On networks of space-based gravitational-wave detectors [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.04551


The space-based laser interferometers, LISA, Taiji and TianQin, are targeting to observe milliHz gravitational waves (GWs) in the 2030s. The joint observations from multiple space-based detectors yield significant advantages. In this work, we recap the studies and investigations for the joint space-based GW detector networks to highlight: 1) the high precision of sky localization for the massive binary black hole (BBH) coalescences and the GW sirens in the cosmological implication, 2) the effectiveness to test the parity violation in the stochastic GW background observations, 3) the efficiency of subtracting galactic foreground, 4) the improvement in stellar-mass BBH observations. We inspect alternative networks by trading off massive BBH observations and stochastic GW background observation.

Read this paper on arXiv…

R. Cai, Z. Guo, B. Hu, et. al.
Tue, 9 May 23
26/88

Comments: 32 pages, 14 figures, reviews on recent studies about space-borne GW networks, comments and feedbacks are welcome

ALP dark matter with non-periodic potentials: parametric resonance, halo formation and gravitational signatures [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03756


Axion-like particles (ALPs) are leading candidates to explain the dark matter in the universe. Their production via the misalignment mechanism has been extensively studied for cosine potentials characteristic of pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone bosons. In this work we investigate ALPs with non-periodic potentials, which allow for large misalignment of the field from the minimum. As a result, the ALP can match the relic density of dark matter in a large part of the parameter space. Such potentials give rise to self-interactions which can trigger an exponential growth of fluctuations in the ALP field via parametric resonance, leading to the fragmentation of the field. We study these effects with both Floquet analysis and lattice simulations. Using the Press-Schechter formalism, we predict the halo mass function and halo spectrum arising from ALP dark matter. These halos can be dense enough to produce observable gravitational effects such as astrometric lensing, diffraction of gravitational wave signals from black hole mergers, photometric microlensing of highly magnified stars, perturbations of stars in the galactic disk or stellar streams. These effects would provide a probe of dark matter even if it does not couple to the Standard Model. They would not be observable for halos predicted for standard cold dark matter and for ALP dark matter in the standard misalignment mechanism. We determine the relevant regions of parameter space in the (ALP mass, decay constant)-plane and compare predictions in different axion fragmentation models.

Read this paper on arXiv…

A. Chatrchyan, C. Eröncel, M. Koschnitzke, et. al.
Tue, 9 May 23
29/88

Comments: 49 pages and 22 figures in the main text, and 14 pages and 2 figures in appendices

Strong-Field Physics in QED and QCD: From Fundamentals to Applications [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03865


We provide a pedagogical review article on fundamentals and applications of the quantum dynamics in strong electromagnetic fields in QED and QCD. The fundamentals include the basic picture of the Landau quantization and the resummation techniques applied to the class of higher-order diagrams that are enhanced by large magnitudes of the external fields. We then discuss observable effects of the vacuum fluctuations in the presence of the strong fields, which consist of the interdisciplinary research field of nonlinear QED. We also discuss extensions of the Heisenberg-Euler effective theory to finite temperature/density and to non-Abelian theories with some applications. Next, we proceed to the paradigm of the dimensional reduction emerging in the low-energy dynamics in the strong magnetic fields. The mechanisms of superconductivity, the magnetic catalysis of the chiral symmetry breaking, and the Kondo effect are addressed from a unified point of view in terms of the renormalization-group method. We provide an up-to-date summary of the lattice QCD simulations in magnetic fields for the chiral symmetry breaking and the related topics as of the end of 2022. Finally, we discuss novel transport phenomena induced by chiral anomaly and the axial-charge dynamics. Those discussions are supported by a number of appendices.

Read this paper on arXiv…

K. Hattori, K. Itakura and S. Ozaki
Tue, 9 May 23
53/88

Comments: Prepared for an invited review article

Exploring the viability of pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson as ultralight dark matter in a mass range relevant for strong gravity applications [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03776


We study a simple extension of the Standard Model featuring a dark sector with an ultralight pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson as dark matter candidate. We focus on the mass range $\mathcal{O}(10^{-20} – 10^{-10})$ eV, relevant for strong gravity applications, and explore its production and evolution in the early Universe. The model is formulated in such a way that dark matter does not couple directly to photons or other Standard Model particles avoiding some of the most stringent cosmological bounds related to axion-like particles. In this work, two different scenarios are considered depending on whether dark matter is produced in a pre-inflationary or post-inflationary regime. We also discuss the effect from emergent topological defects such as cosmic strings and domain walls, and estimate the spectrum of stochastic gravitational waves produced by their decay, enabling to test the model at current and future gravitational-wave experiments.

Read this paper on arXiv…

A. Morais, V. Oliveira, A. Onofre, et. al.
Tue, 9 May 23
72/88

Comments: 22 pages, 5 figures

New Horizons in the Holographic Conformal Phase Transition [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03773


We describe cosmological solutions of the holographic dilaton with the aim of exploring alternatives to the commonly studied thermal Randall-Sundrum phase transition. It is well known that the thermal transition is typically strongly first order, with the requirement of a perturbative 5D gravity theory obstructing completion of the transition. This thermal transition corresponds to nucleation of an infrared brane through the surface of an AdS-Schwarzschild horizon. The approach we study instead invokes an early epoch in which the cosmology is fully 5-dimensional, with highly relativistic brane motion, and with Rindler horizons obscuring the infrared brane at early times. Our approach corresponds, via AdS/CFT, to a non-equilibrium approach to the conformal phase transition. We comment on a class of initial conditions that generically leads to completion of the phase transition without sacrificing perturbativity of the 5D theory.

Read this paper on arXiv…

C. Eröncel, J. Hubisz, S. Lee, et. al.
Tue, 9 May 23
82/88

Comments: 43 pages, 9 figures

Spectral distortions of astrophysical blackbodies as axion probes [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03749


Recent studies reveal that more than a dozen of white dwarfs displaying near-perfect blackbody spectra in the optical range have been lurking in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey catalog. We point out that, in a way analogous to the Cosmic Microwave Background, these stars serve as excellent testbeds for new physics. Specifically, we show how their observed lack of spectral distortions translates into limits on the parameter space of axions with electromagnetic coupling. The prospects for future improvements are also discussed.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Chang, R. Ebadi, X. Luo, et. al.
Tue, 9 May 23
85/88

Comments: 14 pages, 8 figures

Neutrino many-body correlations [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.04916


This paper responds to suggestions that the standard approach to collective neutrino oscillations leaves out potentially important quantum many-body correlations. Arguments in favor of this idea have been based on calculations that, on close scrutiny, offer no evidence either way. Inadequacies of the usual quantum-kinetic formalism are not currently supported by the literature.

Read this paper on arXiv…

L. Johns
Tue, 9 May 23
86/88

Comments: 8 pages, 0 figures

Cosmic rays from heavy particle decays [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03313


Multidimensional modification of gravity with a smaller mass scale of the gravitational interaction is considered. Stable by assumption dark matter particles could decay via interactions with virtual black holes. The decay rates of such processes are estimated. It is shown that with the proper fixation of the parameters the decays of these ultra-massive particles can give noticeable contribution to the flux of high energy cosmic rays in particular, near the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin limit. Such particles can also create neutrinos of very high energies observed in the existing huge underwater or ice-cube detectors.

Read this paper on arXiv…

E. Arbuzova, A. Dolgov and A. Nikitenko
Mon, 8 May 23
12/63

Comments: 7 pages, 3 figures

Tilt-to-length coupling in LISA Pathfinder: analytical modelling [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03667


Tilt-to-length coupling was the limiting noise source in LISA Pathfinder between 20 and 200 mHz before subtraction in post-processing. To prevent the adding of sensing noise to the data by the subtraction process, the success of this strategy depended on a previous direct noise reduction by test mass alignment. The exact dependency of the level of tilt-to-length coupling on the set-points of LISA Pathfinder’s test masses was not understood until the end of the mission. Here, we present, for the first time, an analytical tilt-to-length coupling model that describes the coupling noise changes due to the realignments. We report on the different mechanisms, namely the lever arm and piston effect as well as the coupling due to transmissive components, and how they contribute to the full coupling. Further, we show that a pure geometric model would not have been sufficient to describe the coupling in LISA Pathfinder. Therefore, we model also the non-geometric tilt-to-length noise contributions. For the resulting coupling coefficients of the full model, we compute the expected error bars based on the known individual error sources. Also, we validated the analytical model against numerical simulations. A detailed study and thorough understanding of this noise are the basis for a successful analysis of the LISA Pathfinder data with respect to tilt-to-length coupling.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Hartig and G. Wanner
Mon, 8 May 23
15/63

Comments: N/A

Dark Matter-Induced Stellar Oscillations [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03085


It has been hypothesized that dark matter is comprised of ultra-light bosons whose collective phenomena can be described as a scalar field undergoing coherent oscillations. Examples include axion and fuzzy dark matter models. In this ultra-light dark matter scenario, the harmonic variation in the field’s energy-momentum tensor sources an oscillating component of the gravitational potential that we show can resonantly-excite stellar oscillations. A mathematical framework for predicting the amplitude of these oscillations is developed, which reveals that ultra-light dark matter predominantly excites p-modes of degree $l=1$. An investigation of resonantly-excited solar oscillations is presented, from which we conclude that dark matter-induced oscillations of the Sun are likely undetectable. We discuss prospects for constraining ultra-light dark matter using other stellar objects.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Sakstein and I. Saltas
Mon, 8 May 23
25/63

Comments: 5 pages, no figures. Comments welcome. A reproduction package for our numerical analysis is available here: this https URL

Tip of the Red Giant Branch Bounds on the Axion-Electron Coupling Revisited [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03113


We present a novel method to constrain the axion-electron coupling constant using the observed calibration of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) I band magnitude $M_I$ that fully accounts for uncertainties and degeneracies with stellar input physics.~We simulate a grid of 116,250 models varying initial mass, helium abundance, and metallicity and train a machine learning emulator to predict $M_I$ as a function of these parameters.~Our emulator enables the use of Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations where the axion-electron coupling $\alpha_{26}$ is varied simultaneously with the stellar parameters. We find that, once stellar uncertainties and degeneracies are accounted for, the region $\alpha_{26} < 2$ is not excluded by empirical TRGB calibrations.~Our work opens up a large region of parameter space currently believed to be excluded.~$\alpha_{26} = 2$ is the upper limit of the parameter space considered by this study, and it is likely that larger values of $\alpha_{26}$ are also unconstrained.~We discuss potential applications of our work to reevaluate other astrophysical probes of new physics.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Dennis and J. Sakstein
Mon, 8 May 23
26/63

Comments: 14 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, dataset at this https URL

Spectrogram correlated stacking: A novel time-frequency domain analysis of the Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03090


The astrophysical stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) originates from numerous faint sub-threshold gravitational wave (GW) signals arising from the coalescing binary compact objects. This background is expected to be discovered from the current (or next-generation) network of GW detectors by cross-correlating the signal between multiple pairs of GW detectors. However, detecting this signal is challenging and the correlation is only detectable at low frequencies due to the arrival time delay between different detectors. In this work, we propose a novel technique, \texttt{Spectrogram Correlated Stacking} (or \texttt{SpeCs}), which goes beyond the usual cross-correlation (and to higher frequencies) by exploiting the higher-order statistics in the time-frequency domain which accounts for the \textit{chirping} nature of the individual events that comprise SGWB. We show that \texttt{SpeCs} improves the signal-to-noise for the detection of SGWB by a factor close to $8$, compared to standard optimal cross-correlation methods which are tuned to measure only the power spectrum of the SGWB signal.\texttt{SpeCs} can probe beyond the power spectrum and its application to the GW data available from the current and next-generation GW detectors would speed up the SGWB discovery.

Read this paper on arXiv…

R. Dey, L. Micchi, S. Mukherjee, et. al.
Mon, 8 May 23
44/63

Comments: N/A

Gravitational freeze-in dark matter from Higgs Preheating [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.02568


Gravitational freeze-in is a mechanism to explain the observed dark matter relic density if dark matter neither couples to inflation nor to standard model sector. In this work, we study gravitational freeze-in dark matter production during Higgs preheating based on non-perturbative resonance. Using reliable lattice method to handle this non-perturbative process, we show that tachyonic resonance is prohibited by strong back reaction due to Higgs self interaction needed to keep the positivity of potential during preheating, and parameter resonance is viable by tuning the Higgs self-interaction coupling to be small enough in ultraviolet energy scale. We then derive the dark matter relic density under the context of Higgs preheating, and uncover a new dark matter parameter space with dark matter mass larger than inflaton mass, which arises from out-of-equilium Higgs annihilation. Finally, we briefly remark the open question of testing gravitational dark matter.

Read this paper on arXiv…

R. Zhang, Z. Xu and S. Zheng
Mon, 8 May 23
47/63

Comments: 18 pages, 5 figures

Present and future constraints on flavor-dependent long-range interactions of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03675


The discovery of new, flavor-dependent neutrino interactions would provide compelling evidence of physics beyond the Standard Model. We focus on interactions generated by the anomaly-free, gauged, abelian lepton-number symmetries, specifically $L_e-L_\mu$, $L_e-L_\tau$, and $L_\mu-L_\tau$, that introduce a new matter potential sourced by electrons and neutrons, potentially impacting neutrino flavor oscillations. We revisit, revamp, and improve the constraints on these interactions that can be placed via the flavor composition of the diffuse flux of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos, with TeV-PeV energies, i.e., the proportion of $\nu_e$, $\nu_\mu$, and $\nu_\tau$ in the flux. Because we consider mediators of these new interactions to be ultra-light, lighter than $10^{-10}$ eV, the interaction range is ultra-long, from km to Gpc, allowing vast numbers of electrons and neutrons in celestial bodies and the cosmological matter distribution to contribute to this new potential. We leverage the present-day and future sensitivity of high-energy neutrino telescopes and of oscillation experiments to estimate the constraints that could be placed on the coupling strength of these interactions. We find that, already today, the IceCube neutrino telescope demonstrates potential to constrain flavor-dependent long-range interactions significantly better than existing constraints, motivating further analysis. We also estimate the improvement in the sensitivity due to the next-generation neutrino telescopes such as IceCube-Gen2, Baikal-GVD, KM3NeT, P-ONE, and TAMBO.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. Agarwalla, M. Bustamante, S. Das, et. al.
Mon, 8 May 23
49/63

Comments: 46 pages, 17 figures, 2 tables, 6 appendices. Comments are welcome

Detecting ALP wiggles at TeV energies [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03604


Axions and axion-like-particles (ALPs) are characterised by their two-photon coupling, which entails so-called photon-ALP oscillations as photons propagate through a magnetic field. These oscillations lead to distinctive signatures in the energy spectrum of high-energy photons from astrophysical sources, allowing one to probe the existence of ALPs. In particular, photon-ALP oscillations will induce energy dependent oscillatory features, or “ALP wiggles”, in the photon spectra. We propose to use the discrete power spectrum to search for ALP wiggles and present a model-independent statistical test. By using PKS 2155-304 as an example, we show that the method has the potential to significantly improve the experimental sensitivities for ALP wiggles. Moreover, we discuss how these sensitivities depend on the modelling of the magnetic field. We find that the use of realistic magnetic field models, due to their larger cosmic variance, substantially enhances detection prospects compared to the use of simplified models.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Kachelriess and J. Tjemsland
Mon, 8 May 23
52/63

Comments: 21 pages, 9 figures

Nonparametric model for the equations of state of neutron star from deep neural network [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03323


It is of great interest to understand the equation of state (EOS) of the neutron star (NS), whose core includes highly dense matter. However, there are large uncertainties in the theoretical predictions for the EOS of NS. It is useful to develop a new framework, which is flexible enough to consider the systematic error in theoretical predictions and to use them as a best guess at the same time. We employ a deep neural network to perform a non-parametric fit of the EOS of NS using currently available data. In this framework, the Gaussian process is applied to represent the EOSs and the training set data required to close physical solutions. Our model is constructed under the assumption that the true EOS of NS is a perturbation of the relativistic mean-field model prediction. We fit the EOSs of NS using two different example datasets, which can satisfy the latest constraints from the massive neutron stars, NICER, and the gravitational wave of the binary neutron stars. Given our assumptions, we find that a maximum neutron star mass is $2.38^{+0.15}{-0.13} M\odot$ or $2.41^{+0.15}{-0.14}$ at $95\%$ confidence level from two different example datasets. It implies that the $1.4 M\odot$ radius is $12.31^{+0.29}{-0.31}$ km or $12.30^{+0.35}{-0.37}$ km. These results are consistent with results from previous studies using similar priors. It has demonstrated the recovery of the EOS of NS using a nonparametric model.

Read this paper on arXiv…

W. Zhou, J. Hu, Y. Zhang, et. al.
Mon, 8 May 23
54/63

Comments: 12 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, accepted by Astrophysical Journal

Dissipative Genesis of the Inflationary Universe [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.02366


We study an inflation model with a flat scalar potential supported by observations and find that slow-roll inflation can emerge after a quasi-cyclic phase of the Universe, where it undergoes repeated expansions and contractions for a finite time period. The initial conditions and the positive spatial curvature required for such nontrivial dynamics align with the quantum creation of the Universe. The key ingredients that trigger inflation are dissipative interactions of the inflaton, which are necessary to reheat the Universe after inflation and thus give us an observational handle on pre-inflationary physics. Our discovery implies that inflation occurs more robustly after the creation.

Read this paper on arXiv…

H. Matsui, A. Papageorgiou, F. Takahashi, et. al.
Fri, 5 May 23
8/67

Comments: 5 pages, 1 figure

Little Rip, Pseudo Rip and bounce cosmology from generalized equation of state in the Universe with spatial curvature [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.02796


We consider the Little Rip (LR), Pseudo Rip (PR) and bounce cosmological models in the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) metric with nonzero spatial curvature. We describe the evolution of the universe using a generalized equation of state in the presence of a viscous fluid. The conditions of the occurrence of the LR, PR and bounce were obtained from the point of view of the parameters of the generalized equation of state for the cosmic dark fluid, taking into account the spatial curvature. The analytical expressions for the spatial curvature were obtained. Asymptotic cases of the early and late universe are considered. A method of Darboux transformation was proposed in the case of models of an accelerating universe with viscosity.

Read this paper on arXiv…

A. A.V.Timoshkin and A. Yurov
Fri, 5 May 23
31/67

Comments: to appear in International Journal of Geometric Methods in Modern Physics

Is the Universe anisotropic right now? Comparing the real Universe with the Kasner's space-time [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.02726


We investigate possible astronomical manifestations of space-time anisotropy. The homogeneous vacuum Kasner solution was chosen as a reference anisotropic cosmological model because there are no effects caused by inhomogeneity in this simple model with a constant degree of anisotropy. This anisotropy cannot become weak. The study of its geodesic structure made it possible to clarify the properties of this space-time. It showed that the degree of manifestation of anisotropy varies significantly depending on the travel time of the light from the observed object. For nearby objects, for which it does not exceed half the age of the universe, the manifestations of anisotropy are very small. Distant objects show more pronounced manifestations, for example, in the distribution of objects over the sky and over photometric distances. These effects for each of the individual objects decrease with time, but in general, the manifestations of anisotropy in the Kasner space-time remain constant due to the fact that new sources emerging from beyond the cosmological horizon.We analyse observable signatures of the Kasner-type anisotropy and compare it to observations. These effects were not found in astronomical observations, including the study of the CMB. We can assume that the Universe has always been isotropic or almost isotropic since the recombination era. This does not exclude the possibility of its significant anisotropy at the moment of the Big Bang followed by rapid isotropization during the inflationary epoch.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. Parnovsky
Fri, 5 May 23
36/67

Comments: 18 pages, 2 figures

Cosmological phase transitions: from perturbative particle physics to gravitational waves [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.02357


Gravitational waves (GWs) were recently detected for the first time. This revolutionary discovery opens a new way of learning about particle physics through GWs from first-order phase transitions (FOPTs) in the early Universe. FOPTs could occur when new fundamental symmetries are spontaneously broken down to the Standard Model and are a vital ingredient in solutions of the matter anti-matter asymmetry problem. The path from a particle physics model to GWs, however, contains many specialized parts and so here we provide a timely review of all the required steps, including: (i) building a finite-temperature effective potential in a particle physics model and checking for FOPTs; (ii) computing transition rates; (iii) analyzing the dynamics of bubbles of true vacuum expanding in a thermal plasma; (iv) characterizing a transition using thermal parameters; and, finally, (v) making predictions for GW spectra using the latest simulations and theoretical results and considering the detectability of predicted spectra at future GW detectors. For each step we emphasize the subtleties, advantages and drawbacks of different methods, discuss open questions and review the state-of-art approaches available in the literature. This provides everything a particle physicist needs to begin exploring GW phenomenology.

Read this paper on arXiv…

P. Athron, C. Balázs, A. Fowlie, et. al.
Fri, 5 May 23
43/67

Comments: 155 pages, 20 figures, review submitted to Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics

Dissipative Emergence of Inflation from Quasi-Cyclic Universe [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.02367


Inflationary models, especially those with plateau-type potentials, are consistent with the cosmological data, but inflation itself does not resolve the initial singularity. This singularity is resolved, for example, by the idea of the quantum creation of the Universe from nothing such as the tunneling and no-boundary proposals. The simplest one predicts a closed Universe. Motivated by these facts, we investigate the classical dynamics of a closed Universe with a plateau-type potential. Depending on the initial inflaton field value, the Universe can undergo a variety of events: an immediate Big Crunch, a bounce or cyclic phase, and inflation. Although the non-inflationary solutions may appear irrelevant to our Universe, they can be turned into a single or multiple bounces followed by inflation, taking into account the interactions necessary for the reheating of the Universe after inflation. Thus, the dissipative mechanism in our setup explains both the graceful entry to and exit from inflation and gives us an indirect observational handle on the Universe just after creation. We also comment on the implications of these solutions on the probabilistic interpretations of the wave function of the Universe.

Read this paper on arXiv…

H. Matsui, A. Papageorgiou, F. Takahashi, et. al.
Fri, 5 May 23
49/67

Comments: 53 pages, 11 figures

de Sitter Space Decay and Cosmological Constant Relaxation in Braney Unimodular Gravity [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.02349


General covariant unimodular gravity frameworks, based on the Henneaux-Teitelboim formulation, are, in disguise, precisely $4$-form field theories corrected with higher dimension operators. In the presence of charged tensional membranes, any de Sitter space in all such theories is unstable and decays. If the fluxes sourced by membranes are mutually incommensurate, de Sitter geometries comprise a very refined discretuum of states. Whenever the $4$-form sector is dominated by terms linear in flux the almost-Minkowski space is the unique long-time attractor. As a result, a tiny cosmological constant is natural in all such frameworks, without appealing to anthropic reasoning.

Read this paper on arXiv…

N. Kaloper
Fri, 5 May 23
67/67

Comments: 28 pages, 5 figures

Lorentzian quantum cosmology with torsion [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01690


We evaluate the Lorentzian gravitational path integral in the presence of non-vanishing torsion with the application of the Picard-Lefschetz theory for minisuperspaces corresponding to a number of phenomenological bouncing cosmological models as well as for the inflationary paradigm. It turns out that the semi-classical wave function derived from the saddle points of the path integral formalism coincides with the solutions of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation. Intriguingly, our analysis showed that the relative probability, derived using these semi-classical wave functions favors universes with smaller values of torsion. Moreover, we find that in the inflationary case, non-zero values of a certain parity-violating component of the torsion enhance the power in the large physical length scales, which can have important observational implications. On the other hand, in the case of bouncing models, the power spectrum is characterized by an initial region of growth, an intermediate oscillatory region, and then again a final region of growth. The shape of the power spectrum in the initial and intermediate regions is sensitive to the abundance of the bounce-enabling matter and torsion, along with the initial wave function of the universe, while the final size modifies the behavior of the power spectrum in the smaller length scales.

Read this paper on arXiv…

V. Mondal and S. Chakraborty
Thu, 4 May 23
4/60

Comments: N/A

Asymptotic behavior of null geodesics near future null infinity IV: Null-access theorem for generic asymptotically flat spacetime [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01767


In our previous papers [arXiv:2106.03150, arXiv:2110.10917, arXiv:2208.00822], we analyzed the asymptotic behavior of future directed null geodesics near future null infinity and then we showed a proposition on the accessibility of the null geodesics to future null infinity in a specific class of asymptotically flat spacetimes. In this paper, we adopt the retarded time of the Bondi coordinate as the parameter for the null geodesics and then see that one can relax the assumptions imposed in our previous studies. As a consequence, we obtain a new null-access theorem for generic asymptotically flat spacetimes.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Amo, K. Izumi, Y. Tomikawa, et. al.
Thu, 4 May 23
17/60

Comments: 16 pages, no figures

i-SPin 2: An integrator for general spin-s Gross-Pitaevskii systems [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01675


We provide an algorithm for evolving general spin-$s$ Gross-Pitaevskii / non-linear Schr\”odinger systems carrying a variety of interactions, where the $2s+1$ components of the `spinor’ field represent the different spin-multiplicity states. We consider many nonrelativistic interactions up to quartic order in the Schr\”odinger field (both short and long-range, and spin-dependent and spin-independent interactions), including explicit spin-orbit couplings. The algorithm allows for spatially varying external and/or self-generated vector potentials that couple to the spin density of the field. Our work can be used for scenarios ranging from laboratory systems such as spinor Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), to cosmological/astrophysical systems such as self-interacting bosonic dark matter. As examples, we provide results for two different setups of spin-$1$ BECs that employ a varying magnetic field and spin-orbit coupling, respectively, and also collisions of spin-$1$ solitons in dark matter. Our symplectic algorithm is second-order accurate in time, and is extensible to the known higher-order accurate methods.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Jain, M. Amin and H. Pu
Thu, 4 May 23
23/60

Comments: 13 pages, 3 figures, 2 appendices

Methods and prospects for gravitational wave searches targeting ultralight vector boson clouds around known black holes [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00401


Ultralight bosons are predicted in many extensions to the Standard Model and are popular dark matter candidates. The black hole superradiance mechanism allows for these particles to be probed using only their gravitational interaction. In this scenario, an ultralight boson cloud may form spontaneously around a spinning black hole and extract a non-negligible fraction of the black hole’s mass. These oscillating clouds produce quasi-monochromatic, long-duration gravitational waves that may be detectable by ground-based or space-based gravitational wave detectors. We discuss the capability of a new long-duration signal tracking method, based on a hidden Markov model, to detect gravitational wave signals generated by ultralight vector boson clouds, including cases where the signal frequency evolution timescale is much shorter than that of a typical continuous wave signal. We quantify the detection horizon distances for vector boson clouds with current- and next-generation ground-based detectors. We demonstrate that vector clouds hosted by black holes with mass $\gtrsim 60 M_{\odot}$ and spin $\gtrsim 0.6$ are within the reach of current-generation detectors up to a luminosity distance of $\sim 1$ Gpc. This search method enables one to target vector boson clouds around remnant black holes from compact binary mergers detected by gravitational-wave detectors. We discuss the impact of the sky localization of the merger events and demonstrate that a typical remnant black hole reasonably well-localized by the current generation detector network is accessible in a follow-up search.

Read this paper on arXiv…

D. Jones, L. Sun, N. Siemonsen, et. al.
Thu, 4 May 23
27/60

Comments: 20 pages, 12 figures

Wavelet Coherence Of Total Solar Irradiance and Atlantic Climate [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.02319


The oscillations of climatic parameters of North Atlantic Ocean play important role in various events in North America and Europe. Several climatic indices are associated with these oscillations. The long term Atlantic temperature anomalies are described by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation also known as Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV), is the variability of the sea surface temperature (SST) of the North Atlantic Ocean at the timescale of several decades. The AMO is correlated to air temperatures and rainfall over much of the Northern Hemisphere, in particular in the summer climate in North America and Europe. The long-term variations of surface temperature are driven mainly by the cycles of solar activity, represented by the variations of the Total Solar Irradiance (TSI). The frequency and amplitude dependences between the TSI and AMO are analyzed by wavelet coherence of millennial time series since 800 AD till now. The results of wavelet coherence are compared with the detected common solar and climate cycles in narrow frequency bands by the method of Partial Fourier Approximation. The long-term coherence between TSI and AMO can help to understand better the recent climate change and can improve the long term forecast.

Read this paper on arXiv…

V. Kolev and Y. Chapanov
Thu, 4 May 23
30/60

Comments: pages 12, Proceedings of the XIII Bulgarian-Serbian Astronomical Conference (XIII BSAC), Velingrad, Bulgaria, 2022

The dark matter unitarity bound at NLO [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01680


We reexamine the consequences of perturbative unitarity on dark matter freeze-out when both Sommerfeld enhancement and bound state formation affect dark matter annihilations. At leading order (LO) the annihilation cross-section is infrared dominated and the connection between the unitarity bound and the upper bound on the dark matter mass depends only on how the different partial waves are populated. We compute how this picture is modified at next-to-leading order (NLO) with the goal of assigning a reliable theory uncertainty to the freeze-out predictions. We explicitly compute NLO corrections in a simple model with abelian gauge interactions and provide an estimate of the theoretical uncertainty for the thermal masses of heavy electroweak $n$-plets. Along the way, we clarify the regularization and matching procedure necessary to deal with singular potentials in quantum mechanics with a calculable relativistic UV completion.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. Bottaro and D. Redigolo
Thu, 4 May 23
35/60

Comments: 8 pages + appendices, 5+2 figures

A fast tunable driver of light source for the TRIDENT Pathfinder experiment [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01967


TRIDENT (The tRopIcal DEep-sea Neutrino Telescope) is a proposed next-generation neutrino telescope to be constructed in the South China Sea. In September 2021, the TRIDENT Pathfinder experiment (TRIDENT EXplorer, T-REX for short) was conducted to evaluate the in-situ optical properties of seawater. The T-REX experiment deployed three digital optical modules at a depth of 3420 meters, including a light emitter module (LEM) and two light receiver modules (LRMs) equipped with photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and cameras to detect light signals. The LEM emits light in pulsing and steady modes. It features a fast tunable driver to activate light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit nanosecond-width light pulses with tunable intensity. The PMTs in the LRM receive single photo-electron (SPE) signals with an average photon number of approximately 0.3 per 1-microsecond time window, which is used to measure the arrival time distribution of the SPE signals. The fast tunable driver can be remotely controlled in real-time by the data acquisition system onboard the research vessel, allowing for convenient adjustments to the driver’s parameters and facilitating the acquisition of high-quality experimental data. This paper describes the requirements, design scheme, and test results of the fast tunable driver, highlighting its successful implementation in the T-REX experiment and its potential for future deep-sea experiments.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Tang, W. Wu, L. Li, et. al.
Thu, 4 May 23
43/60

Comments: N/A

Precision CMB constraints on eV-scale bosons coupled to neutrinos [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01692


The cosmic microwave background (CMB) has proven to be an invaluable tool for studying the properties and interactions of neutrinos, providing insight not only into the sum of neutrino masses but also the free streaming nature of neutrinos prior to recombination. The CMB is a particularly powerful probe of new eV-scale bosons interacting with neutrinos, as these particles can thermalize with neutrinos via the inverse decay process, $\nu\bar{\nu} \rightarrow X$, and suppress neutrino free streaming near recombination — even for couplings as small as $\lambda_\nu \sim \mathcal{O}(10^{-13})$. Here, we revisit CMB constraints on such bosons, improving upon a number of approximations previously adopted in the literature and generalizing the constraints to a broader class of models. This includes scenarios in which the boson is either spin-$0$ or spin-$1$, the number of interacting neutrinos is either $N_{\rm int} = 1,2 $ or $3$, and the case in which a primordial abundance of the species is present. We apply these bounds to well-motivated models, such as the singlet majoron model or a light $U(1){L\mu-L_\tau}$ gauge boson, and find that they represent the leading constraints for masses $m_X\sim 1\, {\rm eV}$. Finally, we revisit the extent to which neutrino-philic bosons can ameliorate the Hubble tension, and find that recent improvements in the understanding of how such bosons damp neutrino free streaming reduces the previously found success of this proposal.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. Sandner, M. Escudero and S. Witte
Thu, 4 May 23
49/60

Comments: 9 + 8 pages, 14 figures

What can a GNOME do? Search targets for the Global Network of Optical Magnetometers for Exotic physics searches [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01785


Numerous observations suggest that there exist undiscovered beyond-the-Standard-Model particles and fields. Because of their unknown nature, these exotic particles and fields could interact with Standard Model particles in many different ways and assume a variety of possible configurations. Here we present an overview of the Global Network of Optical Magnetometers for Exotic physics searches (GNOME), our ongoing experimental program designed to test a wide range of exotic physics scenarios. The GNOME experiment utilizes a worldwide network of shielded atomic magnetometers (and, more recently, comagnetometers) to search for spatially and temporally correlated signals due to torques on atomic spins from exotic fields of astrophysical origin. We survey the temporal characteristics of a variety of possible signals currently under investigation such as those from topological defect dark matter (axion-like particle domain walls), axion-like particle stars, solitons of complex-valued scalar fields (Q-balls), stochastic fluctuations of bosonic dark matter fields, a solar axion-like particle halo, and bursts of ultralight bosonic fields produced by cataclysmic astrophysical events such as binary black hole mergers.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. Afach, D. Tumturk, H. Bekker, et. al.
Thu, 4 May 23
55/60

Comments: 22 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Annalen der Physik

Detecting High-Frequency Gravitational Waves in Planetary Magnetosphere [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01832


High-frequency gravitational waves (HFGWs) carry a wealth of information on the early Universe with a tiny comoving Hubble horizon and astronomical objects of small scale but with dense energy. We demonstrate that the nearby planets, such as Earth and Jupiter, can be utilized as a laboratory for detecting the HFGWs. These GWs are then expected to convert to signal photons in the planetary magnetosphere, across the frequency band of astronomical observation. As a proof of concept, we present the first limits from the existing low-Earth-orbit satellite for specific frequency bands and project the sensitivities for the future more-dedicated detections. The first limits from Juno, the latest mission orbiting Jupiter, are also presented. Attributed to the long path of effective GW-photon conversion and the wide angular distribution of signal flux, we find that these limits are highly encouraging, for a broad range of frequencies including a large portion unexplored before.

Read this paper on arXiv…

T. Liu, J. Ren and C. Zhang
Thu, 4 May 23
57/60

Comments: 11 pages, 8 figures

Impacts of dark matter interaction on nuclear and neutron star matter within the relativistic mean-field model [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.02065


This thesis explores the effects of dark matter (DM) on neutron stars (NSs) using the relativistic mean-field (RMF) model. The effects of DM on NS properties, including the mass-radius relation, the moment of inertia, and tidal deformability, are calculated by varying its fraction. The study found that the EOS becomes softer with increasing DM momentum, and the DM has marginal effects on nuclear matter properties, except for the EOSs and binding energy per particle. The study also calculated the properties of isolated, static, and rotating DM admixed NS and found that the DM has significant effects on both static and rotating NS. We have also observed that a tiny amount of DM can accumulate inside the NS, and more amount of it makes the NS unstable. The study also suggests that the secondary component might be a NS with DM content if the underlying nuclear EOS is sufficiently stiff. The $f$-mode oscillations of the DM admixed hyperon stars are calculated and found that there exist a correlation between canonical $f$-mode frequency and the dimensionless tidal deformability parameter ($\Lambda_{1.4}$) and we have put a constraint on $f$-mode frequency using GW170817 data. Finally, we have calculated the DM admixed binary NS properties and found that the binary system becomes less deformed and sustains more time in its inspiral phases with the addition of DM. Therefore, we suggest that one can take DM inside the compact objects while modeling the inspiral waveforms for the BNS systems.

Read this paper on arXiv…

H. Das
Thu, 4 May 23
58/60

Comments: PhD Thesis

Production of n-rich nuclei in red giant stars [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01549


We outline a partial historical summary of the steps through which the nucleosynthesis phenomena induced by {\it slow} neutron captures (the {\it s-process}) were clarified, a scientific achievement in which Franz K\”appeler played a major role. We start by recalling the early phenomenological approach, which yielded a basic understanding of the subject even before models for the parent stellar evolutionary stages were developed. Through such a tool, rough limits for the neutron density and exposure were set, and the crucial fact was understood that more than one nucleosynthesis component is required to account for solar abundances of $s$-process nuclei up to the Pb-Bi region. We then summarize the gradual understanding of the stellar processes actually involved in the production of nuclei from Sr to Pb (the so-called {\it Main Component}, achieved in the last decade of the past century and occurring in red giants of low and intermediate mass, ($M \lesssim$ 8 $M_{\odot}$), populating, in the {\it HR} diagram, the {\it Asymptotic Giant Branch} or {\it AGB} region. We conclude by giving some details on more recent research concerning mixing mechanisms inducing the activation of the main neutron source, $^{13}$C($\alpha$,n)$^{16}$O.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Busso and S. Palmerini
Wed, 3 May 23
3/67

Comments: 35 page, 8 figures

Test of the Second Postulate of Relativity from Gravitational Wave Observations [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.14820


The second postulate of special relativity states that the speed of light in vacuum is independent of the emitter’s motion. Though this claim has been verified in various experiments and observations involving electromagnetic radiation with very high accuracy, such a test for gravitational radiation still needs to be explored. We analyzed data from the LIGO and Virgo detectors to test this postulate for gravitational radiation within the ambit of \textit{emission models}, where the speed of gravitational waves emitted by a source moving with a velocity $v$ relative to a stationary observer is given by ${c’ = c + k\,v}$, where $k$ is a constant. We have estimated the upper bound on the 90\% credible interval over $k$ that parameterizes the deviation from the second postulate to be ${k \leq 8.3 \times {10}^{-18}}$ which is several orders of magnitude more stringent compared to previous bounds obtained from electromagnetic observations. The Bayes’ factor supports the second postulate, with very strong evidence that the data is consistent with the null hypothesis $k = 0$. This confirms that the speed of gravity is independent of the motion of the emitter, upholding the principle of relativity for gravitational interactions.

Read this paper on arXiv…

R. Ghosh, S. Nair, L. Pathak, et. al.
Wed, 3 May 23
4/67

Comments: 7 pages, 3 figures

Quantum information and quantum simulation of neutrino physics [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01150


In extreme astrophysical environments such as core-collapse supernovae and binary neutron star mergers, neutrinos play a major role in driving various dynamical and microphysical phenomena, such as baryonic matter outflows, the synthesis of heavy elements, and the supernova explosion mechanism itself. The interactions of neutrinos with matter in these environments are flavor-specific, which makes it of paramount importance to understand the flavor evolution of neutrinos. Flavor evolution in these environments can be a highly nontrivial problem thanks to a multitude of collective effects in flavor space, arising due to neutrino-neutrino ($\nu$-$\nu$) interactions in regions with high neutrino densities. A neutrino ensemble undergoing flavor oscillations under the influence of significant $\nu$-$\nu$ interactions is somewhat analogous to a system of coupled spins with long-range interactions among themselves and with an external field (‘long-range’ in momentum-space in the case of neutrinos). As a result, it becomes pertinent to consider whether these interactions can give rise to significant quantum correlations among the interacting neutrinos, and whether these correlations have any consequences for the flavor evolution of the ensemble. In particular, one may seek to utilize concepts and tools from quantum information science and quantum computing to deepen our understanding of these phenomena. In this article, we attempt to summarize recent work in this field. Furthermore, we also present some new results in a three-flavor setting, considering complex initial states.

Read this paper on arXiv…

A. Balantekin, M. Cervia, A. Patwardhan, et. al.
Wed, 3 May 23
11/67

Comments: 13 pages, 3 figures. Invited review for the Eur. Phys. J. A special issue on “Quantum computing in low-energy nuclear theory”

Analytic distribution of the optimal cross-correlation statistic for stochastic gravitational-wave-background searches using pulsar timing arrays [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01116


We show via both analytical calculation and numerical simulation that the optimal cross-correlation statistic (OS) for stochastic gravitational-wave-background (GWB) searches using data from pulsar timing arrays follows a generalized chi-squared (GX2) distribution-i.e., a linear combination of chi-squared distributions with coefficients given by the eigenvalues of the quadratic form defining the statistic. This observation is particularly important for calculating the frequentist statistical significance of a possible GWB detection, which depends on the exact form of the distribution of the OS signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) $\hat\rho \equiv \hat A_{\rm gw}^2/\sigma_0$ in the absence of GW-induced cross correlations (i.e., the null distribution). Previous discussions of the OS have incorrectly assumed that the analytic null distribution of $\hat\rho$ is well-approximated by a zero-mean unit-variance Gaussian distribution. Empirical calculations show that the null distribution of $\hat\rho$ has “tails” which differ significantly from those for a Gaussian distribution, but which follow (exactly) a GX2 distribution. So, a correct analytical assessment of the statistical significance of a potential detection requires the use of a GX2 distribution.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Hazboun, P. Meyers, J. Romano, et. al.
Wed, 3 May 23
26/67

Comments: 13 pages, 3 Figures

The average equation of state for the oscillating inflaton field of the simplest $α$-attractor E-model [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01159


In this work, we calculate the average equation of state for the oscillating inflaton field of the simplest $\alpha$-attractor E-model. We show that the average equation of state can be solved analytically. We discover that when $\alpha$ is small, the average equation of state of the oscillating inflaton field approaches that of a cosmological constant. This is the phenomenon of oscillating inflation.

Read this paper on arXiv…

C. Lin
Wed, 3 May 23
44/67

Comments: 9 pages, 3 figures

First Constraints on the Photon Coupling of Axion-like Particles from Multimessenger Studies of the Neutron Star Merger GW170817 [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01002


We use multimessenger observations of the neutron star merger event GW170817 to derive new constraints on axion-like particles (ALPs) coupling to photons. ALPs are produced via Primakoff and photon coalescence processes in the merger, escape the remnant and decay back into two photons, giving rise to a photon signal approximately along the line-of-sight to the merger. We analyze the spectral and temporal information of the ALP-induced photon signal, and use the Fermi-LAT observations of GW170817 to derive our new ALP constraints. We also show the improved prospects with future MeV gamma-ray missions, taking the spectral and temporal coverage of AMEGO-X as an example.

Read this paper on arXiv…

P. Dev, J. Fortin, S. Harris, et. al.
Wed, 3 May 23
47/67

Comments: 8+8 pages, 4+6 figures

Cosmic acceleration in entropic cosmology [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01607


In this paper we study the viability of an entropic cosmological model. The effects of entropic gravity are derived from a modified entropy-area relationship with a volumetric entropy term. This model describes a late time limit {cosmic acceleration}, whose origin is related to a volumetric term in the entropy. Moreover, we analyze the phenomenological implications of the entropic model using the Supernovae {\it Pantheon} compilation and the observational Hubble parameter data to find consistency with cosmological observations. Finally, we show the equivalence between the entropic model and a brane world cosmological model, by means of an effective geometrical construction.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Chagoya, I. Díaz-Saldaña, J. López-Domínguez, et. al.
Wed, 3 May 23
52/67

Comments: 10 pages, 3 figures

Ameliorating the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy condition in spherical coordinates: A double FFT filter method for general relativistic MHD in dynamical spacetimes [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01537


Numerical simulations of merging compact objects and their remnants form the theoretical foundation for gravitational wave and multi-messenger astronomy. While Cartesian-coordinate-based adaptive mesh refinement is commonly used for simulations, spherical-like coordinates are more suitable for nearly spherical remnants and azimuthal flows due to lower numerical dissipation in the evolution of fluid angular momentum, as well as requiring fewer numbers of computational cells. However, the use of spherical coordinates to numerically solve hyperbolic partial differential equations can result in severe Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) stability condition timestep limitations, which can make simulations prohibitively expensive. This paper addresses this issue for the numerical solution of coupled spacetime and general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics evolutions by introducing a double FFT filter and implementing it within the fully MPI-parallelized SphericalNR framework in the Einstein Toolkit. We demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the filtering algorithm by applying it to a number of challenging code tests, and show that it passes these tests effectively, demonstrating convergence while also increasing the
timestep significantly compared to unfiltered simulations.

Read this paper on arXiv…

L. Ji, V. Mewes, Y. Zlochower, et. al.
Wed, 3 May 23
55/67

Comments: 15 pages, 13 figures, revtex4-1

Primordial black holes formation in a early matter dominated era from the pre-big bang scenario [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01430


We discuss the production of primordial black holes in an early matter dominated era, which typically takes place in string inspired early universe cosmological models. In particular, we consider a pre-big bang scenario (extending previous results regarding formation in the radiation dominated era) where the enhancement of curvature perturbations is induced by a variation of the sound-speed parameter c_s during the string phase of high-curvature inflation. After imposing all relevant observational constraints, we find that the considered class of models is compatible with the production of a large amount of primordial black holes, in the mass range relevant to dark matter, only for a small range of the parameters space. On the other hand, we find that a huge production of light primordial black holes may occur both in such matter dominated era and in the radiation dominated one.

Read this paper on arXiv…

C. P. and M. G
Wed, 3 May 23
64/67

Comments: 7 pages, 3 figures

GW_CLASS: Cosmological Gravitational Wave Background in the Cosmic Linear Anisotropy Solving System [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01602


The anisotropies of the Cosmological Gravitational Wave Background (CGWB) retain information about the primordial mechanisms that source the gravitational waves and about the geometry and the particle content of the universe at early times. In this work, we discuss in detail the computation of the angular power spectra of CGWB anisotropies and of their cross correlation with Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropies, assuming different processes for the generation of these primordial signals. We present an efficient implementation of our results in a modified version of CLASS which will be publicly available. By combining our new code GW_CLASS with MontePython, we forecast the combined sensitivity of future gravitational wave interferometers and CMB experiments to the cosmological parameters that characterize the cosmological gravitational wave background.

Read this paper on arXiv…

F. Schulze, L. Dall’Armi, J. Lesgourgues, et. al.
Wed, 3 May 23
65/67

Comments: 63 pages, 16 figures

Observable Gravitational Waves from Hyperkination in Palatini Gravity and Beyond [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01399


We consider cosmology with an inflaton scalar field with an additional quartic kinetic term. Such a theory can be motivated by Palatini $R+R^2$ modified gravity. Assuming a runaway inflaton potential, we take the Universe to become dominated by the kinetic energy density of the scalar field after inflation. Initially, the leading kinetic term is quartic and we call the corresponding period hyperkination. Subsequently, the usual quadratic kinetic term takes over and we have regular kination, until reheating. We study, both analytically and numerically, the spectrum of primordial gravitational waves generated during inflation and re-entering the horizon during the subsequent eras. We demonstrate that the spectrum is flat for modes re-entering during radiation domination and hyperkination and linear in frequency for modes re-entering during kination: kinetic domination boosts the spectrum, but hyperkination truncates its peak. As a result, the effects of the kinetic period can be extended to observable frequencies without generating excessive gravitational waves, which could otherwise destabilise the process of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. We show that there is ample parameter space for the primordial gravitational waves to be observable in the near future. If observed, the amplitude and `knee’ of the spectrum will provide valuable insights into the background theory.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. López, K. Dimopoulos, A. Karam, et. al.
Wed, 3 May 23
66/67

Comments: 40 pages, 7 figures

Large-scale detector testing for the GAPS Si(Li) Tracker [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00283


Lithium-drifted silicon [Si(Li)] has been used for decades as an ionizing radiation detector in nuclear, particle, and astrophysical experiments, though such detectors have frequently been limited to small sizes (few cm$^2$) and cryogenic operating temperatures. The 10-cm-diameter Si(Li) detectors developed for the General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) balloon-borne dark matter experiment are novel particularly for their requirements of low cost, large sensitive area (~10 m$^2$ for the full 1440-detector array), high temperatures (near -40$\,^\circ$C), and energy resolution below 4 keV FWHM for 20–100-keV x-rays. Previous works have discussed the manufacturing, passivation, and small-scale testing of prototype GAPS Si(Li) detectors. Here we show for the first time the results from detailed characterization of over 1100 flight detectors, illustrating the consistent intrinsic low-noise performance of a large sample of GAPS detectors. This work demonstrates the feasibility of large-area and low-cost Si(Li) detector arrays for next-generation astrophysics and nuclear physics applications.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Xiao, A. Stoessl, B. Roach, et. al.
Tue, 2 May 23
1/57

Comments: Prepared for submission to IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci

New 26P(p,γ)27S thermonuclear reaction rate and its astrophysical implication in rp-process [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00371


Accurate nuclear reaction rates for 26P(p,{\gamma})27S are pivotal for a comprehensive understanding of rp-process nucleosynthesis path in the region of proton-rich sulfur and phosphorus isotopes. However, large uncertainties still exist in the current rate of 26P(p,{\gamma})27S because of the lack of the nuclear mass and the energy level structure information of 27S. We reevaluate this reaction rate using the experimentally constrained 27S mass, together with the shell-model predicted level structure. It is found that the 26P(p,{\gamma})27S reaction rate is dominated by a direct-capture (DC) reaction mechanism despite the presence of three resonances at E = 1.104, 1.597, 1.777 MeV above the proton threshold in 27S. The new rate is overall smaller than the other previous rates from Hauser-Feshbach statistical model by at least one order of magnitude in the temperature range of X-ray burst interest. In addition, we consistently update the photodisintegration rate using the new 27S mass. The influence of new rates of forward and reverse reaction in the abundances of isotopes produced in rp-process is explored by post-processing nucleosynthesis calculations. The final abundance ratio of 27S/26P obtained using the new rates is only 10% of that from the old rate. The abundance flow calculations show the reaction path 26P(p,{\gamma})27S(\b{eta}+,{\nu})27P is not as important as thought previously for producing 27P. The adoption of the new reaction rates for 26P(p,{\gamma})27S only reduces the final production of aluminum by 7.1%, and has no discernible impact on the yield of other elements.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. Hou, J. Liu, T. Trueman, et. al.
Tue, 2 May 23
3/57

Comments: N/A

DT fusion through the $^5$He $3/2+$ "Bretscher state" accounts for $\ge 25\%$ of our existence via nucleosynthesis and for the possibility of fusion energy [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00647


In big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), the deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion reaction, D(T,n)$\alpha$, enhanced by the 3/2$^+$ resonance, is responsible for 99% of primordial $^4$He. This has been known for decades and has been well documented in the scientific literature. However, following the tradition adopted by authors of learned articles, it was stated in a matter-of-fact manner and not emphasized; for most people, it has remained unknown. This helium became a source for the subsequent creation of $\geq$25\% of the carbon and other heavier elements and, thus, a substantial fraction of our human bodies. (To be more precise than $\geq$25\% will require future simulation studies on stellar nucleosynthesis.)
Also, without this resonance, controlled fusion energy would be beyond reach. For example, for inertial confinement fusion (ICF), laser energy delivery for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) would have to be approximately 70 times larger for ignition.
Because the resonance enhances the DT fusion cross section a hundredfold, we propose that the 3/2$^+$ $^5$He excited state be referred to as the “Bretscher state” in honor of the Manhattan Project scientist who discovered it, in analogy with the well-known 7.6 MeV “Hoyle state” in $^{12}$C that allows for the resonant 3$\alpha$ formation.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Chadwick, M. Paris and B. Haines
Tue, 2 May 23
4/57

Comments: 4 pages, 4 figures

Hydrodynamic sound shell model [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00074


For a cosmological first-order phase transition in the early Universe, the associated stochastic gravitational wave background is usually dominated by sound waves from plasma fluid motions, which have been analytically modeled as a random superposition of freely propagating sound shells but with the force by the scalar field that produces the self-similar profile removed. In this Letter, we propose a new analytic sound shell model by focusing on the forced propagating contribution from the initial collision stage of sound shells when their self-similar profiles are still maintained by the moving bubble walls. We reproduce the causal $k^3$-scaling in the infrared consistent with numerical simulations, and also recover the broad dome in the power spectrum first observed in numerical simulations. The total sound waves should contain both contributions from forced collisions and free propagation of sound shells at early and late stages of the phase transition, respectively.

Read this paper on arXiv…

R. Cai, S. Wang and Z. Yuwen
Tue, 2 May 23
7/57

Comments: 5 pages (3 figures) + 1 appendix (5 figures)

The Hawking Energy in a Perturbed Friedmann-Lemaître Universe [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00711


Hawking’s quasi-local energy definition quantifies the energy enclosed by a spacelike 2-sphere in terms of the amount of lightbending on the sphere caused by the energy distribution inside the sphere. This paper establishes for the first time a direct connection between the formal mathematical definition of a quasi-local energy and observations, in the context of cosmological perturbation theory. This is achieved by studying the Hawking Energy of spherical sections of the past lightcone of a cosmic observer in a perturbed Friedmann-Lema\^{i}tre spacetime. We express the Hawking Energy in terms of gauge-invariant perturbation variables and comment on the cosmic observables needed to in principle measure it. We then calculate its angular power spectrum and interpret its contributions.

Read this paper on arXiv…

D. Stock, E. Dio and R. Durrer
Tue, 2 May 23
17/57

Comments: comments welcome; additional Mathematica file attached

Bayesian Inference of Supernova Neutrino Spectra with Multiple Detectors [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00392


We implement the Bayesian inference to retrieve energy spectra of all neutrinos from a galactic core-collapse supernova (CCSN). To achieve high statistics and full sensitivity to all flavours of neutrinos, we adopt a combination of several reaction channels from different large-scale neutrino observatories, namely inverse beta decay on proton and elastic scattering on electron from Hyper-Kamiokande (Hyper-K), charged current absorption on Argon from Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) and coherent elastic scattering on Lead from RES-NOVA. Assuming no neutrino oscillation or specific oscillation models, we obtain mock data for each channel through Poisson processes with the predictions, for a typical source distance of 10 kpc in our Galaxy, and then evaluate the probability distributions for all spectral parameters of theoretical neutrino spectrum model with Bayes’ theorem. Although the results for either the electron-neutrinos or electron-antineutrinos reserve relatively large uncertainties (according to the neutrino mass hierarchy), a precision of a few percent (i.e., $\pm 1 \% \sim \pm 4 \%$ at a credible interval of $2 \sigma$) is achieved for primary spectral parameters (e.g., mean energy and total emitted energy) of other neutrino species. Moreover, the correlation coefficients between different parameters are computed as well and interesting patterns are found. Especially, the mixing-induced correlations are sensitive to the neutrino mass hierarchy, which potentially makes it a brand new probe to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy in the detection of galactic supernova neutrinos. Finally, we discuss the origin of such correlation patterns and perspectives for further improvement on our results.

Read this paper on arXiv…

X. Huang, C. Sun, L. Chen, et. al.
Tue, 2 May 23
27/57

Comments: 24 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables

Starobinsky-Type B-L Higgs Inflation Leading Beyond MSSM [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00523


Models of induced-gravity inflation are formulated within Supergravity employing as inflaton the Higgs field which leads to a spontaneous breaking of a U(1)_{B-L} symmetry at Mgut=2×10^16 GeV. We use a renormalizable superpotential, fixed by a U(1) R symmetry, and logarithmic or semi-logarithmic Kahler potentials with integer prefactors which exhibit a quadratic non-minimal coupling to gravity. We find inflationary solutions of Starobinsky type in accordance with the observations. The inflaton mass is predicted to be of the order of 10^13 GeV. The model can be nicely linked to MSSM offering an explanation of the magnitude of the mu parameter consistently with phenomenological data. Also it allows for baryogenesis via non-thermal leptogenesis, provided that the gravitino is heavier than about 10 TeV.

Read this paper on arXiv…

C. Pallis
Tue, 2 May 23
42/57

Comments: Prepared for the Proceedings of the Corfu Summer Institute 2022 — Conference: C22-08-28. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1804.07038

Determination of the neutron skin of $^{208}$Pb from ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00015


Emergent bulk properties of matter governed by the strong nuclear force give rise to physical phenomena across vastly different scales, ranging from the shape of atomic nuclei to the masses and radii of neutron stars. They can be accessed on Earth by measuring the spatial extent of the outer skin made of neutrons that characterises the surface of heavy nuclei. The isotope $^{208}$Pb, owing to its simple structure and neutron excess, has been in this context the target of many dedicated efforts. Here, we determine the neutron skin from measurements of particle distributions and their collective flow in $^{208}$Pb+$^{208}$Pb collisions at ultrarelativistic energy performed at the Large Hadron Collider, which are sensitive to the overall size of the colliding $^{208}$Pb ions. By means of state-of-the-art global analysis tools within the hydrodynamic model of heavy-ion collisions, we infer a neutron skin $\Delta r_{np}=0.217\pm0.058$ fm, consistent with nuclear theory predictions, and competitive in accuracy with a recent determination from parity-violating asymmetries in polarised electron scattering. We establish thus a new experimental method to systematically measure neutron distributions in the ground state of atomic nuclei.

Read this paper on arXiv…

G. Giacalone, G. Nijs and W. Schee
Tue, 2 May 23
47/57

Comments: 8 pages, 6 figures. The Trajectum code can be found at this https URL Plotting routines can be found at this http URL

Novel high-frequency gravitational waves detection with split cavity [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00877


Gravitational waves can generate electromagnetic effects inside a strong electric or magnetic field within the Standard Model and general relativity. Here we propose using a quarterly split cavity and LC-resonance circuit to detect a high-frequency gravitational wave from 0.1 MHz to GHz. We perform a full 3D simulation of the cavity’s signal for sensitivity estimate. Our sensitivity depends on the coherence time scale of the high-frequency gravitational wave sources and the volume size of the split cavity. We discuss the resonant measurement schemes for narrow-band gravitational wave sources and also a non-resonance scheme for broadband signals. For a meter-sized split cavity under a 14 Tesla magnetic field, the LC resonance enhanced sensitivity to the gravitational wave strain is expected to reach $h\sim 10^{-20}$ around $10$ MHz.

Read this paper on arXiv…

C. Gao, Y. Gao, Y. Liu, et. al.
Tue, 2 May 23
50/57

Comments: 8 pages, 7 figures

Constraining the quintessential \texorpdfstring{$α$}{a}-attractor inflation through dynamical horizon exit method [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00230


In the present paper, we perform a sub-Planckian quantum mode analysis of linear cosmological perturbation in the inflaton field over a classical quasi de-Siter metric background by dynamical horizon exit (DHE) method. In this way, we probe the inflationary regime of a quintessential $\alpha$-attractor model by analysing the COBE/Planck normalized power spectra, spectral indices, tensor to scalar ratio, number of e-folds, running of the spectral index and inflationary Hubble parameter in $k$-space. We compare our results with ordinary $\alpha$-attractor $E$ and $T$ models and with that of Planck-2018 results. Our estimated values of $n_s$ and $r$ lie within $68\%$ CL with respect to Planck data for $k=0.001 – 0.009$ Mpc$^{-1}$ for all values of $\alpha$. The $\alpha$ values, obtained in our calculations satisfy various post inflationary constraints regarding preheating and reheating, reported in current literature. We observe that quintessence sets an upper bound of $\alpha=4.3$ and thereby restricts the model from becoming of the power law type, making it more efficacious than ordinary $\alpha$-attractors in explaining both inflation and dark energy. A striking observation in our analyses is that, unlike in our previous study, we find a continuous values of $\alpha$ within $\frac{1}{10}\leq \alpha\leq 4.3$ for the specified $k$ range. At the end, we have shown that the model parameters constrained in this work give a very small vacuum density $\sim 10^{-117}-10^{-115} M_P^4$ which is an essential criterion for current and future dark energy observations of the universe.

Read this paper on arXiv…

A. Sarkar and B. Ghosh
Tue, 2 May 23
52/57

Comments: 46 pages, 20 figures, 2 tables

Measuring Inflaton Couplings via Primordial Gravitational Waves [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00027


We investigate the reach of future gravitational wave (GW) detectors in probing inflaton couplings with visible sector particles that can either be bosonic or fermionic in nature. Assuming reheating takes place through perturbative quantum production from vacuum in presence of classical inflaton background field, we find that the spectral energy density of the primordial GW generated during inflation becomes sensitive to inflaton-matter coupling. We conclude, obeying bounds from Big Bang Nucleosysthesis and Cosmic Microwave Background, that, e.g., inflaton-scalar couplings of the order of $\sim\mathcal{O}(10^{-20})$ GeV fall within the sensitivity range of several proposed GW detector facilities. However, this prediction is sensitive to the size of the inflationary scale, nature of the inflaton-matter interaction and shape of the potential during reheating. Having found the time-dependent effective inflaton decay width, we also discuss its implications for dark matter (DM) production from the thermal plasma via UV freeze-in during reheating. It is shown, that one can reproduce the observed DM abundance for its mass up to several PeVs, depending on the dimension of the operator connecting DM with the thermal bath and the associated scale of the UV physics. Thus we promote primordial GW to observables sensitive to feebly coupled inflaton, which is very challenging if not impossible to test in conventional particle physics laboratories or astrophysical measurements.

Read this paper on arXiv…

B. Barman, A. Ghoshal, B. Grzadkowski, et. al.
Tue, 2 May 23
55/57

Comments: 40 pages, 7 figures, 2 Tables

The Flavor of QCD Axion Dark Matter [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00018


We argue that demanding a consistent cosmological history, including the absence of domain walls and strongly interacting relics at the Peccei-Quinn scale, singles out two concrete realizations of hadronic QCD axions as viable dark matter models. These realizations generally feature flavor-violating axion couplings to Standard Model quarks that are unsuppressed at low energies. As a consequence, experiments looking for flavor-violating hadronic processes involving the axion can be sensitive probes of QCD axion dark matter models. In particular, we show that the NA62 and KOTO experiments could detect the $K\rightarrow\pi + a$ decay for axions consistent with the observed dark matter abundance via the post-inflationary misalignment mechanism.

Read this paper on arXiv…

G. Alonso-Álvarez, J. Cline and T. Xiao
Tue, 2 May 23
57/57

Comments: 11 pages, 4 figures

Gravitational waves from non-radial perturbations in glitching pulsars [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.14644


The Rossby mode (r-mode) perturbations in pulsars as a steady gravitational wave (GW) sources have been explored. The time evolution and the intensity of the emitted GWs in terms of the strain tensor amplitude have been estimated with the approximation of slow rotation adopting the equation of state derived using the Skyrme effective interaction with NRAPR parameter set. The core of the neutron star has been considered to be $\beta$-equilibrated nuclear matter composed of neutrons, protons, electrons and muons, which is surrounded by a solid crust. Calculations have been made for the critical frequencies, the evolution of frequencies and frequency change rates with time as well as the fiducial viscous and gravitational timescales, across a broad spectrum of pulsar masses. Our findings reveal that the r-mode instability region is associated with rotating young and hot pulsars. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that pulsars with low $L$ value emit gravitational radiation and fall within the r-mode instability region if the primary dissipative mechanism is shear viscosity along the crust-core interface boundary layer. The r-mode perturbation amplitude increases because of GW emissions, in contrast to other non-radial perturbations which transport to infinity the star’s angular momentum. Thus the presence of these stellar perturbations implies a non-negative rate of change in transfer of rotational angular momentum. This observation suggests that for a glitching pulsar, the GW emission intensity evolves increasingly with time till the angular frequency diminishes to a value that is below a crucial threshold, after which the compact star ceases to emit radiation.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Lahiri and D. Basu
Mon, 1 May 23
3/51

Comments: 15 pages including 15 figures and 2 tables

Finite temperature description of Fermi gases with in-medium effective mass [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.14715


We investigate Fermi gases at finite temperature for which the in-medium effective mass may not be constant as a function of the density, the temperature, or the chemical potential. We suggest a formalism that separates the terms for which the mass is constant from the terms which explicitly treat the correction due to the in-medium effective mass. We employ the ensemble equivalence in infinite matter in order to treat these different terms. Our formalism is applied in nuclear matter and we show its goodness by comparing it to an exact treatment based on the numerical calculation of the Fermi integrals.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Dutra, O. Lourenço and J. Margueron
Mon, 1 May 23
5/51

Comments: 11 pages, 2 figures, 3 tables

Limitations in Testing the Lense-Thirring Effect with LAGEOS and the Newly Launched Geodetic Satellite LARES 2 [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.14649


The new geodetic satellite LARES 2, cousin of LAGEOS and sharing with it almost the same orbital parameters apart from the inclination, displaced by 180 deg, was launched last year. Its proponents suggest using the sum of the nodes of LAGEOS and of LARES 2 to measure the sum of the Lense-Thirring node precessions independently of the systematic bias caused by the even zonal harmonics of the geopotential, claiming a final $\simeq 0.2$ percent total accuracy. In fact, the actual orbital configurations of the two satellites do not allow one to attain the sought for mutual cancellation of their classical node precessions due to the Earth’s quadrupole mass moment, as their sum is still $\simeq 5000$ times larger than the added general relativistic rates. This has important consequences. One is that the current uncertainties in the eccentricities and the inclinations of both satellites do not presently allow the stated accuracy goal to be met, needing improvements of 3-4 orders of magnitude. Furthermore, the imperfect knowledge of the Earth’s angular momentum $S$ impacts the uncancelled sum of the node precessions, from 150 to 4900 percent of the relativistic signal depending on the uncertainty assumed in $S$. It is finally remarked that the real breakthrough in reliably testing the gravitomagnetic field of the Earth would consist in modeling it and simultaneously estimating one or more dedicated parameter(s) along with other ones characterising the geopotential, as is customarily performed for any other dynamical feature.

Read this paper on arXiv…

L. Iorio
Mon, 1 May 23
15/51

Comments: LaTex2e, 17 pages, no figures, no tables

Scalar polarization window in gravitational-wave signals [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.14430


Scalar polarization modes of gravitational waves, which are often introduced in the context of the viable extension of gravity, have been actively searched. However, couplings of the scalar modes to the matter are strongly constrained by the fifth-force experiments. Thus, the amplitude of scalar polarization in the observed gravitational-wave signal must be significantly suppressed compared to that of the tensor modes. Here, we discuss the implications of the experiments in the solar system on the detectability of scalar modes in gravitational waves from compact binary coalescences, taking into account the whole processes from the generation to the observation of gravitational waves. We first claim that the energy carried by the scalar modes at the generation is, at most, that of the tensor modes from the observed phase evolution of the inspiral gravitational waves. Next, we formulate general gravitational-wave propagation and point out that the energy flux hardly changes through propagation as long as the background changes slowly compared to the wavelength of the propagating waves. Finally, we show that the possible magnitude of scalar polarization modes detected by the ground-based gravitational-wave telescopes is already severely constrained by the existing gravity tests in the solar system.

Read this paper on arXiv…

H. Takeda, Y. Manita, H. Omiya, et. al.
Mon, 1 May 23
30/51

Comments: 18 pages

Cosmology under the fractional calculus approach: a possible $H_0$ tension resolution? [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.14465


Recently, a new field of study called fractional cosmology has emerged. It uses fractional calculus to modify the standard derivative equations and change the Friedmann equations. The evolution of cosmic species densities is also affected by the $\mu$ fractional parameter and the age of the Universe $t_0$. This new approach to cosmology modifies the Friedmann equations and allows for a late cosmic acceleration without the need for a dark energy component. This could be a breakthrough in solving longstanding problems in cosmology. By analyzing observational Hubble data and Type Ia supernovae, we have been able to place strict constraints on the fractional and cosmological parameters. Our results suggest that the Universe may be older than previously estimated. We also explore whether fractional cosmology can help resolve the $H_0$ tension.

Read this paper on arXiv…

G. Leon, M. García-Aspeitia, G. Fernandez-Anaya, et. al.
Mon, 1 May 23
36/51

Comments: We have gathered information from arXiv:2207.00878 and arXiv:2303.16409 to create a report on the topic of [gr-qc]. The report focuses on the presentation given by Genly Leon at the Tensions in Cosmology Corfu2022 conference, titled “Cosmology under the fractional calculus approach: a possible $H_0$ tension resolution?” (limit of 15 pages)

Prometheus: An Open-Source Neutrino Telescope Simulation [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.14526


Neutrino telescopes are gigaton-scale neutrino detectors comprised of individual light-detection units. Though constructed from simple building blocks, they have opened a new window to the Universe and are able to probe center-of-mass energies that are comparable to those of collider experiments. \prometheus{} is a new, open-source simulation tailored for this kind of detector. Our package, which is written in a combination of \texttt{C++} and \texttt{Python} provides a balance of ease of use and performance and allows the user to simulate a neutrino telescope with arbitrary geometry deployed in ice or water. \prometheus{} simulates the neutrino interactions in the volume surrounding the detector, computes the light yield of the hadronic shower and the out-going lepton, propagates the photons in the medium, and records their arrival times and position in user-defined regions. Finally, \prometheus{} events are serialized into a \texttt{parquet} file, which is a compact and interoperational file format that allows prompt access to the events for further analysis.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Lazar, S. Meighen-Berger, C. Haack, et. al.
Mon, 1 May 23
41/51

Comments: Code can be found here: this https URL 17 pages. 9 figures. Appendix with detailed examples

A New Momentum-Integrated Muon Tomography Imaging Algorithm [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.14427


For decades, the application of muon tomography to spent nuclear fuel (SNF) cask imaging has been theoretically evaluated and experimentally verified by many research groups around the world, including Los Alamos National Laboratory in the United States, Canadian Nuclear Laboratory in Canada, the National Institute for Nuclear Physics in Italy, and Toshiba in Japan. Although monitoring of SNF using cosmic ray muons has attracted significant attention as a promising nontraditional nondestructive radiographic technique, the wide application of muon tomography is often limited because of the natural low cosmic ray muon flux at sea level: 100 m-2min-1sr-1. Recent studies suggest measuring muon momentum in muon scattering tomography (MST) applications to address this challenge. Some techniques have been discussed; however, an imaging algorithm for momentum-coupled MST had not been developed. This paper presents a new imaging algorithm for MST which integrates muon scattering angle and momentum in a single M-value. To develop a relationship between muon momentum and scattering angle distribution, various material samples (Al, Fe, Pb, and U) were thoroughly investigated using a Monte Carlo particle transport code GEANT4 simulation. Reconstructed images of an SNF cask using the new algorithm are presented herein to demonstrate the benefit of measuring muon momentum in MST. In this analysis a missing fuel assembly (FA) was located in the dry storage cask.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Bae, R. Montgomery and S. Chatzidakis
Mon, 1 May 23
47/51

Comments: Transactions of American Nuclear Society

Detecting Fundamental Vector Fields with LISA [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.14129


The advent of gravitational wave astronomy has seen a huge influx of new predictions for potential discoveries of beyond the Standard Model fields. The coupling of all fundamental fields to gravity, together with its dominance on large scales, makes gravitational physics a rich laboratory to study fundamental physics. This holds especially true for the search for the elusive dark photon, a promising dark matter candidate. The dark photon is predicted to generate instabilities in a rotating black hole spacetime, birthing a macroscopic Bose-Einstein condensate. These condensates can especially form around super massive black holes, modifying the dynamical inspiralling process. This then opens another window to leverage future space-borne gravitational wave antennas to join the hunt for the elusive dark matter particle. This study builds a preliminary model for the gravitational waveform emitted by such a dressed extreme mass-ratio inspiral. Comparing these waveforms to the vacuum scenario allows projections to the potential constrainability on the dark photon mass by space-borne gravitational wave antennas. The superradiant instability of a massive vector field on a Kerr background is calculated and the modification to the dynamics of an inspiralling solar mass-scale compact object is determined with approximations on the backreaction effect of the cloud on the compact object. The end result is the projection that the LISA mission should be able to constrain the dark photon mass using extreme mass ratio inspirals in the range $[1.8 \times 10^{-17}, 4.47 \times 10^{-16}]$ eV.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. Fell, L. Heisenberg and D. Veske
Fri, 28 Apr 23
8/68

Comments: 21 Pages, 8 Figures

Baryogenesis from sphaleron decoupling [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13999


The electroweak sphaleron process breaks the baryon number conservation within the realms of the Standard Model of particle physics (SM). Recently, it is pointed out that its decoupling may provide the out-of-equilibrium condition required for baryogenesis. In this paper, we study such a scenario taking into account the baryon-number wash-out effect of the sphaleron itself to improve the estimate. We clarify the amount of CP violation required for this scenario to explain the observed asymmetry.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Hong, K. Kamada and J. Yokoyama
Fri, 28 Apr 23
14/68

Comments: 16 pages, 5 figures

Dynamics of axion-neutral pseudoscalar mixing [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13884


Axions mix with neutral pions after the QCD phase transition through their common coupling to the radiation bath via a Chern-Simons term, as a consequence of the $U(1)$ anomaly. The non-equilibrium effective action that describes this mixing phenomenon is obtained to second order in the coupling of neutral pions and axions to photons. We show that a misaligned axion condensate induces a neutral pion condensate after the QCD phase transition. The dynamics of the pion condensate displays long and short time scales and decays on the longer time scale exhibiting a phenomenon akin to the “purification” in a Kaon beam. On the intermediate time scales the macroscopic pion condensate is proportional to a condensate of the abelian Chern-Simons term induced by the axion. We argue that the coupling to the common bath also induces kinetic mixing. We obtain the axion and pion populations, and these exhibit thermalization with the bath. The mutual coupling to the bath induces long-lived axion- neutral pion coherence independent of initial conditions. The framework of the effective action and many of the consequences are more broadly general and applicable to scalar or pseudoscalar particles mixing in a medium.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. Cao, W. Huang and D. Boyanovsky
Fri, 28 Apr 23
51/68

Comments: 35 pages, 2 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2209.07658

Perturbative Correction to the Average Expansion Rate of Spacetimes with Perfect Fluids [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.14187


This paper discusses the leading-order correction induced by cosmological perturbations on the average expansion rate of an expanding spacetime, containing one or many perfect fluids. The calculation is carried out up to the second order in the perturbations, and is kept as general as possible. In particular, no approximation such as a long-wavelength or a short-wavelength limit is invoked, and all three types of perturbations (scalar, vector, and tensor) are considered. First, the average value of the expansion rate is computed over a three-dimensional space-like surface where the total density of the fluids is constant. Then, a formula is derived relating that average value to the one over any other surface, on which a different scalar property of the fluids is constant. Moreover, the general formulas giving the correction to the average expansion rate are applied, in particular, to the case of a spacetime containing a single fluid with a constant equation of state. The sign and the effective equation of state of the corresponding back-reaction effect in the first Friedmann equation are examined.

Read this paper on arXiv…

V. Comeau
Fri, 28 Apr 23
53/68

Comments: N/A

Periodic orbits and their gravitational wave radiations in a polymer black hole in loop quantum gravity [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.14160


This article provides a detailed investigation into the motion of the surrounding particles around a polymer black hole in loop quantum gravity (LQG). Using effective potential, the critical bound orbits and innermost stable circular orbits (ISCO) are analyzed. The study finds that the radii and angular momentum of the critical bound orbits decrease with an increase in the parameter $A_\lambda$ which labels the LQG effects, while the energy and angular momentum of the ISCO also decreases with an increase in $A_\lambda$. Based on these findings, we then explore the periodic orbits of the polymer black hole in LQG using rational numbers composed of three integers. Our results show that the rational numbers increase with the energy of particles and decrease with the increase of angular momentum based on a classification scheme. Moreover, compared to a Schwarzschild black hole, the periodic orbits in a polymer black hole in LQG consistently have lower energy, providing a potential method for distinguishing a polymer black hole in LQG from a Schwarzschild black hole. Finally, we also examine the gravitational wave radiations of the periodic orbits of a test object which orbits a supermassive polymer black hole in LQG, which generates intricate GW waveforms that can aid in exhibiting the gravitational structure of the system.

Read this paper on arXiv…

Z. Tu, T. Zhu and A. Wang
Fri, 28 Apr 23
54/68

Comments: 14 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables

London-like tensor modes of gravitational waves in cosmic string cosmology [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.14222


From a classical analysis, we show that gravitational waves in a cosmological medium with equation of state $\omega=-1/3$ can follow a London-like equation, implying that some gravitational wave solutions present a decay for certain wavelengths. This scenario, corresponding to a cosmic string cosmology, induces an attenuation temporal scale on the gravitational wave propagation. We discuss on how these solutions impose a limit on the wavelength of the waves that can propagate, which depends on the type of spatial curvature and the energy density content of this type of cosmology.

Read this paper on arXiv…

C. Aravena-Plaza, V. Muñoz and F. Asenjo
Fri, 28 Apr 23
62/68

Comments: N/A

The directional isotropy of LIGO-Virgo binaries [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13254


We demonstrate how to constrain the degree of absolute alignment of the total angular momenta of LIGO-Virgo binary black holes, looking for a special direction in space that would break isotropy. We also allow for inhomogeneities in the distribution of black holes over the sky. Making use of dipolar models for the spatial distribution and orientation of the sources, we analyze 57 signals with false-alarm rates < 1/yr from the third LIGO-Virgo observing run. Accounting for selection biases, we find the population of LIGO-Virgo black holes to be fully consistent with both homogeneity and isotropy. We additionally find the data to constrain some directions of alignment more than others, and produce posteriors for the directions of total angular momentum of all binaries in our set. All code and data are made publicly available in https://github.com/maxisi/gwisotropy/.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Isi, W. Farr and V. Varma
Thu, 27 Apr 23
21/78

Comments: N/A

Bouncing and inflationary dynamics in quantum cosmology in the de Broglie-Bohm interpretation [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13059


The quantum cosmology of the flat Friedmann-Lema{\^i}tre-Robertson-Walker Universe, filled with a scalar field, is considered in the de Broglie-Bohm (dBB) interpretation framework. A stiff-matter quantum bounce solution is obtained. The bouncing and subsequent pre-inflationary and inflationary dynamics are studied in details. We consider some representative primordial inflation models as examples, for which analytical expressions characterizing the dynamical quantities can be explicitly derived. The dependence of the inflationary dynamics on the quantum bounce parameters is then analyzed. The parameters emerging from our description are constrained by requiring the produced dynamics to be in accordance with some key cosmological quantities. The constraining conditions are also illustrated through regions of parameter space in terms of the bounce quantities.

Read this paper on arXiv…

G. Vicente, R. Ramos and V. Magalhães
Thu, 27 Apr 23
27/78

Comments: 18 pages, 2 figures

Parameter estimation of binary black holes in the endpoint of the up-down instability [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13063


Black-hole binary spin precession admits equilibrium solutions corresponding to systems with (anti-) aligned spins. Among these, binaries in the up-down configuration, where the spin of the heavier (lighter) black hole is co- (counter-) aligned with the orbital angular momentum, might be unstable to small perturbations of the spin directions. The occurrence of the up-down instability leads to gravitational-wave sources that formed with aligned spins but are detected with precessing spins. We present a Bayesian procedure based on the Savage-Dickey density ratio to test the up-down origin of gravitational-wave events. This is applied to both simulated signals, which indicate that achieving strong evidence is within the reach of current experiments, and the LIGO/Virgo events released to date, which indicate that current data are not informative enough.

Read this paper on arXiv…

V. Renzis, D. Gerosa, M. Mould, et. al.
Thu, 27 Apr 23
32/78

Comments: N/A

Inflation Correlators at the One-Loop Order: Nonanalyticity, Factorization, Cutting Rule, and OPE [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13295


Inflation correlators with one-loop massive exchange encode rich information about the dynamics of the massive loop particles. Their nonanalytic behavior in certain soft limits leads to characteristic oscillatory pattern, which is the leading signal of many particle models of cosmological collider physics. In this work, we investigate systematically such nonanalyticity for arbitrary one-particle-irreducible (1PI) one-loop correlators in various soft limits. With the partial Mellin-Barnes representation, we present and prove a factorization theorem and a cutting rule for arbitrary 1PI one-loop inflation correlators, which is reminiscent of the on-shell cutting rule for flat-space scattering amplitudes. We also show how to understand this factorization theorem from the viewpoint of operator product expansion on the future boundary. As an application of the one-loop factorization theorem, we derive new analytic and exact formulae for nonlocal cosmological collider signals for massive one-loop four-point inflation correlators of all possible 1PI topologies, including the bubble, the triangle, and the box graphs. Finally, we show how to push the computation of nonlocal signals to higher orders in the momentum ratio.

Read this paper on arXiv…

Z. Qin and Z. Xianyu
Thu, 27 Apr 23
37/78

Comments: 60 pages

Revisiting compaction functions [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13284


Shibata and Sasaki (1999) introduced the so-called compaction function. Since then, it has been empirically established that the maximum value of this function (or its volume-averaged counterpart) in the long-wavelength solutions gives a very robust threshold of primordial black hole formation. In this paper, we show that in spite of initial intention, the Shibata-Sasaki compaction function cannot be interpreted as the ratio of the mass excess to the areal radius in the constant-mean-curvature slice of their choice but coincides with that in the {\it comoving} slice up to a constant factor depending on the equation of state. We also discuss the gauge-(in)dependence of the legitimate compaction function, i.e., the ratio of the mass excess to the areal radius, in the long-wavelength solutions.

Read this paper on arXiv…

T. Harada, C. Yoo and Y. Koga
Thu, 27 Apr 23
44/78

Comments: 17 pages

An rf Quantum Capacitance Parametric Amplifier [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13227


We demonstrate a radio-frequency parametric amplifier that exploits the gate-tunable quantum capacitance of an ultra high mobility two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in a GaAs heterostructure at cryogenic temperatures. The prototype narrowband amplifier exhibits a gain greater than 20 dB up to an input power of – 66 dBm (1 dB compression), and a noise temperature TN of 1.3 K at 370 MHz. In contrast to superconducting amplifiers, the quantum capacitance parametric amplifier (QCPA) is operable at tesla-scale magnetic fields and temperatures ranging from milli kelvin to a few kelvin. These attributes, together with its low power (microwatt) operation when compared to conventional transistor amplifiers, suggest the QCPA may find utility in enabling on-chip integrated readout circuits for semiconductor qubits or in the context of space transceivers and radio astronomy instruments.

Read this paper on arXiv…

A. Kass, C. Jin, J. Watson, et. al.
Thu, 27 Apr 23
49/78

Comments: N/A

Preheating in Einstein-Cartan Higgs Inflation: Oscillon formation [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13056


We make use of classical lattice simulations in 3 + 1 dimensions to study the preheating stage of Higgs Inflation in Einstein-Cartan gravity. Focusing for concreteness on a simplified scenario involving the seminal Nieh-Yan term, we demonstrate the formation of dense and spatially localized oscillon configurations constituting up to 70% of the total energy density. The emergence of these meta-stable objects may lead to a prolonged period of matter domination, effectively modifying the post-inflationary history of the Universe as compared to the metric and Palatini counterparts. Notably, the creation of oscillons comes together with a significant gravitational wave signal, whose typical frequency lies, however, beyond the range accessible by existing and planned gravitational wave experiments. The impact of the Standard Model gauge bosons and fermions and the potential extension of our results to more general Einstein-Cartan settings is also discussed.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Piani and J. Rubio
Thu, 27 Apr 23
56/78

Comments: 28 pages, 9 figures, 1 table. Link for the animation: this https URL

Bañados-Silk-West effect with finite forces near different types of horizons: general classification of scenarios [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13087


If two particles move towards a black hole and collide in the vicinity of the horizon, under certain conditions their energy $E_{c.m.}$ in the center of mass frame can grow unbounded. This is the Ba\~{n}ados-Silk-West (BSW) effect. Usually, this effect is considered for extremal horizons and geodesic (or electrogedesic) trajectories. We study this effect in a more general context, when both geometric and dynamic factors are taken into account. We consider generic axially symmetric rotating black holes. The near-horizon behavior of metric coefficients is determined by three numbers $p,~q,$ $k$ that appear in the Taylor expansions for different types of a horizon$.$ This includes nonextremal, extremal and ultraextremal horizons. We also give general classification of possible trajectories that include so-called usual, subcritical, critical and ultracritical ones depending on the near-horizon behavior of the radial component of the four-velocity. We assume that particles move not freely but under the action of some unspecified force. We find when the finiteness of a force and the BSW effect are compatible with each other. The BSW effect implies that one of two particles has fine-tuned parameters. We show that such a particle always requires an infinite proper time for reaching the horizon. Otherwise, either a force becomes infinite or a horizon fails to be regular. This realizes the so-called principle of kinematic censorship that forbids literally infinite $E_{c.m.}$ in any act of collision. The obtained general results are illustrated for the Kerr-Newman-(anti-)de Sitter metric used as an example. The description of diversity of trajectories suggested in our work can be of use also in other contexts, beyond the BSW effect. In particular, we find the relation between a force and the type of a trajectory.

Read this paper on arXiv…

H. H.V.Ovcharenko and O. O.B.Zaslavskii
Thu, 27 Apr 23
62/78

Comments: 38 pages, 2 figures

Direct detection of finite-size dark matter via electron recoil [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13243


In direct dark matter (DM) detection via scattering off the electrons, the momentum transfer plays a crucial role. Previous work showed that for self-interacting DM, if the DM particle has a size (the so-called puffy DM), the radius effect could dominate the momentum transfer and become another source of velocity dependence for self-scattering cross section. In this work we investigate the direct detection of puffy DM particles with different radii through electron recoil. We find that comparing with the available experimental exclusion limits dominated by the mediator effect for XENON10, XENON100 and XENON1T, the constraints on the puffy DM-electron scattering cross-section become much weaker for large radius DM particles. For small-radius DM particles, the constraints remain similar to the point-like DM case.

Read this paper on arXiv…

W. Wang, W. Xu and J. Yang
Thu, 27 Apr 23
75/78

Comments: 11 pages, 2 figures

Charged particle dynamics in parabolic magnetosphere around Schwarzschild black hole [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13603


The study of charged particle dynamics in the combined gravitational and magnetic field can provide important theoretical insight into astrophysical processes around black holes. In this paper, we explore the charged particle dynamics in parabolic magnetic field configuration around Schwarzschild black hole, since the paraboloidal shapes of magnetic field lines around black holes are well motivated by the numerical simulations and supported by observations of relativistic jets. Analysing the stability of bounded orbits and using the effective potential approach, we show the possibility of existence of stable circular off-equatorial orbits around the symmetry axis. We also show the influence of radiation reaction force on the dynamics of charged particles, in particular on the chaoticity of the motion and Poincar\'{e} sections, oscillatory frequencies, and emitted electromagnetic spectrum. Applied to Keplerian accretion disks, we show that in parabolic magnetic field configuration, the thin accretion configurations can be either destroyed or transformed into a thick toroidal structure given the radiation reaction and electromagnetic-disk interactions included. Calculating the Fourier spectra for radiating charged particle trajectories, we find that the radiation reaction force does not affect the main frequency peaks, however, it lowers the higher harmonics making the spectrum more flat and diluted in high frequency range.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Kološ, M. Shahzadi and A. Tursunov
Thu, 27 Apr 23
78/78

Comments: 23 pages, 16 figures

Non-thermal Higgs Spectrum in Reheating Epoch: Primordial Condensate vs. Stochastic Fluctuation [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.12578


Since electroweak symmetry is generally broken during inflation, the Standard Model Higgs field can become supermassive even after the end of inflation. In this paper, we study the non-thermal phase space distribution of the Higgs field during reheating, focusing in particular on two different contributions: primordial condensate and stochastic fluctuations. We obtain their analytic formulae, which agree with the previous numerical result. As a possible consequence of the non-thermal Higgs spectrum, we discuss perturbative Higgs decay during reheating for the case it is kinematically allowed. We find that the soft-relativistic and hard spectra are dominant in the decay rate of the stochastic fluctuation and that the primordial condensate and stochastic fluctuations decay almost at the same time.

Read this paper on arXiv…

K. Kaneta and K. Oda
Wed, 26 Apr 23
13/62

Comments: 20 pages, 3 figures

Production rates of dark photons and $Z'$ in the Sun and stellar cooling bounds [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.12907


Light weakly interacting particles could be copiously produced in the Sun which, as a well-understood star, could provide severe constraints on such new physics. In this work, we calculate the solar production rates of light gauge bosons (e.g. dark photon) arising from various $U(1)$ extensions of the standard model. It is known that the dark photon production rate is suppressed by the dark photon mass if it is well below the plasmon mass of the medium. We show that for more general $U(1)$ gauge bosons, this suppression is absent if the couplings are not in alignment with those of the photon. We investigate a few frequently discussed $U(1)$ models including $B-L$, $L_{\mu}-L_{\tau}$, and $L_{e}-L_{\mu(\tau)}$, and derive the stellar cooling bounds for these models.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. Li and X. Xu
Wed, 26 Apr 23
22/62

Comments: 22 pages, 4 figures. Comments are welcome

Lorentz Violation in Finsler Geometry [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.12767


Lorentz invariance is one of the foundations of modern physics; however, Lorentz violation may happen from the perspective of quantum gravity, and plenty of studies on Lorentz violation have arisen in recent years. As a good tool to explore Lorentz violation, Finsler geometry is a natural and fundamental generalization of Riemann geometry. The Finsler structure depends on both coordinates and velocities. Here, we simply introduce the mathematics of Finsler geometry. We review the connection between modified dispersion relations and Finsler geometries and discuss the physical influence from Finsler geometry. We review the connection between Finsler geometries and theories of Lorentz violation, such as the doubly special relativity, the standard-model extension, and the very special relativity.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Zhu and B. Ma
Wed, 26 Apr 23
30/62

Comments: 29 pages, no figure, final version for journal publication

Constraints on $f(Q)$ logarithmic model using gravitational wave standard sirens [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.12601


In this paper, we revise the constraints on the $f(Q)=Q/(8\pi G) – \alpha \ln(Q/Q_0)$, symmetric teleparallel model using local measurements and gravitational waves mock standard sirens. Using observational local SNIa and BAO data and energy conditions, the logarithmic $f(Q)$ model is capable of explaining the cosmic late-time acceleration by geometrical means. This result suggests that the logarithmic symmetric teleparallel model could be a candidate to solve the cosmological constant problem. In the case of the simulated standard siren data, by using the performance of the future ET and LISA detectors, we expect to be able to measure the current Hubble constant $H_0$, and the matter content $\Omega_m$, with a precision better than 1% and 6%, respectively. Furthermore, we explore the predicted $f(Q)$ logarithmic model deviation from the standard GR using ET and LISA mock standard sirens. The ratio $d_L^{\text{gw}}(z)/d_L^{\text{em}}(z)$, which quantifies the deviation from GR gives us a significant deviation higher than 13% at $z=1$, and it continues growing to reach a deviation higher than 18% in its median value. Future standard siren data will be able to quantify the strength of the deviation from GR and hence whether a cosmology like the one implied by this $f(Q)$ model is feasible.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Nájera, C. Alvarado and C. Escamilla-Rivera
Wed, 26 Apr 23
32/62

Comments: 16 pages, 3 figures

Universal relations to measure neutron star properties from targeted r-mode searches [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.12356


R-mode oscillations of rotating neutron stars(NS) are promising candidates for continuous gravitational wave (GW) observations. In our recent work(Ghosh et al. 2023), we derived universal relations of the NS parameters, compactness and dimensionless tidal deformability with the r-mode frequency. In this work, we investigate how these universal relations can be used to infer various NS intrinsic parameters following a successful detection of the r-modes. In particular, we show that for targeted r-mode searches, these universal relations along with the “I-Love-Q” relation can be used to estimate both the moment of inertia and the distance of the NS thus breaking the degeneracy of distance measurement for continuous gravitational wave(CGW) observations. We also discuss that with a prior knowledge of the distance of the NS from electromagnetic observations, these universal relations can also be used to constrain the dense matter equation of state (EOS) inside NS. We quantify the accuracy to which such measurements can be done using the Fisher information matrix for a broad range of possible, unknown parameters, for both the a-LIGO and Einstein Telescope (ET) sensitivities.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. Ghosh
Wed, 26 Apr 23
39/62

Comments: 8 pages, 7 figures, Submitted to MNRAS

Exploring Models of Running Vacuum Energy with Viscous Dark Matter from a Dynamical System Perspective [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.12407


Running vacuum models and viscous dark matter scenarios beyond perfect fluid idealization are two appealing theoretical strategies that have been separately studied as alternatives to solve some problems rooted in the $\Lambda$CDM cosmological model. In this paper, we combine these two notions in a single cosmological setting and investigate their cosmological implications, paying particular attention in the interplay between these two constituents in different cosmological periods. Specifically, we consider a well-studied running vacuum model inspired by renormalization group, and a recently proposed general parameterization for the bulk viscosity $\xi$. By employing dynamical system analysis, we explore the physical aspects of the new phase space that emerges from the combined models and derive stability conditions that ensure complete cosmological dynamics. We identify four distinct classes of models and find that the critical points of the phase space are non-trivially renewed compared to the single scenarios. We then proceed, in a joint and complementary way to the dynamical system analysis, with a detailed numerical exploration to quantify the impact of both the running parameter and the bulk viscosity coefficient on the cosmological evolution. Thus, for some values of the model parameters, numerical solutions show qualitative differences from the $\Lambda$CDM model, which is phenomenologically appealing in light of cosmological observations.

Read this paper on arXiv…

N. Cruz, G. Gomez, E. Gonzalez, et. al.
Wed, 26 Apr 23
42/62

Comments: 26 pages and 13 figures

New exact solutions in multi-scalar field cosmology [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.12360


We use the method of the superpotential to derive exact solutions describing inflationary cosmologies in multi-field models. An example that describes a solution that interpolates between two de Sitter universes is described in detail.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Russo
Wed, 26 Apr 23
43/62

Comments: 16 pages, 4 figures

Type-II Majoron Dark Matter [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.12527


We discuss in detail the possibility that the “type-II majoron” — that is, the pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson that arises in the context of the type-II seesaw mechanism if the lepton number is spontaneously broken by an additional singlet scalar — account for the dark matter (DM) observed in the universe. We study the requirements the model’s parameters have to fulfill in order to reproduce the measured DM relic abundance through two possible production mechanisms in the early universe, freeze-in and misalignment, both during a standard radiation-dominated era and early matter domination. We then study possible signals of type-II majoron DM and the present and expected constraints on the parameter space that can be obtained from cosmological observations, direct detection experiments, and present and future searches for decaying DM at neutrino telescopes and cosmic-ray experiments. We find that — depending on the majoron mass, the production mechanism, and the value of the vacuum expectation value of the type-II triplet — all of the three decay modes (photons, electrons, neutrinos) of majoron DM particles can yield observable signals at future indirect searches for DM. Furthermore, in a corner of the parameter space, detection of majoron DM is possible through electron recoil at running and future direct detection experiments.

Read this paper on arXiv…

C. Biggio, L. Calibbi, T. Ota, et. al.
Wed, 26 Apr 23
52/62

Comments: 22 pages + appendices and bibliography, 6 figures

Adiabatic and isocurvature perturbations in extended theories with non–minimally coupled fields [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.12364


The scalar field sector in low–energy effective field theories motivated by string theory often contains several scalar fields, some of which possess non–standard kinetic terms. In this paper, we study theories with two scalar fields, in which one of the fields has a non–canonical kinetic term. The kinetic coupling is allowed to depend on both fields, going beyond the work in the literature, which usually considers the case of the coupling to depend on the other field only. Our aim is to study adiabatic and isocurvature perturbations in these extended theories. Our results show that the evolution equation for the curvature perturbation does not change when allowing the coupling to depend on both fields, while the effective mass of the entropy perturbation changes. We find expressions for the spectral index and its running at horizon crossing and at the end of inflation. We apply the formalism and study three phenomenological models, with different kinetic couplings.

Read this paper on arXiv…

M. Angelis and C. Bruck
Wed, 26 Apr 23
58/62

Comments: 17 pages, 3 figures

Initial conditions problem in cosmological inflation revisited [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.12150


We present first results from a novel numerical relativity code based on a tetrad formulation of the Einstein-scalar field equations combined with recently introduced gauge/frame invariant diagnostics indicating that inflation does not solve the homogeneity and isotropy problem beginning from generic initial conditions following a big bang.

Read this paper on arXiv…

D. Garfinkle, A. Ijjas and P. Steinhardt
Wed, 26 Apr 23
62/62

Comments: 10 pages, 4 figures

Analyzing the neutron and $γ$-ray emission properties of an americium-beryllium tagged neutron source [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.12153


Americium-beryllium (AmBe), a well-known tagged neutron source, is commonly used for evaluating the neutron detection efficiency of detectors used in ultralow background particle physics experiments, such as reactor neutrino and diffuse supernova neutrino background experiments. In particular, AmBe sources are used to calibrate neutron tagging by selecting the 4438-keV $\gamma$-ray signal, which is simultaneously emitted with a neutron signal. Therefore, analyzing the neutron and $\gamma$-ray emission properties of AmBe sources is crucial. In this study, we used the theoretical shape of a neutron energy spectrum, which was divided into three parts, to develop models of the energy spectrum and verify the results using experimental data. We used an AmBe source to measure the energy spectra of simultaneously emitted neutrons and $\gamma$-rays and determine the emission ratio of the neutrons with and without $\gamma$-ray emission. The measured spectrum was consistent with that obtained from the simulated result, whereas the measured emission ratio was significantly different from the corresponding simulated result. Here, we also discuss the feasibility of determining the neutron emission rates from the spectra divided into three parts.

Read this paper on arXiv…

H. Ito, K. Wada, T. Yano, et. al.
Tue, 25 Apr 23
17/72

Comments: 8 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables

Gravitational-Wave Phasing of Compact Binary Systems to the Fourth-and-a-Half post-Newtonian Order [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.11185


The inspiral phase of gravitational waves emitted by spinless compact binary systems is derived through the fourth-and-a-half post-Newtonian (4.5PN) order beyond quadrupole radiation, and the leading amplitude mode ($\ell$, m) = (2, 2) is obtained at 4PN order. We also provide the radiated flux, as well as the phase in the stationary phase approximation. Rough numerical estimates for the contribution of each PN order are provided for typical systems observed by current and future gravitational wave detectors.

Read this paper on arXiv…

L. Blanchet, G. Faye, Q. Henry, et. al.
Tue, 25 Apr 23
47/72

Comments: 9 pages, 1 table

The $π$-axion and $π$-axiverse of dark QCD [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.11176


Axions and axion-like particles (ALPs) are a prominent dark matter candidate, drawing motivation in part from the axiverse of string theory. Axion-like particles can also arise as composite degrees of freedom of a dark sector, for example, as dark pions in dark Quantum Chromo-Dynamics. In a dark Standard Model (SM) wherein all 6 quark flavors are light while the photon is massive, one finds a rich low-energy spectrum of stable and ultralight particles, in the form of neutral and charged dark scalars, and complex neutral scalars analogous to the SM kaon, with mass splittings determined by the mass and charge of the dark quarks. The model finds a natural portal to the visible sector via kinetic coupling of the dark and visible photons, and consequent millicharges for dark matter. The dark matter can be a mixture of all these ultralight bosonic degrees of freedom, and exhibit both parity-even and parity-odd interactions, making the theory testable at a wide variety of experiments. In context of dark QCD with $N_f$ flavors of light quarks, this scenario predicts $N_f^2-1$ ultralight axion-like particles — effectively an axiverse from dark QCD. This ‘$\pi$-axiverse’ is consistent with but makes no recourse to string theory, and is complementary to the conventional string theory axiverse.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. Alexander, H. Gilmer, T. Manton, et. al.
Tue, 25 Apr 23
56/72

Comments: N/A

General-Relativistic Hydrodynamics Simulation of a Neutron Star – Sub-Solar-Mass Black Hole Merger [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.11642


Over the last few years, there has been an increasing interest in sub-solar mass black holes due to their potential to provide valuable information about cosmology or the black hole population. Motivated by this, we study observable phenomena connected to the merger of a sub-solar mass black hole with a neutron star. For this purpose, we perform new numerical-relativity simulations of a binary system composed of a black hole with mass $0.5M_\odot$ and a neutron star with mass $1.4 M_\odot$. We investigate the merger dynamics of this exotic system and provide information about the connected gravitational-wave and kilonova signals. Our study indicates that current gravitational-waveform models are unable to adequately describe such systems and that phenomenological relations connecting the binary parameters with the ejecta and remnant properties are not applicable to our system. Furthermore, we find a dependence of the kilonova signal on the azimuthal viewing angle due to the asymmetric mass ejection. This first-of-its-kind simulation opens the door for the study of sub-solar mass black hole – neutron star mergers and could serve as a testing ground for future model development.

Read this paper on arXiv…

I. Markin, A. Neuweiler, A. Abac, et. al.
Tue, 25 Apr 23
67/72

Comments: 16 pages, 14 figures, to be submitted to PRD, comments welcome

Identifying Stochasticity in Time-Series with Autoencoder-Based Content-aware 2D Representation: Application to Black Hole Data [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.11560


In this work, we report an autoencoder-based 2D representation to classify a time-series as stochastic or non-stochastic, to understand the underlying physical process. Content-aware conversion of 1D time-series to 2D representation, that simultaneously utilizes time- and frequency-domain characteristics, is proposed. An autoencoder is trained with a loss function to learn latent space (using both time- and frequency domains) representation, that is designed to be, time-invariant. Every element of the time-series is represented as a tuple with two components, one each, from latent space representation in time- and frequency-domains, forming a binary image. In this binary image, those tuples that represent the points in the time-series, together form the “Latent Space Signature” (LSS) of the input time-series. The obtained binary LSS images are fed to a classification network. The EfficientNetv2-S classifier is trained using 421 synthetic time-series, with fair representation from both categories. The proposed methodology is evaluated on publicly available astronomical data which are 12 distinct temporal classes of time-series pertaining to the black hole GRS 1915 + 105, obtained from RXTE satellite. Results obtained using the proposed methodology are compared with existing techniques. Concurrence in labels obtained across the classes, illustrates the efficacy of the proposed 2D representation using the latent space co-ordinates. The proposed methodology also outputs the confidence in the classification label.

Read this paper on arXiv…

C. Pradeep and N. Sinha
Tue, 25 Apr 23
69/72

Comments: N/A

Imprint of PBH domination on gravitational waves generated by cosmic strings [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.11844


We study the effect of an ultra-light primordial black hole (PBH) dominated phase on the gravitational wave (GW) spectrum generated by a cosmic string (CS) network formed as a result of a high-scale $U(1)$ symmetry breaking. A PBH-dominated phase leads to tilts in the spectrum via entropy dilution and generates a new GW spectrum from PBH density fluctuations, detectable at ongoing and planned near-future GW detectors. The combined spectrum has a unique shape with a plateau, a sharp tilted peak over the plateau, and a characteristic fall-off, which can be distinguished from the one generated in the combination of CS and any other matter domination or new exotic physics. We discuss how ongoing and planned future experiments can probe such a unique spectrum for different values of $U(1)$ breaking scale and PBH parameters such as initial mass and energy fraction.

Read this paper on arXiv…

D. Borah, S. Das, R. Roshan, et. al.
Tue, 25 Apr 23
70/72

Comments: 18 pages, 4 captioned figures

Simulating Stellar Merger using HPX/Kokkos on A64FX on Supercomputer Fugaku [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.11002


The increasing availability of machines relying on non-GPU architectures, such as ARM A64FX in high-performance computing, provides a set of interesting challenges to application developers. In addition to requiring code portability across different parallelization schemes, programs targeting these architectures have to be highly adaptable in terms of compute kernel sizes to accommodate different execution characteristics for various heterogeneous workloads. In this paper, we demonstrate an approach to code and performance portability that is based entirely on established standards in the industry. In addition to applying Kokkos as an abstraction over the execution of compute kernels on different heterogeneous execution environments, we show that the use of standard C++ constructs as exposed by the HPX runtime system enables superb portability in terms of code and performance based on the real-world Octo-Tiger astrophysics application. We report our experience with porting Octo-Tiger to the ARM A64FX architecture provided by Stony Brook’s Ookami and Riken’s Supercomputer Fugaku and compare the resulting performance with that achieved on well established GPU-oriented HPC machines such as ORNL’s Summit, NERSC’s Perlmutter and CSCS’s Piz Daint systems. Octo-Tiger scaled well on Supercomputer Fugaku without any major code changes due to the abstraction levels provided by HPX and Kokkos. Adding vectorization support for ARM’s SVE to Octo-Tiger was trivial thanks to using standard C++

Read this paper on arXiv…

P. Diehl, G. Daiß, K. Huck, et. al.
Mon, 24 Apr 23
11/41

Comments: N/A

High-Frequency Gravitational Wave Detection via Optical Frequency Modulation [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.10579


High-frequency gravitational waves can be detected by observing the frequency modulation they impart on photons. We discuss fundamental limitations to this method related to the fact that it is impossible to construct a perfectly rigid detector. We then propose several novel methods to search for O(MHz-GHz) gravitational waves based on the frequency modulation induced in the spectrum of an intense laser beam, by applying optical frequency demodulation techniques, or by using optical atomic clock technology. We find promising sensitivities across a broad frequency range.

Read this paper on arXiv…

T. Bringmann, V. Domcke, E. Fuchs, et. al.
Mon, 24 Apr 23
21/41

Comments: 11 pages, 3 figures

First observations with a GNSS antenna to radio telescope interferometer [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.11016


We describe the design of a radio interferometer composed of a Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) antenna and a Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) radio telescope. Our eventual goal is to use this interferometer for geodetic applications including local tie measurements. The GNSS element of the interferometer uses a unique software-defined receiving system and modified commercial geodetic-quality GNSS antenna. We ran three observing sessions in 2022 between a 25 m radio telescope in Fort Davis, Texas (FD-VLBA), a transportable GNSS antenna placed within 100 meters, and a GNSS antenna placed at a distance of about 9 km. We have detected a strong interferometric response with a Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of over 1000 from Global Positioning System (GPS) and Galileo satellites. We also observed natural radio sources including Galactic supernova remnants and Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) located as far as one gigaparsec, thus extending the range of sources that can be referenced to a GNSS antenna by 18 orders of magnitude. These detections represent the first observations made with a GNSS antenna to radio telescope interferometer. We have developed a novel technique based on a Precise Point Positioning (PPP) solution of the recorded GNSS signal that allows us to extend integration time at 1.5 GHz to at least 20 minutes without any noticeable SNR degradation when a rubidium frequency standard is used.

Read this paper on arXiv…

J. Skeens, J. York, L. Petrov, et. al.
Mon, 24 Apr 23
23/41

Comments: 33 pages, 19 figures

SLEPLET: Slepian Scale-Discretised Wavelets in Python [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.10680


Wavelets are widely used in various disciplines to analyse signals both in space and scale. Whilst many fields measure data on manifolds (i.e., the sphere), often data are only observed on a partial region of the manifold. Wavelets are a typical approach to data of this form, but the wavelet coefficients that overlap with the boundary become contaminated and must be removed for accurate analysis. Another approach is to estimate the region of missing data and to use existing whole-manifold methods for analysis. However, both approaches introduce uncertainty into any analysis. Slepian wavelets enable one to work directly with only the data present, thus avoiding the problems discussed above. Applications of Slepian wavelets to areas of research measuring data on the partial sphere include gravitational/magnetic fields in geodesy, ground-based measurements in astronomy, measurements of whole-planet properties in planetary science, geomagnetism of the Earth, and cosmic microwave background analyses.

Read this paper on arXiv…

P. Roddy
Mon, 24 Apr 23
26/41

Comments: 4 pages

Gravitationally modulated quantum correlations: Discriminating classical and quantum models of ultra-compact objects with Bell nonlocality [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.10868


We investigate the relation between quantum nonlocality and gravity at the astrophysical scale, both in the classical and quantum regimes. Considering particle pairs orbiting in the strong gravitational field of ultra-compact objects, we find that the violation of Bell inequality acquires an angular modulation factor that strongly depends on the nature of the gravitational source. We show how such gravitationally-induced modulation of quantum nonlocality readily discriminates between black holes (both classical and inclusive of quantum corrections) and string fuzzballs, i.e., the true quantum description of ultra-compact objects according to string theory. These findings promote Bell nonlocality as a potentially key tool in comparing different models of classical and quantum gravity and putting them to the test.

Read this paper on arXiv…

L. Petruzziello and F. Illuminati
Mon, 24 Apr 23
27/41

Comments: 12 pages, 4 figures