; Bron, S.; Burgman, A.; Carver, T.; Casey, J.; Casier, M.; Cheung, E.; Chirkin, D.; Christov, A.; Clark, K.; Classen, L.; Coenders, S.; Collin, G. H.; Conrad, J. M.; Cowen, D. F.; Cross, R.; Day, M.; de André, J. P. A. M.; De Clercq, C.; DeLaunay, J. J.; Dembinski, H.; De Ridder, S.; Desiati, P.; de Vries, K. D.; de Wasseige, G.; de With, M.; DeYoung, T.; Díaz-Vélez, J. C.; di Lorenzo, V.; Dujmovic, H.; Dumm, J. P.; Dunkman, M.; Eberhardt, B.; Ehrhardt, T.; Eichmann, B.; Eller, P.; Evenson, P. A.; Fahey, S.; Fazely, A. R.; Felde, J.; Filimonov, K.; Finley, C.; Flis, S.; Franckowiak, A.; Friedman, E.; Fuchs, T.; Gaisser, T. K.; Gallagher, J.; Gerhardt, L.; Ghorbani, K.; Giang, W.; Glauch, T.; Glüsenkamp, T.; Goldschmidt, A.; Gonzalez, J. G.; Grant, D.; Griffith, Z.; Haack, C.; Hallgren, A.; Halzen, F.; Hanson, K.; Hebecker, D.; Heereman, D.; Helbing, K.; Hellauer, R.; Hickford, S.; Hignight, J.; Hill, G. C.; Hoffman, K. D.; Hoffmann, R.; Hokanson-Fasig, B.; Hoshina, K.; Huang, F.; Huber, M.; Hultqvist, K.; In, S.; Ishihara, A.; Jacobi, E.; Japaridze, G. S.; Jeong, M.; Jero, K.; Jones, B. J. P.; Kalacynski, P.; Kang, W.; Kappes, A.; Karg, T.; Karle, A.; Katz, U.; Kauer, M.; Keivani, A.; Kelley, J. L.; Kheirandish, A.; Kim, J.; Kim, M.; Kintscher, T.; Kiryluk, J.; Kittler, T.; Klein, S. R.; Kohnen, G.; Koirala, R.; Kolanoski, H.; Köpke, L.; Kopper, C.; Kopper, S.; Koschinsky, J. P.; Koskinen, D. J.; Kowalski, M.; Krings, K.; Kroll, M.; Krückl, G.; Kunnen, J.; Kunwar, S.; Kurahashi, N.; Kuwabara, T.; Kyriacou, A.; Labare, M.; Lanfranchi, J. L.; Larson, M. J.; Lauber, F.; Lennarz, D.; Lesiak-Bzdak, M.; Leuermann, M.; Liu, Q. R.; Lu, L.; Lünemann, J.; Luszczak, W.; Madsen, J.; Maggi, G.; Mahn, K. B. M.; Mancina, S.; Maruyama, R.; Mase, K.; Maunu, R.; McNally, F.; Meagher, K.; Medici, M.; Meier, M.; Menne, T.; Merino, G.; Meures, T.; Miarecki, S.; Micallef, J.; Momenté, G.; Montaruli, T.; Moore, R. W.; Moulai, M.; Nahnhauer, R.; Nakarmi, P.; Naumann, U.; Neer, G.; Niederhausen, H.; Nowicki, S. C.; Nygren, D. R.; Pollmann, A. Obertacke; Olivas, A.; O'Murchadha, A.; Palczewski, T.; Pandya, H.; Pankova, D. V.; Peiffer, P.; Pepper, J. A.; de los Heros, C. Pérez; Pieloth, D.; Pinat, E.; Plum, M.; Price, P. B.; Przybylski, G. T.; Raab, C.; Rädel, L.; Rameez, M.; Rawlins, K.; Reimann, R.; Relethford, B.; Relich, M.; Resconi, E.; Rhode, W.; Richman, M.; Riedel, B.; Robertson, S.; Rongen, M.; Rott, C.; Ruhe, T.; Ryckbosch, D.; Rysewyk, D.; Sälzer, T.; Sanchez Herrera, S. E.; Sandrock, A.; Sandroos, J.; Sarkar, S.; Sarkar, S.; Satalecka, K.; Schlunder, P.; Schmidt, T.; Schneider, A.; Schoenen, S.; Schöneberg, S.; Schumacher, L.; Seckel, D.; Seunarine, S.; Soldin, D.; Song, M.; Spiczak, G. M.; Spiering, C.; Stachurska, J.; Stanev, T.; Stasik, A.; Stettner, J.; Steuer, A.; Stezelberger, T.; Stokstad, R. G.; Stößl, A.; Strotjohann, N. L.; Sullivan, G. W.; Sutherland, M.; Taboada, I.; Tatar, J.; Tenholt, F.; Ter-Antonyan, S.; Terliuk, A.; Tešić, G.; Tilav, S.; Toale, P. A.; Tobin, M. N.; Toscano, S.; Tosi, D.; Tselengidou, M.; Tung, C. F.; Turcati, A.; Turley, C. F.; Ty, B.; Unger, E.; Usner, M.; Vandenbroucke, J.; Driessche, W. Van; Eijndhoven, N. van; Vanheule, S.; Santen, J. van; Vehring, M.; Vogel, E.; Vraeghe, M.; Walck, C.; Wallace, A.; Wallraff, M.; Wandler, F. D.; Wandkowsky, N.; Waza, A.; Weaver, C.; Weiss, M. J.; Wendt, C.; Westerhoff, S.; Whelan, B. J.; Wickmann, S.; Wiebe, K.; Wiebusch, C. H.; Wille, L.; Williams, D. R.; Wills, L.; Wolf, M.; Wood, J.; Wood, T. R.; Woolsey, E.; Woschnagg, K.; Xu, D. L.; Xu, X. W.; Xu, Y.; Yanez, J. P.; Yodh, G.; Yoshida, S.; Yuan, T.; Zoll, M.

2017-09-01

We present a search for a neutrino signal from dark matter self-annihilations in the Milky Way using the IceCube Neutrino Observatory (IceCube). In 1005 days of data we found no significant excess of neutrinos over the background of neutrinos produced in atmospheric air showers from cosmic ray interactions. We derive upper limits on the velocity averaged product of the dark matter self-annihilation cross section and the relative velocity of the dark matter particles < σ _{ {A}}v> . Upper limits are set for dark matter particle candidate masses ranging from 10 GeV up to 1 TeV while considering annihilation through multiple channels. This work sets the most stringent limit on a neutrino signal from dark matter with mass between 10 and 100 GeV, with a limit of 1.18\\cdot 10^{-23} { cm}^3 {s}^{-1} for 100 GeV dark matter particles self-annihilating via τ ^+τ ^- to neutrinos (assuming the Navarro-Frenk-White dark matter halo profile).

Solar atmospheric neutrinos and the sensitivity floor for solar dark matter annihilation searches

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Argüelles, C.A.; De Wasseige, G.; Fedynitch, A.

Cosmic rays interacting in the solar atmosphere produce showers that result in a flux of high-energy neutrinos from the Sun. These form an irreducible background to indirect solar WIMP self-annihilation searches, which look for heavy dark matter particles annihilating into final states containing neutrinos in the Solar core. This background will eventually create a sensitivity floor for indirect WIMP self-annihilation searches analogous to that imposed by low-energy solar neutrino interactions for direct dark matter detection experiments. We present a new calculation of the flux of solar atmospheric neutrinos with a detailed treatment of systematic uncertainties inherent in solar atmospheric showermore » evolution, and we use this to derive the sensitivity floor for indirect solar WIMP annihilation analyses. We find that the floor lies less than one order of magnitude beyond the present experimental limits on spin-dependent WIMP-proton cross sections for some mass points, and that the high-energy solar atmospheric neutrino flux may be observable with running and future neutrino telescopes.« less

Positron Annihilation in Insulating Materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Asoka-Kumar, P; Sterne, PA

2002-10-18

We describe positron results from a wide range of insulating materials. We have completed positron experiments on a range of zeolite-y samples, KDP crystals, alkali halides and laser damaged SiO{sub 2}. Present theoretical understanding of positron behavior in insulators is incomplete and our combined theoretical and experimental approach is aimed at developing a predictive understanding of positrons and positronium annihilation characteristics in insulators. Results from alkali halides and alkaline-earth halides show that positrons annihilate with only the halide ions, with no apparent contribution from the alkali or alkaline-earth cations. This contradicts the results of our existing theory for metals, whichmore » predicts roughly equal annihilation contributions from cation and anion. We also present result obtained using Munich positron microprobe on laser damaged SiO{sub 2} samples.« less

Fear of self-annihilation and existential uncertainty as predictors of worldview defense: Comparing terror management and uncertainty theories.

PubMed

Rubin, Mark

2018-01-01

Terror management theory (TMT) proposes that thoughts of death trigger a concern about self-annihilation that motivates the defense of cultural worldviews. In contrast, uncertainty theorists propose that thoughts of death trigger feelings of uncertainty that motivate worldview defense. University students (N = 414) completed measures of the chronic fear of self-annihilation and existential uncertainty as well as the need for closure. They then evaluated either a meaning threat stimulus or a control stimulus. Consistent with TMT, participants with a high fear of self-annihilation and a high need for closure showed the greatest dislike of the meaning threat stimulus, even after controlling for their existential uncertainty. Contrary to the uncertainty perspective, fear of existential uncertainty showed no significant effects.

Analysis of the 0.511 MeV radiation at the OSO-7 satellite. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunphy, P. P.

1974-01-01

Observations of the 0.511 MeV positron annihilation, gamma ray on the OSO-7 satellite are presented. Variables which affect the counting rate are discussed. An upper limit flux of .0076 photons/sq cm/sec is obtained for the quiet sun and a positive solar flux of .063(+ or - .0002) photons/sq cm/sec is obtained for the 3B flare of 4 August 1972. The width of this annihilation line gives an upper limit temperature for the annihilation region of approximately 6 million K. An analysis of the line width and position also shows that the contribution to the line from positronium annihilation is less than 100% at the 99% confidence level. An upper limit is also found for an isotropic cosmic flux.

Positron annihilation studies of zirconia doped with metal cations of different valence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prochazka, I.; Cizek, J.; Melikhova, O.; Konstantinova, T. E.; Danilenko, I. A.; Yashchishyn, I. A.; Anwand, W.; Brauer, G.

2013-06-01

New results obtained by applying positron annihilation spectroscopy to the investigation of zirconia-based nanomaterials doped with metal cations of different valence are reported. The slow-positron implantation spectroscopy combined with Doppler broadening measurements was employed to study the sintering of pressure-compacted nanopowders of tetragonal yttria-stabilised zirconia (t-YSZ) and t-YSZ with chromia additive. Positronium (Ps) formation in t-YSZ was proven by detecting 3γ-annihilations of ortho-Ps and was found to gradually decrease with increasing sintering temperature. A subsurface layer with enhanced 3γ-annihilations, compared to the deeper regions, could be identified. Addition of chromia was found to inhibit Ps formation. In addition, first results of positron lifetime measurements on nanopowders of zirconia phase-stabilised with MgO and CeO2 are presented.

INTEGRAL/SPI Observations of Electron-Positron Annihilation Radiation from our Galaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teegarden, B. J.; Watanabe, K.; Knoedlseder, J.; Jean, P.; Lonjou, V.; Weidenspointer, G.; Skinner, G.; Vedrenne, G.; Roques, J.-P.; Schanne, S.;

Evaluating detection probabilities for American marten in the Black Hills, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Joshua B.; Jenks, Jonathan A.; Klaver, Robert W.

2007-01-01

Assessing the effectiveness of monitoring techniques designed to determine presence of forest carnivores, such as American marten (Martes americana), is crucial for validation of survey results. Although comparisons between techniques have been made, little attention has been paid to the issue of detection probabilities (p). Thus, the underlying assumption has been that detection probabilities equal 1.0. We used presence-absence data obtained from a track-plate survey in conjunction with results from a saturation-trapping study to derive detection probabilities when marten occurred at high (>2 marten/10.2 km2) and low (???1 marten/10.2 km2) densities within 8 10.2-km2 quadrats. Estimated probability of detecting marten in high-density quadrats was p = 0.952 (SE = 0.047), whereas the detection probability for low-density quadrats was considerably lower (p = 0.333, SE = 0.136). Our results indicated that failure to account for imperfect detection could lead to an underestimation of marten presence in 15-52% of low-density quadrats in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA. We recommend that repeated site-survey data be analyzed to assess detection probabilities when documenting carnivore survey results.

On the quantification and efficient propagation of imprecise probabilities resulting from small datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jiaxin; Shields, Michael D.

2018-01-01

This paper addresses the problem of uncertainty quantification and propagation when data for characterizing probability distributions are scarce. We propose a methodology wherein the full uncertainty associated with probability model form and parameter estimation are retained and efficiently propagated. This is achieved by applying the information-theoretic multimodel inference method to identify plausible candidate probability densities and associated probabilities that each method is the best model in the Kullback-Leibler sense. The joint parameter densities for each plausible model are then estimated using Bayes' rule. We then propagate this full set of probability models by estimating an optimal importance sampling density that is representative of all plausible models, propagating this density, and reweighting the samples according to each of the candidate probability models. This is in contrast with conventional methods that try to identify a single probability model that encapsulates the full uncertainty caused by lack of data and consequently underestimate uncertainty. The result is a complete probabilistic description of both aleatory and epistemic uncertainty achieved with several orders of magnitude reduction in computational cost. It is shown how the model can be updated to adaptively accommodate added data and added candidate probability models. The method is applied for uncertainty analysis of plate buckling strength where it is demonstrated how dataset size affects the confidence (or lack thereof) we can place in statistical estimates of response when data are lacking.

Nonstationary envelope process and first excursion probability.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, J.-N.

1972-01-01

The definition of stationary random envelope proposed by Cramer and Leadbetter, is extended to the envelope of nonstationary random process possessing evolutionary power spectral densities. The density function, the joint density function, the moment function, and the crossing rate of a level of the nonstationary envelope process are derived. Based on the envelope statistics, approximate solutions to the first excursion probability of nonstationary random processes are obtained. In particular, applications of the first excursion probability to the earthquake engineering problems are demonstrated in detail.

Positron annihilation study of cavities in black Au films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melikhova, O.; Čížek, J.; Hruška, P.; Vlček, M.; Procházka, I.; Anwand, W.; Novotný, M.; Bulíř, J.

2017-01-01

Defects in a black Au film were studied using variable energy positron annihilation spectroscopy. Black Au films exhibit porous morphology similar to cauliflower. This type of structure enhances the optical absorption due to a multiple reflections in the micro-cavities. A nanostructured black Au film was compared with conventional smooth Au films with high reflectivity. The black Au film exhibited a remarkably enhanced S-parameter in sub-surface region. This is caused by a narrow para-Positronium contribution to the annihilation peak.

Tachyon condensation due to domain-wall annihilation in Bose-Einstein condensates.

PubMed

Takeuchi, Hiromitsu; Kasamatsu, Kenichi; Tsubota, Makoto; Nitta, Muneto

2012-12-14

We show theoretically that a domain-wall annihilation in two-component Bose-Einstein condensates causes tachyon condensation accompanied by spontaneous symmetry breaking in a two-dimensional subspace. Three-dimensional vortex formation from domain-wall annihilations is considered a kink formation in subspace. Numerical experiments reveal that the subspatial dynamics obey the dynamic scaling law of phase-ordering kinetics. This model is experimentally feasible and provides insights into how the extra dimensions influence subspatial phase transition in higher-dimensional space.

International Conference on Positron Annihilation (6th) held at the University of Texas at Arlington, April 3-7, 1982. Program and Collected Abstracts.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-02-23

Annihilation Techniques SONIA MIIAN S., R. ZANA , J.CH. ABBE, and G. DUPLATRE - xxviii P-80 Study of Microemulsion Systems by Positron Annihilation...California, Berkeley CA 94720, U.S.A. Primary considerations for the design of positron emission tomographs for medical studies in humans are high...imaging system for medical applications is to produce an image in as short as time as possible which represents as accurately Ias possible the

Positron annihilation at the Si/SiO2 interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leung, T. C.; Weinberg, Z. A.; Asoka-Kumar, P.; Nielsen, B.; Rubloff, G. W.; Lynn, K. G.

1992-01-01

Variable-energy positron annihilation depth-profiling has been applied to the study of the Si/SiO2 interface in Al-gate metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures. For both n- and p-type silicon under conditions of negative gate bias, the positron annihilation S-factor characteristic of the interface (Sint) is substantially modified. Temperature and annealing behavior, combined with known MOS physics, suggest strongly that Sint depends directly on holes at interface states or traps at the Si/SiO2 interface.

Gamma-ray Background Spectrum and Annihilation Rate in the Baryon-symmetric Big-bang Cosmology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Puget, J. L.

1973-01-01

An attempt was made to acquire experimental information on the problem of baryon symmetry on a large cosmological scale by observing the annihilation products. Data cover absorption cross sections and background radiation due to other sources for the two main products of annihilation, gamma rays and neutrinos. Test results show that the best direct experimental test for the presence of large scale antimatter lies in the gamma ray background spectrum between 1 and 70 MeV.

Donors, Acceptors, and Traps in AlGaN and AlGaN/GaN Epitaxial Layers

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-31

the background. 3.3 Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS): acceptor-type defects Positrons injected into defect-free GaN are annihilated by electrons...electron concentration n, and the average Ga-vacancy VGa concentration deduced from positron annihilation spectroscopy . 0.09 3.47 3.46 - 3.45 •ŗ.47225...of this paper, are often investigated by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), and the usual analysis of DLTS data is based on the assumption that

Measurement of the antiproton-nucleus annihilation cross-section at low energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aghai-Khozani, H.; Bianconi, A.; Corradini, M.; Hayano, R.; Hori, M.; Leali, M.; Lodi Rizzini, E.; Mascagna, V.; Murakami, Y.; Prest, M.; Vallazza, E.; Venturelli, L.; Yamada, H.

2018-02-01

Systematic measurements of the annihilation cross sections of low energy antinucleons were performed at CERN in the 80's and 90's. However the antiproton data on medium-heavy and heavy nuclear targets are scarce. The ASACUSA Collaboration at CERN has measured the antiproton annihilation cross section on carbon at 5.3 MeV: the value is (1.73 ± 0.25) barn. The result is compared with the antineutron experimental data and with the theoretical previsions.

Positron Annihilation in Polycrystalline Silver Samples Subjected to the Stretching Force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pajak, J.; Rudzińska, W.; Pietrzak, R.; Szymański, Cz.; Smiatek, W.

Angular distributions of the positron annihilation quanta, positron lifetime and resistivity were measured for polycrystalline silver samples deformed by uniaxial tension up to different deformation degrees. The S parameter as a function of deformation degree of the sample has been determined. The data obtained for silver samples elongated up to different elongation degrees indicate the dominant role of vacancies and larger defects type clusters created during the deformation process. The positron annihilation data are corrob-orated by results obtained by resistivity measurements.

Fermi GBM Observations of Terrestrial Gamma Flashes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.; Briggs, M. S.; Fishman, G. J.; Bhat, P. N.; Paciesas, W. S.; Preece, R.; Kippen, R. M.; von Kienlin, A.; Dwyer, J. R.; Smith, D. M.;

THE GALACTIC POSITRON ANNIHILATION RADIATION AND THE PROPAGATION OF POSITRONS IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Higdon, J. C.; Lingenfelter, R. E.; Rothschild, R. E.

2009-06-10

The ratio of the luminosity of diffuse 511 keV positron annihilation radiation, measured by INTEGRAL in its four years, from a Galactic 'positron bulge' (<1.5 kpc) compared to that of the disk is {approx}1.4. This ratio is roughly 4 times larger than that expected simply from the stellar bulge-to-disk ratio of {approx}0.33 of the Galactic supernovae (SNe), which are thought to be the principal source of the annihilating positrons through the decay of radionuclei made by explosive nucleosynthesis in the SNe. This large discrepancy has prompted a search for new sources. Here, however, we show that the measured 511 keVmore » luminosity ratio can be fully understood in the context of a Galactic SN origin when the differential propagation of these {approx} MeV positrons in the various phases of the interstellar medium is taken into consideration, since these relativistic positrons must first slow down to energies {<=}10 eV before they can annihilate. Moreover, without propagation, none of the proposed positron sources, new or old, can explain the two basic properties on the Galactic annihilation radiation: the fraction of the annihilation that occurs through positronium formation and the ratio of the broad/narrow components of the 511 keV line. In particular, we show that in the neutral phases of the interstellar medium, which fill most of the disk (>3.5 kpc), the cascade of the magnetic turbulence, which scatters the positrons, is damped by ion-neutral friction, allowing positrons to stream along magnetic flux tubes. We find that nearly 1/2 of the positrons produced in the disk escape from it into the halo. On the other hand, we show that within the extended, or interstellar, bulge (<3.5 kpc), essentially all of the positrons are born in the hot plasmas which fill that volume. We find that the diffusion mean free path is long enough that only a negligible fraction annihilate there and {approx}80% of them escape down into the H II and H I envelopes of molecular clouds that lie within 1.5 kpc before they slow down and annihilate, while the remaining {approx}20% escape out into the halo and the disk beyond. This propagation accounts for the low observed annihilation radiation luminosity of the disk compared to the bulge. In addition, we show that the primary annihilation sites of the propagating positrons in both the bulge and the disk are in the warm ionized phases of the interstellar medium. Such annihilation can also account for those two basic properties of the emission, the fraction ({approx}93% {+-} 7%) of annihilation via positronium and the ratio ({approx}0.5) of broad ({approx}5.4 keV) to narrow ({approx}1.3 keV) components of the bulge 511 keV line emission. Moreover, we expect that the bulk of this broad line emission comes from the tilted disk region (0.5 < R < 1.5 kpc) with a very large broad/narrow flux ratio of {approx}6, while much of the narrow line emission comes from the inner bulge (R < 0.5 kpc) with a negligible broad/narrow flux ratio. Separate spectral analyses of the 511 keV line emission from these two regions should be able to test this prediction, and further probe the structure of the interstellar medium. Lastly, we show that the asymmetry in the inner disk annihilation line flux, which has been suggested as added evidence for new sources, can also be fully understood from positron propagation and the asymmetry in the inner spiral arms as viewed from our solar perspective without any additional sources.« less

The force distribution probability function for simple fluids by density functional theory.

PubMed

Rickayzen, G; Heyes, D M

2013-02-28

Classical density functional theory (DFT) is used to derive a formula for the probability density distribution function, P(F), and probability distribution function, W(F), for simple fluids, where F is the net force on a particle. The final formula for P(F) ∝ exp(-AF(2)), where A depends on the fluid density, the temperature, and the Fourier transform of the pair potential. The form of the DFT theory used is only applicable to bounded potential fluids. When combined with the hypernetted chain closure of the Ornstein-Zernike equation, the DFT theory for W(F) agrees with molecular dynamics computer simulations for the Gaussian and bounded soft sphere at high density. The Gaussian form for P(F) is still accurate at lower densities (but not too low density) for the two potentials, but with a smaller value for the constant, A, than that predicted by the DFT theory.

Postfragmentation density function for bacterial aggregates in laminar flow

PubMed Central

Byrne, Erin; Dzul, Steve; Solomon, Michael; Younger, John

2014-01-01

The postfragmentation probability density of daughter flocs is one of the least well-understood aspects of modeling flocculation. We use three-dimensional positional data of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterial flocs in suspension and the knowledge of hydrodynamic properties of a laminar flow field to construct a probability density function of floc volumes after a fragmentation event. We provide computational results which predict that the primary fragmentation mechanism for large flocs is erosion. The postfragmentation probability density function has a strong dependence on the size of the original floc and indicates that most fragmentation events result in clumps of one to three bacteria eroding from the original floc. We also provide numerical evidence that exhaustive fragmentation yields a limiting density inconsistent with the log-normal density predicted in the literature, most likely due to the heterogeneous nature of K. pneumoniae flocs. To support our conclusions, artificial flocs were generated and display similar postfragmentation density and exhaustive fragmentation. PMID:21599205

An exciton-polariton laser based on biologically produced fluorescent protein

PubMed Central

Dietrich, Christof P.; Steude, Anja; Tropf, Laura; Schubert, Marcel; Kronenberg, Nils M.; Ostermann, Kai; Höfling, Sven; Gather, Malte C.

2016-01-01

Under adequate conditions, cavity polaritons form a macroscopic coherent quantum state, known as polariton condensate. Compared to Wannier-Mott excitons in inorganic semiconductors, the localized Frenkel excitons in organic emitter materials show weaker interaction with each other but stronger coupling to light, which recently enabled the first realization of a polariton condensate at room temperature. However, this required ultrafast optical pumping, which limits the applications of organic polariton condensates. We demonstrate room temperature polariton condensates of cavity polaritons in simple laminated microcavities filled with biologically produced enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP). The unique molecular structure of eGFP prevents exciton annihilation even at high excitation densities, thus facilitating polariton condensation under conventional nanosecond pumping. Condensation is clearly evidenced by a distinct threshold, an interaction-induced blueshift of the condensate, long-range coherence, and the presence of a second threshold at higher excitation density that is associated with the onset of photon lasing. PMID:27551686

The electrosphere of macroscopc ""nuclei"": diffuse emissions in the MeV band from dark antimatter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Forbes, Michael Mcneil; Lawson, Kyle; Zhitnitsky, Ariel R

2009-01-01

Using a Thomas-Fermi model, we calculate the structure of the electrosphere of the quark antimatter nuggets postulated to comprise much of the dark matter. This provides a single self-consistent density profile from ultra-rel ativistic densities to the non-relativistic Boltzmann regime. We use this to present a microscopically justified calculation of several properties of the nuggets, including their net charge, and the ratio of MeV to 511 keV emissions from electron annihilation. We find that the calculated parameters agree with previous phenomenological estimates based on the observational supposition that the nuggets are a source of several unexplained diffuse emissions from themore » galaxy. This provides another nontrivial verification of the dark matter proposal. The structure of the electrosphere is quite general and will also be valid at the surface of strange-quark stars, should they exist.« less

Splitter target for controlling magnetic reconnection in relativistic laser plasma interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Y. J.; Bulanov, S. S.; Korn, G.; Bulanov, S. V.

2018-04-01

The utilization of a conical target irradiated by a high power laser is proposed to study fast magnetic reconnection in relativistic plasma interactions. Such target, placed in front of the near critical density gas jet, splits the laser pulse, forming two parallel laser pulses in the 2D case and a donut shaped pulse in the 3D case. The magnetic annihilation and reconnection occur in the density downramp region of the subsequent gas jet. The magnetic field energy is converted into the particle kinetic energy. As a result, a backward accelerated electron beam is obtained as a signature of reconnection. The above mechanisms are demonstrated using particle-in-cell simulations in both 2D and 3D cases. Facilitating the synchronization of two laser beams, the proposed approach can be used in designing the corresponding experiments on studying fundamental problems of relativistic plasma physics.

Effect of cross-link density on carbon dioxide separation in polydimethylsiloxane-norbornene membranes

DOE PAGES

Hong, Tao; Niu, Zhenbin; Hu, Xunxiang; ...

2015-10-20

The development of high performance materials for CO 2 separation and capture will significantly contribute to a solution for climate change. In this work, (bicycloheptenyl) ethyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMSPNB) membranes with varied cross-link densities were synthesized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization. The developed polymer membranes show higher permeability and better selectivity than those of conventional cross-linked PDMS membrane. The achieved performance (CO 2 permeability ~ 6800 Barrer and CO 2/N 2 selectivity ~ 14) is very promising for practical applications. The key to achieving this high performance is the use of an in-situ cross-linking method of the difunctional PDMS macromonomers, whichmore » provides lightly cross-linked membranes. By combining positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, broadband dielectric spectroscopy and gas solubility measurements, we have elucidated the key parameters necessary for achieving their excellent performance.« less

Some astrophysical consequences of the existence of a heavy stable neutral lepton

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gunn, J. E.; Lee, B. W.; Lerche, I.; Schramm, D. N.; Steigman, G.

1978-01-01

It is suggested that a stable, massive, neutral lepton may dominate the present mass density in the universe. To investigate this assumption, attention is given to an analysis of extended gauge theories as they apply to a lepton with a mass of a few GeV/sq cm. A critical factor in the accuracy of the hypothesis is the actual mass of the lepton, and it is noted that the more massive the individual particle, the smaller the particle's aggregate contribution to the universal mass density. High energy accelerators could prove a useful tool in an empirical determination of the lepton's mass. It is further suggested that the lepton considered might provide the material in galactic halos, or supply the mass necessary to bind galactic clusters. A study of intergalactic annihilation radiation is expected to yield more data pertaining to the lepton's existence.

Electron-positron momentum density in Tl 2Ba 2CuO 6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbiellini, B.; Gauthier, M.; Hoffmann, L.; Jarlborg, T.; Manuel, A. A.; Massidda, S.; Peter, M.; Triscone, G.

1994-08-01

We present calculations of the electron-positron momentum density for the high- Tc superconductor Tl 2Ba 2CuO 6, together with some preliminary two-dimensional angular correlation of the annihilation radiation (2D-ACAR) measurements. The calculations are based on the first-principles electronic structure obtained using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FLAPW) and the linear muffin-tin orbital (LMTO) methods. We also use a linear combination of the atomic orbitals-molecular orbital method (LCAO-MO) to discuss orbital contributions to the anisotropies. Some agreement between calculated and measured 2D-ACAR anisotropies encourage sample improvement for further Fermi surface investigations. Indeed, our results indicate a non-negligle overlap of the positron wave function with the CuOo 2 plane electrons. Therefore, this compound may be well suited for investigating the relevant CuO 2 Fermi surface by 2D-ACAR.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Single-species reactions on a random catalytic chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oshanin, G.; Burlatsky, S. F.

2002-11-01

We present an exact solution for a catalytically activated annihilation A + A → 0 reaction taking place on a one-dimensional chain in which some segments (placed at random, with mean concentration p) possess special, catalytic properties. An annihilation reaction takes place as soon as any two A particles land from the reservoir onto two vacant sites at the extremities of the catalytic segment, or when any A particle lands onto a vacant site on a catalytic segment while the site at the other extremity of this segment is already occupied by another A particle. We find that the disorder-average pressure P(quen) per site of such a chain is given by P(quen) = P(Lan) + β-1F, where P(Lan) = β-1 ln(1 + z) is the Langmuir adsorption pressure, (z being the activity and β-1 the temperature), while β-1F is the reaction-induced contribution, which can be expressed, under appropriate change of notation, as the Lyapunov exponent for the product of 2 × 2 random matrices, obtained exactly by Derrida and Hilhorst (1983 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 16 2641). Explicit asymptotic formulae for the particle mean density and the compressibility are also presented.

Exciton exciton annihilation dynamics in chromophore complexes. II. Intensity dependent transient absorption of the LH2 antenna system.

PubMed

Bruggemann, B; May, V

2004-02-01

Using the multiexciton density matrix theory of excitation energy transfer in chromophore complexes developed in a foregoing paper [J. Chem. Phys. 118, 746 (2003)], the computation of ultrafast transient absorption spectra is presented. Beside static disorder and standard mechanisms of excitation energy dissipation the theory incorporates exciton exciton annihilation (EEA) processes. To elucidate signatures of EEA in intensity dependent transient absorption data the approach is applied to the B850 ring of the LH2 found in rhodobacter sphaeroides. As main indications for two-exciton population and resulting EEA we found (i) a weakening of the dominant single-exciton bleaching structure in the transient absorption, and (ii) an intermediate suppression of long-wavelength and short-wavelength shoulders around the bleaching structure. The suppression is caused by stimulated emission from the two-exciton to the one-exciton state and the return of the shoulders follows from a depletion of two-exciton population according to EEA. The EEA-signature survives as a short-wavelength shoulder in the transient absorption if orientational and energetic disorder are taken into account. Therefore, the observation of the EEA-signatures should be possible when doing frequency resolved transient absorption experiments with a sufficiently strongly varying pump-pulse intensity. Copyright 2004 American Institute of Physics

Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy Characterization of Nanostructural Features in Reactor Steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glade, Stephen; Wirth, Brian; Asoka-Kumar, Palakkal; Sterne, Philip; Alinger, Matthew; Odette, George

2004-03-01

Irradiation embrittlement in nuclear reactor pressure vessel steels results from the formation of a high number density of nanometer sized copper rich precipitates and sub-nanometer defect-solute clusters. We present results of study to characterize the size and compositions of simple binary and ternary Fe-Cu-Mn model alloys and more representative Fe-Cu-Mn-Ni-Si-Mo-C reactor pressure vessel steels using positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS). Using a recently developed spin-polarized PAS technique, we have also measured the magnetic properties of the nanometer-sized copper rich precipitates. Mn retards the precipitation kinetics and inhibits large vacancy cluster formation, suggesting a strong Mn-vacancy interaction which reduces radiation enhanced diffusion. The spin-polarized PAS measurements reveal the non-magnetic nature of the copper precipitates, discounting the notion that the precipitates contain significant quantities of Fe and providing an upper limit of at most a few percent Fe in the precipitates. PAS results on oxide dispersion-strengthened steel for use in fusion reactors will also be presented. Part of this work was performed under the auspices of the US Department of Energy by the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, under contract No. W-7405-ENG-48 with partial support provided from Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Science.

Low amplified spontaneous emission threshold and suppression of electroluminescence efficiency roll-off in layers doped with ter(9,9′-spirobifluorene)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Inoue, Munetomo; Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics Research, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi, Fukuoka 819-0395; Matsushima, Toshinori

2016-03-28

We demonstrate that ter(9,9′-spirobifluorene) (TSBF) doped in a host matrix layer of 4,4′-bis(carbazol-9-yl)biphenyl (CBP) shows a low amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) threshold (E{sub th} = 1.0 μJ cm{sup −2}) and suppressed electroluminescence efficiency roll-off at high current densities (no roll-off up to 100 mA cm{sup −2}). One origin of the low ASE threshold is that the TSBF-doped CBP layer possesses a very large radiative decay constant (k{sub r} = 1.1 × 10{sup 9 }s{sup −1}). Singlet–triplet annihilation is almost suppressed in the TSBF-doped CBP layer, which can be ascribed to the small overlap between the emission and triplet absorption of TSBF. Also, the small energy level difference between TSBF and CBPmore » minimizes carrier trapping in TSBF, leading to the suppression of singlet–polaron annihilation. TSBF showed one of the lowest E{sub th} and the most suppressed efficiency roll-off among organic laser dyes investigated in this study and, therefore, is believed to be a promising candidate to realize electrically pumped organic semiconductor laser diodes in the future.« less

Antiphase boundaries on low-energy-ion bombarded Ge(001)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zandvliet, H. J. W.; de Groot, E.

1997-01-01

Surface vacancy and adatom clusters have been created on Ge(001) by bombarding the surface with 800 eV argon ions at various substrate temperatures ranging from room temperature to 600 K. The vacancies preferentially annihilate at the ends rather than at the sides of the dimer rows, resulting in monolayer deep vacancy islands which are elongated in a direction of the dimer rows of the upper terrace. As vacancy islands nucleate and expand, the dimer rows in neighbouring vacancy islands need not, in general, align with each other. An antiphase boundary will develop if two growing vacancy islands meet, but their internal dimer rows are not in the same registry. In contrast to Si(001), where only one type of antiphase boundary is found, we have found three different types of antiphase boundaries on Ge(001). Higher dose (> several monolayers) room temperature ion bombardment followed by annealing at temperatures in the range 400-500 K results in a surface which contains a high density of valleys. In addition to the preference for the annihilation of dimer vacancies at descending versus ascending steps we also suggest that the development of antiphase boundaries drives the roughening of this surface. Finally, several atomic rearrangement events, which might be induced by the tunneling process, are observed after low-dose ion bombardment at room temperature.

Long-range Self-interacting Dark Matter in the Sun

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Jing; State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics China,Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science,Zhong Guan Cun East Street 55#, Beijing, 100190; Liang, Zheng-Liang

2015-12-10

We investigate the implications of the long-rang self-interaction on both the self-capture and the annihilation of the self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) trapped in the Sun. Our discussion is based on a specific SIDM model in which DM particles self-interact via a light scalar mediator, or Yukawa potential, in the context of quantum mechanics. Within this framework, we calculate the self-capture rate across a broad region of parameter space. While the self-capture rate can be obtained separately in the Born regime with perturbative method, and in the classical limits with the Rutherford formula, our calculation covers the gap between in amore » non-perturbative fashion. Besides, the phenomenology of both the Sommerfeld-enhanced s- and p-wave annihilation of the solar SIDM is also involved in our discussion. Moreover, by combining the analysis of the Super-Kamiokande (SK) data and the observed DM relic density, we constrain the nuclear capture rate of the DM particles in the presence of the dark Yukawa potential. The consequence of the long-range dark force on probing the solar SIDM turns out to be significant if the force-carrier is much lighter than the DM particle, and a quantitative analysis is provided.« less

Structural study of some divalent aluminoborate glasses using ultrasonic and positron annihilation techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saddeek, Yasser B.; Mohamed, Hamdy F. M.; Azooz, Moenis A.

2004-07-01

Positron annihilation lifetime (PAL), ultrasonic techniques, and differential thermal analysis (DTA) were performed to study the structure of some aluminoborate glasses. The basic compositions of these glasses are 50 B2O3 + 10 Al2O3 + 40 RO (wt%), where RO is the divalent oxide (MgO, CaO, SrO, and CdO). The ultrasonic data show that the rigidity increases from MgO to CaO then decrease at SrO and again increases at CdO. The glass transition temperature (determined from DTA) decreases from MgO to SrO then increases at CdO. The trend of the thermal properties was attributed to thermal stability. The experimental data are correlated with the internal glass structure and its connectivity. The PAL data show that an inversely correlation between the relative fractional of the open hole volume and the density of the samples. Also, there is a good correlation between the ortho-positronium (o-Ps) lifetime (open hole volume size) and the bulk modulus of the samples (determined from ultrasonic technique). The open volume hole size distribution for the samples shows that the open volume holes expand in size for CaO, SrO, MgO, and CdO, respectively with their distribution function moving to higher volume size.

Minimization of the Renyi entropy production in the space-partitioning process.

PubMed

Cybulski, O; Babin, V; Hołyst, R

2005-04-01

The spontaneous division of space in Fleming-Viot processes is studied in terms of non-extensive thermodynamics. We analyze a system of n different types of Brownian particles confined in a box. Particles of different types annihilate each other when they come into close contact. Each process of annihilation is accompanied by a simultaneous nucleation of a particle of the same type, so that the number of particles of each component remains constant. The system eventually reaches a stationary state, in which the available space is divided into n separate subregions, each occupied by particles of one type. Within each subregion, the particle density distribution minimizes the Renyi entropy production. We show that the sum of these entropy productions in the stationary state is also minimized, i.e., the resulting boundaries between different components adopt a configuration which minimizes the total entropy production. The evolution of the system leads to decreasing of the total entropy production monotonically in time, irrespective of the initial conditions. In some circumstances, the stationary state is not unique-the entropy production may have several local minima for different configurations. In the case of a rectangular box, the existence and stability of different stationary states are studied as a function of the aspect ratio of the rectangle.

Femtosecond to nanosecond excited state dynamics of vapor deposited copper phthalocyanine thin films.

PubMed

Caplins, Benjamin W; Mullenbach, Tyler K; Holmes, Russell J; Blank, David A

2016-04-28

Vapor deposited thin films of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) were investigated using transient absorption spectroscopy. Exciton-exciton annihilation dominated the kinetics at high exciton densities. When annihilation was minimized, the observed lifetime was measured to be 8.6 ± 0.6 ns, which is over an order of magnitude longer than previous reports. In comparison with metal free phthalocyanine (H2Pc), the data show evidence that the presence of copper induces an ultrafast relaxation process taking place on the ca. 500 fs timescale. By comparison to recent time-resolved photoemission studies, this is assigned as ultrafast intersystem crossing. As the intersystem crossing occurs ca. 10(4) times faster than lifetime decay, it is likely that triplets are the dominant excitons in vapor deposited CuPc films. The exciton lifetime of CuPc thin films is ca. 35 times longer than H2Pc thin films, while the diffusion lengths reported in the literature are typically quite similar for the two materials. These findings suggest that despite appearing to be similar materials at first glance, CuPc and H2Pc may transport energy in dramatically different ways. This has important implications on the design and mechanistic understanding of devices where phthalocyanines are used as an excitonic material.

Dark matter constraints from observations of 25 Milky Way satellite galaxies with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

DOE PAGES

Ackermann, M.; Albert, A.; Anderson, B.; ...

2014-02-11

The dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies of the Milky Way are some of the most dark-matter-dominated objects known. Due to their proximity, high dark matter content, and lack of astrophysical backgrounds, dwarf spheroidal galaxies are widely considered to be among the most promising targets for the indirect detection of dark matter via γ rays. We report on γ -ray observations of 25 Milky Way dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies based on 4 years of Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) data. None of the dwarf galaxies are significantly detected in γ rays, and we present γ -ray flux upper limits between 500 MeVmore » and 500 GeV. We determine the dark matter content of 18 dwarf spheroidal galaxies from stellar kinematic data and combine LAT observations of 15 dwarf galaxies to constrain the dark matter annihilation cross section. Furthermore, we set some of the tightest constraints to date on the annihilation of dark matter particles with masses between 2 GeV and 10 TeV into prototypical standard model channels. We also find these results to be robust against systematic uncertainties in the LAT instrument performance, diffuse γ -ray background modeling, and assumed dark matter density profile.« less

Non-thermal production of minimal dark matter via right-handed neutrino decay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aoki, Mayumi; Toma, Takashi; Vicente, Avelino

2015-09-29

Minimal Dark Matter (MDM) stands as one of the simplest dark matter scenarios. In MDM models, annihilation and co-annihilation processes among the members of the MDM multiplet are usually very efficient, pushing the dark matter mass above O(10) TeV in order to reproduce the observed dark matter relic density. Motivated by this little drawback, in this paper we consider an extension of the MDM scenario by three right-handed neutrinos. Two specific choices for the MDM multiplet are studied: a fermionic SU(2){sub L} quintuplet and a scalar SU(2){sub L} septuplet. The lightest right-handed neutrino, with tiny Yukawa couplings, never reaches thermalmore » equilibrium in the early universe and is produced by freeze-in. This creates a link between dark matter and neutrino physics: dark matter can be non-thermally produced by the decay of the lightest right-handed neutrino after freeze-out, allowing to lower significantly the dark matter mass. We discuss the phenomenology of the non-thermally produced MDM and, taking into account significant Sommerfeld corrections, we find that the dark matter mass must have some specific values in order not to be in conflict with the current bounds from gamma-ray observations.« less

Non-thermal production of minimal dark matter via right-handed neutrino decay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aoki, Mayumi; Toma, Takashi; Vicente, Avelino, E-mail: mayumi@hep.s.kanazawa-u.ac.jp, E-mail: takashi.toma@th.u-psud.fr, E-mail: Avelino.Vicente@ulg.ac.be

2015-09-01

Minimal Dark Matter (MDM) stands as one of the simplest dark matter scenarios. In MDM models, annihilation and co-annihilation processes among the members of the MDM multiplet are usually very efficient, pushing the dark matter mass above O(10) TeV in order to reproduce the observed dark matter relic density. Motivated by this little drawback, in this paper we consider an extension of the MDM scenario by three right-handed neutrinos. Two specific choices for the MDM multiplet are studied: a fermionic SU(2){sub L} quintuplet and a scalar SU(2){sub L} septuplet. The lightest right-handed neutrino, with tiny Yukawa couplings, never reaches thermalmore » equilibrium in the early universe and is produced by freeze-in. This creates a link between dark matter and neutrino physics: dark matter can be non-thermally produced by the decay of the lightest right-handed neutrino after freeze-out, allowing to lower significantly the dark matter mass. We discuss the phenomenology of the non-thermally produced MDM and, taking into account significant Sommerfeld corrections, we find that the dark matter mass must have some specific values in order not to be in conflict with the current bounds from gamma-ray observations.« less

Towards a supersymmetric description of the Fermi Galactic center excess

DOE PAGES

Cahill-Rowley, M.; Gainer, J. S.; Hewett, J. L.; ...

2015-02-10

We attempt to build a model that describes the Fermi galactic gamma-ray excess (FGCE) within a UV-complete Supersymmetric framework; we find this to be highly non-trivial. At the very least a successful Supersymmetric explanation must have several important ingredients in order to fit the data and satisfy other theoretical and experimental constraints. Under the assumption that a single annihilation mediator is responsible for both the observed relic density as well as the FGCE, we show that the requirements are not easily satisfied in many TeV-scale SUSY models, but can be met with some model building effort in the general NMSSMmore » with ~ 10 parameters beyond the MSSM. We find that the data selects a particular region of the parameter space with a mostly singlino lightest Supersymmetric particle and a relatively light CP-odd Higgs boson that acts as the mediator for dark matter annihilation. We study the predictions for various observables within this parameter space, and find that searches for this light CP-odd state at the LHC, as well as searches for the direct detection of dark matter, are likely to be quite challenging. It is possible that a signature could be observed in the flavor sector; however, indirect detection remains the best probe of this scenario.« less

Fermionic dark matter with pseudo-scalar Yukawa interaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ghorbani, Karim, E-mail: k-ghorbani@araku.ac.ir

2015-01-01

We consider a renormalizable extension of the standard model whose fermionic dark matter (DM) candidate interacts with a real singlet pseudo-scalar via a pseudo-scalar Yukawa term while we assume that the full Lagrangian is CP-conserved in the classical level. When the pseudo-scalar boson develops a non-zero vacuum expectation value, spontaneous CP-violation occurs and this provides a CP-violated interaction of the dark sector with the SM particles through mixing between the Higgs-like boson and the SM-like Higgs boson. This scenario suggests a minimal number of free parameters. Focusing mainly on the indirect detection observables, we calculate the dark matter annihilation crossmore » section and then compute the DM relic density in the range up to m{sub DM} = 300 GeV.We then find viable regions in the parameter space constrained by the observed DM relic abundance as well as invisible Higgs decay width in the light of 125 GeV Higgs discovery at the LHC. We find that within the constrained region of the parameter space, there exists a model with dark matter mass m{sub DM} ∼ 38 GeV annihilating predominantly into b quarks, which can explain the Fermi-LAT galactic gamma-ray excess.« less

Speech processing using conditional observable maximum likelihood continuity mapping

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hogden, John; Nix, David

A computer implemented method enables the recognition of speech and speech characteristics. Parameters are initialized of first probability density functions that map between the symbols in the vocabulary of one or more sequences of speech codes that represent speech sounds and a continuity map. Parameters are also initialized of second probability density functions that map between the elements in the vocabulary of one or more desired sequences of speech transcription symbols and the continuity map. The parameters of the probability density functions are then trained to maximize the probabilities of the desired sequences of speech-transcription symbols. A new sequence ofmore » speech codes is then input to the continuity map having the trained first and second probability function parameters. A smooth path is identified on the continuity map that has the maximum probability for the new sequence of speech codes. The probability of each speech transcription symbol for each input speech code can then be output.« less

Annihilation radiation in cosmic gamma-ray bursts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aptekar, R. L.; Golenetskii, S. V.; Guryan, Y. A.; Ilyinskii, V. N.; Mazets, E. P.

1985-01-01

The pair annihilation radiation in gamma-ray bursts is seen as broad lines with extended hard wings. This radiation is suggested to escape in a collimated beam from magnetic polar regions of neutron stars.

Non-standard interactions and neutrinos from dark matter annihilation in the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demidov, S. V.

2018-02-01

We perform an analysis of the influence of non-standard neutrino interactions (NSI) on neutrino signal from dark matter annihilations in the Sun. Taking experimentally allowed benchmark values for the matter NSI parameters we show that the evolution of such neutrinos with energies at GeV scale can be considerably modified. We simulate propagation of neutrinos from the Sun to the Earth for realistic dark matter annihilation channels and find that the matter NSI can result in at most 30% correction to the signal rate of muon track events at neutrino telescopes. Still present experimental bounds on dark matter from these searches are robust in the presence of NSI within considerable part of their allowed parameter space. At the same time electron neutrino flux from dark matter annihilation in the Sun can be changed by a factor of few.

Sterile neutrinos and indirect dark matter searches in IceCube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argüelles, Carlos A.; Kopp, Joachim

2012-07-01

If light sterile neutrinos exist and mix with the active neutrino flavors, this mixing will affect the propagation of high-energy neutrinos from dark matter annihilation in the Sun. In particular, new Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein resonances can occur, leading to almost complete conversion of some active neutrino flavors into sterile states. We demonstrate how this can weaken IceCube limits on neutrino capture and annihilation in the Sun and how potential future conflicts between IceCube constraints and direct detection or collider data might be resolved by invoking sterile neutrinos. We also point out that, if the dark matter-nucleon scattering cross section and the allowed annihilation channels are precisely measured in direct detection and collider experiments in the future, IceCube can be used to constrain sterile neutrino models using neutrinos from the dark matter annihilation.

SMM detection of diffuse Galactic 511 keV annihilation radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Share, G. H.; Kinzer, R. L.; Kurfess, J. D.; Messina, D. C.; Purcell, W. R.

1988-01-01

Observations of the 511 keV annihilation line from the vicinity of the Galactic center from October to February for 1980/1981, 1981/1982, 1982/1983, 1984/1985, and 1985/1986 are presented. The measurements were made with the gamma-ray spectrometer on the SMM. The design of the instrument and some of its properties used in the analysis are described, and the methods used for accumulating, fitting, and analyzing the data are outlined. It is shown how the Galactic 511 keV line was separated from the intense and variable background observed in orbit. The SMM observations are compared with previous measurements of annihilation radiation from the Galactic center region, and the astrophysical implications are discussed. It is argued that most of the measurements made to date suggest the presence of an extended Galactic source of annihilation radiation.

Electron–Positron Pair Creation Close to a Black Hole Horizon: Redshifted Annihilation Line in the Emergent X-Ray Spectra of a Black Hole. I.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurent, Philippe; Titarchuk, Lev

2018-06-01

We consider a Compton cloud (CC) surrounding a black hole (BH) in an accreting BH system, where electrons propagate with thermal and bulk velocities. In that cloud, soft (disk) photons may be upscattered off these energetic electrons and attain energies of several MeV. They could then create pairs due to photon–photon interactions. In this paper, we study the formation of the 511 keV annihilation line due to this photon–photon interaction, which results in the creation of electron–positron pairs, followed by the annihilation of the created positrons with the CC electrons. The appropriate conditions for annihilation-line generation take place very close to a BH horizon within (103–104)m cm from it, where m is the BH hole mass in solar units. As a result, the created annihilation line should be seen by the Earth observer as a blackbody bump, or the so-called reflection bump at energies around (511/20) (20/z) keV, where z ∼ 20 is a typical gravitational redshift experienced by the created annihilation-line photons when they emerge. This transient feature should occur in any accreting BH system, either galactic or extragalactic. Observational evidences for this feature in several galactic BH systems is detailed in an accompanying paper. An extended hard tail of the spectrum up to 1 MeV may also be formed due to X-ray photons upscattering off created pairs.

Determination of the strong coupling constant from jet rates in deep inelastic scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, T.; Aid, S.; Andreev, V.; Andrieu, B.; Appuhn, R.-D.; Arpagaus, M.; Babaev, A.; Baehr, J.; Bán, J.; Baranov, P.; Barrelet, E.; Bartel, W.; Barth, M.; Bassler, U.; Beck, H. P.; Behrend, H.-J.; Belousov, A.; Berger, Ch.; Bergstein, H.; Bernardi, G.; Bernet, R.; Bertrand-Coremans, G.; Besançon, M.; Beyer, R.; Biddulph, P.; Bizot, J. C.; Blobel, V.; Borras, K.; Botterweck, F.; Boudry, V.; Braemer, A.; Brasse, F.; Braunschweig, W.; Brisson, V.; Bruncko, D.; Brune, C.; Buchholz, R.; Büngener, L.; Bürger, J.; Büsser, F. W.; Buniatian, A.; Burke, S.; Buschhorn, G.; Campbell, A. J.; Carli, T.; Charles, F.; Clarke, D.; Clegg, A. B.; Clerbaux, B.; Colombo, M.; Contreras, J. G.; Cormack, C.; Coughlan, J. A.; Courau, A.; Coutures, Ch.; Cozzika, G.; Criegee, L.; Cussans, D. G.; Cvach, J.; Dagoret, S.; Dainton, J. B.; Danilov, M.; Dau, W. D.; Daum, K.; David, M.; Deffur, E.; Delcourt, B.; Del Buono, L.; De Roeck, A.; De Wolf, E. A.; Di Nezza, P.; Dollfus, C.; Dowell, J. D.; Dreis, H. B.; Droutskoi, A.; Duboc, J.; Düllmann, D.; Dünger, O.; Duhm, H.; Ebert, J.; Ebert, T. R.; Eckerlin, G.; Efremenko, V.; Egli, S.; Ehrlichmann, H.; Eichenberger, S.; Eichler, R.; Eisele, F.; Eisenhandler, E.; Ellison, R. J.; Elsen, E.; Erdmann, M.; Erdmann, W.; Evrard, E.; Favart, L.; Fedotov, A.; Feeken, D.; Felst, R.; Feltesse, J.; Ferencei, J.; Ferrarotto, F.; Flamm, K.; Fleischer, M.; Flieser, M.; Flügge, G.; Fomenko, A.; Fominykh, B.; Forbush, M.; Formánek, J.; Foster, J. M.; Franke, G.; Fretwurst, E.; Gabathuler, E.; Gabathuler, K.; Gamerdinger, K.; Garvey, J.; Gayler, J.; Gebauer, M.; Gellrich, A.; Genzel, H.; Gerhards, R.; Goerlach, U.; Goerlich, L.; Gogitidze, N.; Goldberg, M.; Goldner, D.; Gonzalez-Pineiro, B.; Gorelov, I.; Goritchev, P.; Grab, C.; Grässler, H.; Grässler, R.; Greenshaw, T.; Grindhammer, G.; Gruber, A.; Gruber, C.; Haack, J.; Haidt, D.; Hajduk, L.; Hamon, O.; Hampel, M.; Hanlon, E. M.; Hapke, M.; Haynes, W. J.; Heatherington, J.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henderson, R. C. W.; Henschel, H.; Herma, R.; Herynek, I.; Hess, M. F.; Hildesheim, W.; Hill, P.; Hill, K. H.; Hilton, C. D.; Hladký, J.; Hoeger, K. C.; Höppner, M.; Horisberger, R.; Huet, Ph.; Hufnagel, H.; Ibbotson, M.; Itterbeck, H.; Jabiol, M.-A.; Jacholkowska, A.; Jacobsson, C.; Jaffre, M.; Janoth, J.; Jansen, T.; Jönsson, L.; Johannsen, K.; Johnson, D. P.; Johnson, L.; Jung, H.; Kalmus, P. I. P.; Kant, D.; Kaschowitz, R.; Kasselmann, P.; Kathage, U.; Kaufmann, H. H.; Kazarian, S.; Kenyon, I. R.; Kermiche, S.; Keuler, C.; Kiesling, C.; Klein, M.; Kleinwort, C.; Knies, G.; Ko, W.; Köhler, T.; Köhne, J. H.; Kolanoski, H.; Kole, F.; Kolya, S. D.; Korbel, V.; Korn, M.; Kostka, P.; Kotelnikov, S. K.; Krämerkämper, T.; Krasny, M. W.; Krehbiel, H.; Krücker, D.; Krüger, U.; Krüner-Marquis, U.; Kubenka, J. P.; Küster, H.; Kuhlen, M.; Kurča, T.; Kurzhöfer, J.; Kuznik, B.; Lacour, D.; Lamarche, F.; Lander, R.; Landon, M. P. J.; Lange, W.; Lanius, P.; Laporte, J.-F.; Lebedev, A.; Leverenz, C.; Levonian, S.; Ley, Ch.; Lindner, A.; Lindström, G.; Linsel, F.; Lipinski, J.; List, B.; Loch, P.; Lohmander, H.; Lopez, G. C.; Lubimov, V.; Lüke, D.; Magnussen, N.; Malinovski, E.; Mani, S.; Maraček, R.; Marage, P.; Marks, J.; Marshall, R.; Martens, J.; Martin, R.; Martyn, H.-U.; Martyniak, J.; Masson, S.; Mavroidis, T.; Maxfield, S. J.; McMahon, S. J.; Mehta, A.; Meier, K.; Mercer, D.; Merz, T.; Meyer, C. A.; Meyer, H.; Meyer, J.; Mikocki, S.; Milstead, D.; Moreau, F.; Morris, J. V.; Müller, G.; Müller, K.; Murín, P.; Nagovizin, V.; Nahnhauer, R.; Naroska, B.; Naumann, Th.; Newman, P. R.; Newton, D.; Neyret, D.; Nguyen, H. K.; Niebergall, F.; Niebuhr, C.; Nisius, R.; Nowak, G.; Noyes, G. W.; Nyberg-Werther, M.; Oakden, M.; Oberlack, H.; Obrock, U.; Olsson, J. E.; Panaro, E.; Panitch, A.; Pascaud, C.; Patel, G. D.; Peppel, E.; Perez, E.; Phillips, J. P.; Pichler, Ch.; Pitzl, D.; Pope, G.; Prell, S.; Prosi, R.; Rädel, G.; Raupach, F.; Reimer, P.; Reinshagen, S.; Ribarics, P.; Rick, H.; Riech, V.; Riedlberger, J.; Riess, S.; Rietz, M.; Robertson, S. M.; Robmann, P.; Roloff, H. E.; Roosen, R.; Rosenbauer, K.; Rostovtsev, A.; Rouse, F.; Royon, C.; Rüter, K.; Rusakov, S.; Rybicki, K.; Rylko, R.; Sahlmann, N.; Sanchez, E.; Sankey, D. P. C.; Savitsky, M.; Schacht, P.; Schiek, S.; Schleper, P.; von Schlippe, W.; Schmidt, C.; Schmidt, D.; Schmidt, G.; Schöning, A.; Schröder, V.; Schuhmann, E.; Schwab, B.; Schwind, A.; Seehausen, U.; Sefkow, F.; Seidel, M.; Sell, R.; Semenov, A.; Shekelyan, V.; Sheviakov, I.; Shooshtari, H.; Shtarkov, L. N.; Siegmon, G.; Siewert, U.; Sirois, Y.; Skillicorn, I. O.; Smirnov, P.; Smith, J. R.; Soloviev, Y.; Spitzer, H.; Starosta, R.; Steenbock, M.; Steffen, P.; Steinberg, R.; Stella, B.; Stephens, K.; Stier, J.; Stiewe, J.; Stösslein, U.; Strachota, J.; Straumann, U.; Struczinski, W.; Sutton, J. P.; Tapprogge, S.; Taylor, R. E.; Tchernyshov, V.; Thiebaux, C.; Thompson, G.; Truöl, P.; Turnau, J.; Tutas, J.; Uelkes, P.; Usik, A.; Valkár, S.; Valkárová, A.; Vallée, C.; Van Esch, P.; Van Mechelen, P.; Vartapetian, A.; Vazdik, Y.; Vecko, M.; Verrecchia, P.; Villet, G.; Wacker, K.; Wagener, A.; Wagener, M.; Walker, I. W.; Walther, A.; Weber, G.; Weber, M.; Wegener, D.; Wegner, A.; Wellisch, H. P.; West, L. R.; Willard, S.; Winde, M.; Winter, G.-G.; Wright, A. E.; Wünsch, E.; Wulff, N.; Yiou, T. P.; Žáček, J.; Zarbock, D.; Zhang, Z.; Zhokin, A.; Zimmer, M.; Zimmermann, W.; Zomer, F.; Zuber, K.; H1 Collaboration

1995-02-01

Jet rates in deep inelastic electron proton scattering are studied with the H1 detector at HERA for momentum transfers squared between 10 and 4000 GeV 2. It is shown that they can be quantitatively described by perturbative QCD in next to leading order making use of the parton densities of the proton and with the strong coupling constant αs as a free parameter. The measured value, αs( MZ2) = 0.123 ± 0.018, is in agreement both with determinations from e+e- annihilation at LEP using the same observable and with the world average.

Unified origin for baryonic visible matter and antibaryonic dark matter.

PubMed

Davoudiasl, Hooman; Morrissey, David E; Sigurdson, Kris; Tulin, Sean

2010-11-19

We present a novel mechanism for generating both the baryon and dark matter densities of the Universe. A new Dirac fermion X carrying a conserved baryon number charge couples to the standard model quarks as well as a GeV-scale hidden sector. CP-violating decays of X, produced nonthermally in low-temperature reheating, sequester antibaryon number in the hidden sector, thereby leaving a baryon excess in the visible sector. The antibaryonic hidden states are stable dark matter. A spectacular signature of this mechanism is the baryon-destroying inelastic scattering of dark matter that can annihilate baryons at appreciable rates relevant for nucleon decay searches.

Positron annihilation studies in solid substituted aromatic compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, F. C.; Oliveira, A. M.; Donnici, C. L.; Machado, J. C.; Magalhães, W. F.; Windmöller, D.; Fulgêncio, F. H.; Souza, L. R.

2011-04-01

Positronium formation was investigated in benzene and naphthalene compounds with electron donating (sbnd NH2 and sbnd OH) and electron withdrawing (sbnd CN and sbnd NO2) substituents. The results exhibit an increase in the positronium formation yield whenever donating groups are bound to the ring and a decrease with withdrawing groups. These results can be attributed to the π-system electronic density variation in the aromatic ring. The amount of positronium obtained, I3 parameter, has been correlated with the Hammett (σ) and Brown-Okamoto (σp+) constants and adjusted through the modified Hammett equation, which employs the ratio I3/I3ϕ, yielding a satisfactory fit.

Statistical hadronization with exclusive channels in e +e - annihilation

DOE PAGES

Ferroni, L.; Becattini, F.

2012-01-01

We present a systematic analysis of exclusive hadronic channels in e +e - collisions at centre-of-mass energies between 2.1 and 2.6 GeV within the statistical hadronization model. Because of the low multiplicities involved, calculations have been carried out in the full microcanonical ensemble, including conservation of energy-momentum, angular momentum, parity, isospin, and all relevant charges. We show that the data is in an overall good agreement with the model for an energy density of about 0.5 GeV/fm 3 and an extra strangeness suppression parameter γ S 0:7, essentially the same values found with fits to inclusive multiplicities at higher energy.

Density of dislocations in CdHgTe heteroepitaxial structures on GaAs(013) and Si(013) substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidorov, Yu. G.; Yakushev, M. V.; Varavin, V. S.; Kolesnikov, A. V.; Trukhanov, E. M.; Sabinina, I. V.; Loshkarev, I. D.

2015-11-01

Epitaxial layers of Cd x Hg1- x Te (MCT) on GaAs(013) and Si(013) substrates were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The introduction of ZnTe and CdTe intermediate layers into the structures made it possible to retain the orientation close to that of the substrate in MCT epitaxial layers despite the large mismatch between the lattice parameters. The structures were investigated using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The dislocation families predominantly removing the mismatch between the lattice parameters were found. Transmission electron microscopy revealed Γ-shaped misfit dislocations (MDs), which facilitated the annihilation of threading dislocations. The angles of rotation of the lattice due to the formation of networks of misfit dislocations were measured. It was shown that the density of threading dislocations in the active region of photodiodes is primarily determined by the network of misfit dislocations formed in the MCT/CdTe heterojunction. A decrease in the density of threading dislocations in the MCT film was achieved by cyclic annealing under conditions of the maximally facilitated nonconservative motion of dislocations. The dislocation density was determined from the etch pits.

Effect of Cross-Linking on Free Volume Properties of PEG Based Thiol-Ene Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramakrishnan, Ramesh; Vasagar, Vivek; Nazarenko, Sergei

According to the Fox and Loshaek theory, in elastomeric networks, free volume decreases linearly with the cross-link density increase. The aim of this study is to show whether the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) based multicomponent thiol-ene elastomeric networks demonstrate this model behavior? Networks with a broad cross-link density range were prepared by changing the ratio of the trithiol crosslinker to PEG dithiol and then UV cured with PEG diene while maintaining 1:1 thiol:ene stoichiometry. Pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) data of the networks was generated from the high pressure dilatometry experiments which was fit using the Simha-Somcynsky Equation-of-State analysis to obtain the fractional free volume of the networks. Using Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS) analysis, the average free volume hole size of the networks was also quantified. The fractional free volume and the average free volume hole size showed a linear change with the cross-link density confirming that the Fox and Loshaek theory can be applied to this multicomponent system. Gas diffusivities of the networks showed a good correlation with free volume. A free volume based model was developed to describe the gas diffusivity trends as a function of cross-link density.

Generalized skew-symmetric interfacial probability distribution in reflectivity and small-angle scattering analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jiang, Zhang; Chen, Wei

Generalized skew-symmetric probability density functions are proposed to model asymmetric interfacial density distributions for the parameterization of any arbitrary density profiles in the `effective-density model'. The penetration of the densities into adjacent layers can be selectively controlled and parameterized. A continuous density profile is generated and discretized into many independent slices of very thin thickness with constant density values and sharp interfaces. The discretized profile can be used to calculate reflectivities via Parratt's recursive formula, or small-angle scattering via the concentric onion model that is also developed in this work.

Generalized skew-symmetric interfacial probability distribution in reflectivity and small-angle scattering analysis

DOE PAGES

Jiang, Zhang; Chen, Wei

2017-11-03

Generalized skew-symmetric probability density functions are proposed to model asymmetric interfacial density distributions for the parameterization of any arbitrary density profiles in the `effective-density model'. The penetration of the densities into adjacent layers can be selectively controlled and parameterized. A continuous density profile is generated and discretized into many independent slices of very thin thickness with constant density values and sharp interfaces. The discretized profile can be used to calculate reflectivities via Parratt's recursive formula, or small-angle scattering via the concentric onion model that is also developed in this work.

Quantum efficiency harmonic analysis of exciton annihilation in organic light emitting diodes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Price, J. S.; Giebink, N. C., E-mail: ncg2@psu.edu

2015-06-29

Various exciton annihilation processes are known to impact the efficiency roll-off of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs); however, isolating and quantifying their contribution in the presence of other factors such as changing charge balance continue to be a challenge for routine device characterization. Here, we analyze OLED electroluminescence resulting from a sinusoidal dither superimposed on the device bias and show that nonlinearity between recombination current and light output arising from annihilation mixes the quantum efficiency measured at different dither harmonics in a manner that depends uniquely on the type and magnitude of the annihilation process. We derive a series ofmore » analytical relations involving the DC and first harmonic external quantum efficiency that enable annihilation rates to be quantified through linear regression independent of changing charge balance and evaluate them for prototypical fluorescent and phosphorescent OLEDs based on the emitters 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-(4-dimethylaminostyryl)-4H-pyran and platinum octaethylporphyrin, respectively. We go on to show that, in most cases, it is sufficient to calculate the needed quantum efficiency harmonics directly from derivatives of the DC light versus current curve, thus enabling this analysis to be conducted solely from standard light-current-voltage measurement data.« less

Search for right-handed neutrinos from dark matter annihilation with gamma-rays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Campos, Miguel D.; Queiroz, Farinaldo S.; Yaguna, Carlos E.

Several extensions of the Standard Model contain right-handed (sterile) neutrinos in the GeV-TeV mass range. Due to their mixing with the active neutrinos, they may give rise to novel effects in cosmology, neutrino physics, and collider searches. In addition, right-handed neutrinos can also appear as final states from dark matter annihilations, with important implications for dark matter indirect detection searches. In this paper, we use current data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (6-year observation of dwarf spheroidal galaxies) and H.E.S.S. (10-year observation of the Galactic center) to constrain the annihilation of dark matter into right-handed neutrinos. We consider right-handedmore » neutrino with masses between 10 GeV and 1 TeV, including both two-body and three-body decays, to derive bounds on the dark matter annihilation rate, ( σ v ), as a function of the dark matter mass. Our results show, in particular, that the thermal dark matter annihilation cross section, 3× 10{sup −26} cm{sup 3} s {sup −1} , into right-handed neutrinos is excluded for dark matter masses smaller than 200 GeV.« less

Search for neutrinos from dark matter self-annihilations in the center of the Milky Way with 3 years of IceCube/DeepCore: IceCube Collaboration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aartsen, M. G.; Ackermann, M.; Adams, J.

Here, we present a search for a neutrino signal from dark matter self-annihilations in the Milky Way using the IceCube Neutrino Observatory (IceCube). In 1005 days of data we found no significant excess of neutrinos over the background of neutrinos produced in atmospheric air showers from cosmic ray interactions. We derive upper limits on the velocity averaged product of the dark matter self-annihilation cross section and the relative velocity of the dark matter particles < σ A v>. We then set the upper limits for dark matter particle candidate masses ranging from 10 GeV up to 1 TeV while considering annihilation throughmore » multiple channels. This work sets the most stringent limit on a neutrino signal from dark matter with mass between 10 and 100 GeV, with a limit of 1.18·10 -23cm 3s -1 for 100 GeV dark matter particles self-annihilating via τ + τ - to neutrinos (assuming the Navarro–Frenk–White dark matter halo profile).« less

Search for neutrinos from dark matter self-annihilations in the center of the Milky Way with 3 years of IceCube/DeepCore: IceCube Collaboration

DOE PAGES

Aartsen, M. G.; Ackermann, M.; Adams, J.; ...

2017-09-20

Here, we present a search for a neutrino signal from dark matter self-annihilations in the Milky Way using the IceCube Neutrino Observatory (IceCube). In 1005 days of data we found no significant excess of neutrinos over the background of neutrinos produced in atmospheric air showers from cosmic ray interactions. We derive upper limits on the velocity averaged product of the dark matter self-annihilation cross section and the relative velocity of the dark matter particles < σ A v>. We then set the upper limits for dark matter particle candidate masses ranging from 10 GeV up to 1 TeV while considering annihilation throughmore » multiple channels. This work sets the most stringent limit on a neutrino signal from dark matter with mass between 10 and 100 GeV, with a limit of 1.18·10 -23cm 3s -1 for 100 GeV dark matter particles self-annihilating via τ + τ - to neutrinos (assuming the Navarro–Frenk–White dark matter halo profile).« less

Probability and Quantum Paradigms: the Interplay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kracklauer, A. F.

Since the introduction of Born's interpretation of quantum wave functions as yielding the probability density of presence, Quantum Theory and Probability have lived in a troubled symbiosis. Problems arise with this interpretation because quantum probabilities exhibit features alien to usual probabilities, namely non Boolean structure and non positive-definite phase space probability densities. This has inspired research into both elaborate formulations of Probability Theory and alternate interpretations for wave functions. Herein the latter tactic is taken and a suggested variant interpretation of wave functions based on photo detection physics proposed, and some empirical consequences are considered. Although incomplete in a fewmore » details, this variant is appealing in its reliance on well tested concepts and technology.« less

Probability and Quantum Paradigms: the Interplay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kracklauer, A. F.

2007-12-01

Since the introduction of Born's interpretation of quantum wave functions as yielding the probability density of presence, Quantum Theory and Probability have lived in a troubled symbiosis. Problems arise with this interpretation because quantum probabilities exhibit features alien to usual probabilities, namely non Boolean structure and non positive-definite phase space probability densities. This has inspired research into both elaborate formulations of Probability Theory and alternate interpretations for wave functions. Herein the latter tactic is taken and a suggested variant interpretation of wave functions based on photo detection physics proposed, and some empirical consequences are considered. Although incomplete in a few details, this variant is appealing in its reliance on well tested concepts and technology.

LFSPMC: Linear feature selection program using the probability of misclassification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guseman, L. F., Jr.; Marion, B. P.

1975-01-01

The computational procedure and associated computer program for a linear feature selection technique are presented. The technique assumes that: a finite number, m, of classes exists; each class is described by an n-dimensional multivariate normal density function of its measurement vectors; the mean vector and covariance matrix for each density function are known (or can be estimated); and the a priori probability for each class is known. The technique produces a single linear combination of the original measurements which minimizes the one-dimensional probability of misclassification defined by the transformed densities.

Distinguishing neutrino mass hierarchies using dark matter annihilation signals at IceCube

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allahverdi, Rouzbeh; Knockel, Bradley; Dutta, Bhaskar

2015-12-01

We explore the possibility of distinguishing neutrino mass hierarchies through the neutrino signal from dark matter annihilation at neutrino telescopes. We consider a simple extension of the standard model where the neutrino masses and mixing angles are obtained via the type-II seesaw mechanism as an explicit example. We show that future extensions of IceCube neutrino telescope may detect the neutrino signal from DM annihilation at the Galactic Center and inside the Sun, and differentiate between the normal and inverted mass hierarchies, in this model.

Positron-annihilation 2D-ACAR studies of disordered and defected alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bansil, A.; Prasad, R.; Smedskjaer, L. C.; Benedek, R.; Mijnarends, P. E.

1987-09-01

Theoretical and experimental progess in connection with 2D-ACAR positron annihilation studies of ordered, disordered, and defected alloys is discussed. We present, in particular, some of the recent developments concerning the electronic structure of disordered alloys, and the work in the area of annihilation from positrons trapped at vacancy-type defects in metals and alloys. The electronic structure and properties of a number of compounds are also discussed briefly; we comment specifically on high T sub c ceramic superconductors, Heusler alloys, and transition-metal aluminides.

Positron-annihilation-induced ion desorption from TiO2(110)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tachibana, T.; Hirayama, T.; Nagashima, Y.

2014-05-01

We have investigated the positron-stimulated desorption of ions from a TiO2(110) surface. Desorbed O+ ions were detected in coincidence with the emission of annihilation γ rays. The energy dependence of the ion yields shows that the O+ ions were detected at energies much lower than the previously reported threshold for electron impact desorption corresponding to the excitation energy of Ti(3p) core electrons. These results provide evidence that core-hole creation by positron annihilation with electrons in the core levels leads to ion desorption.

Positronics of radiation-induced effects in chalcogenide glassy semiconductors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shpotyuk, O.; Kozyukhin, S. A., E-mail: sergkoz@igic.ras.ru; Shpotyuk, M.

2015-03-15

Using As{sub 2}S{sub 3} and AsS{sub 2} glasses as an example, the principal possibility of using positron annihilation spectroscopy methods for studying the evolution of the free volume of hollow nanoobjects in chalcogenide glassy semiconductors exposed to radiation is shown. The results obtained by measurements of the positron annihilation lifetime and Doppler broadening of the annihilation line in reverse chronological order are in full agreement with the optical spectroscopy data in the region of the fundamental absorption edge, being adequately described within coordination defect-formation and physical-aging models.

Heavy dark matter annihilation from effective field theory.

PubMed

Ovanesyan, Grigory; Slatyer, Tracy R; Stewart, Iain W

2015-05-29

We formulate an effective field theory description for SU(2)_{L} triplet fermionic dark matter by combining nonrelativistic dark matter with gauge bosons in the soft-collinear effective theory. For a given dark matter mass, the annihilation cross section to line photons is obtained with 5% precision by simultaneously including Sommerfeld enhancement and the resummation of electroweak Sudakov logarithms at next-to-leading logarithmic order. Using these results, we present more accurate and precise predictions for the gamma-ray line signal from annihilation, updating both existing constraints and the reach of future experiments.

Temperature Dependence of Positron Annihilation in beta-Cyclodextrin and beta-Cyclodextrin Complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Y.; Hsu Hadley, F. H., Jr.; Trinh, T.

1996-11-01

The effects of temperature on positron annihilation in beta-cyclodextrin and beta-cyclodextrin complexed with benzyl salicylate, benzyl acetate, ethyl salicylate, geraniol, linalool and nerol were studied. Samples were prepared by slurry, air-dried and freeze-dried methods. Lifetime spectra were measured as a function of temperature for each sample. Comparison of the annihilation rate and intensity of the longer-lived component showed that positronium formation was affected by guest molecules, preparation methods and temperature variations. Results can be used to explain beta-cyclodextrin complex formation with different guest molecules.

Steps Towards Large Scale Production of High-Spin Hafnium Isomers by Spallation Reactions

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-02-25

and 22Na radionuclides are schematically shown in Fig. 6. The 511 keV γ–ray line correspond to the positron annihilation peak. A large Compton...The annihilation of the positron emitted following the β+–decay of 22Na leads to the 511 keV peak in the γ–ray spectra. Gamma–ray activity spectra...figure. Gamma–rays are labeled with the radionuclide to which they belong. The 511 keV γ–ray line is the positron annihilation peak and correspond to

Is There a Dark Matter Signal in the Galactic Positron Annihilation Radiation?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lingenfelter, R. E.; Rothschild, R. E.; Higdon, J. C.

2009-07-17

Assuming Galactic positrons do not go far before annihilating, a difference between the observed 511 keV annihilation flux distribution and that of positron production, expected from beta{sup +} decay in Galactic iron nucleosynthesis, was evoked as evidence of a new source and signal of dark matter. We show, however, that the dark matter sources cannot account for the observed positronium fraction without extensive propagation. Yet with such propagation, standard nucleosynthetic sources can fully account for the spatial differences and positronium fraction, leaving no new signal for dark matter to explain.

Positronium formation studies in crystalline molecular complexes: Triphenylphosphine oxide - Acetanilide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, F. C.; Denadai, A. M. L.; Guerra, L. D. L.; Fulgêncio, F. H.; Windmöller, D.; Santos, G. C.; Fernandes, N. G.; Yoshida, M. I.; Donnici, C. L.; Magalhães, W. F.; Machado, J. C.

2013-04-01

Hydrogen bond formation in the triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO), acetanilide (ACN) supramolecular heterosynton system, named [TPPO0.5·ACN0.5], has been studied by Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS) and supported by several analytical techniques. In toluene solution, Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) presented a 1:1 stoichiometry and indicated that the complexation process is driven by entropy, with low enthalpy contribution. X-ray structure determination showed the existence of a three-dimensional network of hydrogen bonds, allowing also the confirmation of the existence of a 1:1 crystalline molecular complex in solid state. The results of thermal analysis (TGA, DTA and DSC) and FTIR spectroscopy showed that the interactions in the complex are relatively weaker than those found in pure precursors, leading to a higher positronium formation probability at [TPPO0.5·ACN0.5]. These weak interactions in the complex enhance the possibility of the n- and π-electrons to interact with positrons and consequently, the probability of positronium formation is higher. Through the present work is shown that PALS is a sensible powerful tool to investigate intermolecular interactions in solid heterosynton supramolecular systems.