High-energy Collisions Research Articles

Probing the chiral magnetic wave with charge-dependent flow measurements in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC

The Chiral Magnetic Wave (CMW) phenomenon is essential to provide insights into the strong interaction in QCD, the properties of the quark-gluon plasma, and the topological characteristics of the early universe, offering a deeper understanding of fundamental physics in high-energy collisions. Measurements of the charge-dependent anisotropic flow coefficients are studied in Pb-Pb collisions at center-of-mass energy per nucleon-nucleon collision sNN\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\sqrt{s_{\ extrm{NN}}} $$\\end{document} = 5.02 TeV to probe the CMW. In particular, the slope of the normalized difference in elliptic (v2) and triangular (v3) flow coefficients of positively and negatively charged particles as a function of their event-wise normalized number difference, is reported for inclusive and identified particles. The slope r3Norm\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ {r}_3^{\ extrm{Norm}} $$\\end{document} is found to be larger than zero and to have a magnitude similar to r2Norm\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ {r}_2^{\ extrm{Norm}} $$\\end{document}, thus pointing to a large background contribution for these measurements. Furthermore, r2Norm\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ {r}_2^{\ extrm{Norm}} $$\\end{document} can be described by a blast wave model calculation that incorporates local charge conservation. In addition, using the event shape engineering technique yields a fraction of CMW (fCMW) contribution to this measurement which is compatible with zero. This measurement provides the very first upper limit for fCMW, and in the 10–60% centrality interval it is found to be 26% (38%) at 95% (99.7%) confidence level.

A new global potential energy surface for the BH2 molecule and dynamics studies of the B(2p2P) + H2 reaction

A new global potential energy surface (PES) for the ground state of the BH2 system was constructed using permutation invariant polynomial neural network. In ab initio calculation, the AVQZ basis set and multi-reference configuration interaction method was used. The topographic features of the new PES were discussed in detail. To further clarify the accuracy of PES, the dynamics studies of the B(2p2P) + H2 reaction were carried out using time-dependent wave packet method. The dynamics properties such as reaction probabilities, integral cross sections, differential cross sections (DCSs) and rate constants were reported. The DCSs indicated that the “complex-forming” reaction mechanism plays a dominant role at low collision energies and the forward abstraction mechanism dominates the reaction at high collision energies.

Isomeric Separation of α2,3/α2,6-Linked 2-Aminobenzamide (2AB)-Labeled Sialoglycopeptides by C18-LC-MS/MS.

Determination of the relative expression levels of the α2,3/α2,6-sialic acid linkage isomers on glycoproteins is critical to the analysis of various human diseases such as cancer, inflammation, and viral infection. However, it remains a challenge to separate and differentiate site-specific linkage isomers at the glycopeptide level. Some derivatization methods on the carboxyl group of sialic acid have been developed to generate mass differences between linkage isomers. In this study, we utilized chemical derivatization that occurred on the vicinal diol of sialic acid to separate linkage isomers on a reverse-phase column using a relatively short time. 2-Aminobenzamide (2AB) labeling derivatization, including periodate oxidation and reductive amination, took only ∼3 h and achieved high labeling efficiency (>90%). Within a 66 min gradient, the sialic acid linkage isomers of 2AB-labeled glycopeptides from model glycoproteins can be efficiently resolved compared to native glycopeptides. Two different methods, neuraminidase digestion and higher-energy collision dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (HCD-MS2) fragmentation, were utilized to differentiate those isomeric peaks. By calculating the diagnostic oxonium ion ratio of Gal2ABNeuAc and 2ABNeuAc fragments, significant differences in chromatographic retention times and in mass spectral peak abundances were observed between linkage isomers. Their corresponding MS2 PCA plots also helped to elucidate the linkage information. This method was successfully applied to human blood serum. A total of 514 2AB-labeled glycopeptide structures, including 152 sets of isomers, were identified, proving the applicability of this method in linkage-specific structural characterization and relative quantification of sialic acid isomers.

Spatio-Temporal Anomaly Detection with Graph Networks for Data Quality Monitoring of the Hadron Calorimeter.

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment is a general-purpose detector for high-energy collision at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. It employs an online data quality monitoring (DQM) system to promptly spot and diagnose particle data acquisition problems to avoid data quality loss. In this study, we present a semi-supervised spatio-temporal anomaly detection (AD) monitoring system for the physics particle reading channels of the Hadron Calorimeter (HCAL) of the CMS using three-dimensional digi-occupancy map data of the DQM. We propose the GraphSTAD system, which employs convolutional and graph neural networks to learn local spatial characteristics induced by particles traversing the detector and the global behavior owing to shared backend circuit connections and housing boxes of the channels, respectively. Recurrent neural networks capture the temporal evolution of the extracted spatial features. We validate the accuracy of the proposed AD system in capturing diverse channel fault types using the LHC collision data sets. The GraphSTAD system achieves production-level accuracy and is being integrated into the CMS core production system for real-time monitoring of the HCAL. We provide a quantitative performance comparison with alternative benchmark models to demonstrate the promising leverage of the presented system.

Hyperon polarization and its relation with directed flow in high-energy nuclear collisions

Hyperon polarization and its relation with directed flow in high-energy nuclear collisions

Commissioning of Pixel Sensor Telescope for Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor Characterization

The Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS) have been promisingly demonstrated as a core part of tracking detectors used in many experiments. In order to obtain decent particle tracks generated after high-energy particle collision, it is especially important that the detector must consist of high-performance MAPS. A pixel sensor telescope is a tool employed to investigate the properties of MAPS using high-energy particle test beams. At the Synchrotron Light Research Institute (SLRI), the pixel sensor telescope assembled with five layers of 50-µm thick pixel sensors has been commissioned and tested both in the laboratory with a radioactive source and by a high-energy electron test beam produced at the SLRI Beam Test Facility. With sensor signal threshold ranging from 9.73 to 10.15 DAC and noises between 0.62 and 0.87 DAC, each plane of the pixel sensor telescope can detect particles decaying from the radioactive source. Moreover, the test beam profiles have been measured to be 4.00 - 4.56 mm and 1.15 - 2.29 mm in horizontal and vertical axes, respectively. Correlations between each plane have been observed and confirm the proper operation of the pixel sensor telescope. Consequently, the pixel sensor telescope can be used to characterize the pixel sensor prototype.

Molecular Structure Characterization of Micro/Nanoplastics by 193 nm Ultraviolet Photodissociation Mass Spectrometry.

The degradation of macroplastics results in micro/nanoplastics (MNPs) in the natural environment, inducing high health risks worldwide. It remains challenging to characterize the accurate molecular structures of MNPs. Herein, we integrate 193 nm ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) with mass spectrometry to interrogate the molecular structures of poly(ethylene glycol) terephthalate and polyamide (PA) MNPs. The backbones of the MNP polymer can be efficiently dissociated by UVPD, producing rich types of fragment ions. Compared to high-energy collision dissociation (HCD), the structural informative fragment ions and corresponding sequence coverages obtained by UVPD were all improved 2.3 times on average, resulting in almost complete sequence coverage and precise structural interrogation of MNPs. We successfully determine the backbone connectivity differences of MNP analogues PA6, PA66, and PA610 by improving the average sequence coverage from 26.8% by HCD to 89.4% by UVPD. Our results highlight the potential of UVPD in characterizing and discriminating backbone connectivity and chain end structures of different types of MNPs.

A systematic comparison between FEBio and PolyFEM for biomechanical systems

Background and ObjectivesFinite element simulations are widely employed as a non-invasive and cost-effective approach for predicting outcomes in biomechanical simulations. However, traditional finite element software, primarily designed for engineering materials, often encountered limitations in contact detection and enforcement, leading to simulation failure when dealing with complex biomechanical configurations. Currently, a lot of model tuning is required to get physically accurate finite element simulations without failures. This adds significant human interaction to each iteration of a biomechanical model. This study addressed these issues by introducing PolyFEM, a novel finite element solver that guarantees inversion- and intersection-free solutions with completely automatic collision detection. The objective of this research is to validate PolyFEM's capabilities by comparing its results with those obtained from a well-established finite element solver, FEBio. MethodsTo achieve this goal, five comparison scenarios were formulated to assess and validate PolyFEM's performance. The simulations were reproduced using both PolyFEM and FEBio, and the final results were compared. The five comparison scenarios included: (1) reproducing simulations from the FEBio test suite, consisting of static, dynamic, and contact-driven simulations; (2) replicating simulations from the verification paper published alongside the original release of FEBio; (3) a biomechanically based contact problem; (4) creating a custom simulation involving high-energy collisions between soft materials to highlight the difference in collision methods between the two solvers; and (5) performing biomechanical simulations of biting and quasi-stance. ResultsWe found that PolyFEM was capable of replicating all simulations previously conducted in FEBio. Particularly noteworthy is PolyFEM's superiority in high-energy contact simulations, where FEBio fell short, unable to complete over half of the simulations in Scenario 4. Although some of the simulations required significantly more simulation time in PolyFEM compared to FEBio, it is important to highlight that PolyFEM achieved these results without the need for any additional model tuning or contact declaration. DiscussionDespite being in the early stages of development, PolyFEM currently provides verified solutions for hyperelastic materials that are consistent with FEBio, both in previously published workflows and novel finite element scenarios. PolyFEM exhibited the ability to tackle challenging biomechanical problems where other solvers fell short, thus offering the potential to enhance the accuracy and realism of future finite element analyses.

Associated production of neutrino and dark fermion at future lepton colliders

Fermionic dark matter can be pairly produced and hence searched with missing energy at colliders. We extend such probe to the associated production of a neutrino and a dark sector fermion at the future e+e− colliders such as CEPC, FCC-ee, ILC, and CLIC. Two typical processes, the mono-photon and electron-positron pair productions associated with missing energy, can serve the purpose. While the mono-photon search prevails at CEPC, FCC-ee, and ILC, the channel has more significant contributions at CLIC with much higher collision energy s\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\sqrt{s} $$\\end{document}. The beam polarizations can help further suppressing the SM backgrounds to enhance the signal significance while differential cross sections can distinguish the Lorentz structure of various effective operators. The combined sensitivity can reach well above 1 TeV at CEPC/FCC-ee and ILC while it further touches 30 TeV at CLIC. Comparing with the updated results from the direct detection experiments (XENON1T, PandaX-II, PandaX-4T, LZ, and XENONnT), astrophysical X/γ-ray observations, and cosmological constraints for the sub-MeV absorption dark matter, the collider searches are actually more sensitive and hence can provide a complementary approach to addressing the dark fermions.

Mechanochemistry transforming high-surface-area coal-based activated carbon into densified carbon with optimized multi-scale structures for enhanced sodium/potassium ion storage

Practical sodium/potassium-ion batteries require carbon anodes with both high gravimetric and volumetric performances, for which engineering carbon material with simultaneous high-density architecture and well-organized structures is the key. Herein, a simple and scalable strategy via a mechanochemistry process is developed to transform high-surface-area activated carbon into densified carbon with optimized multi-scale structures in term of greatly decreased ineffective pores, a shorten carbon lattice and modified carboxyl-dominant functional groups. In the mechanochemical process, the rearrangement of ineffective pores was achieved by high-energy collision and shear effects between grinding balls and particles, in which micropores were concentrated at ∼0.5 nm, followed by carboxylic modification on the fresh edges in air atmosphere (CO2). The reduced ineffective pores and enriched functional groups have improved reversibility and kinetics of Na/K ions storage in carbon matrix, resulting in large reversible capacities, excellent rate capabilities even at a high-loading mass of 5 mg·cm−2. Electrochemical kinetic analysis and ex-situ X-ray diffraction reveal the dominant capacitive storage mechanism for Na+, and theorical calculations demonstrate that the grafted carboxyl groups in carbon matrix promote Na+ reversible storage with multi-ion adsorption configuration, thus improving capacitive storage capacities. This work demonstrates the feasibility of transforming coal-based porous carbon into high-performance anode materials.

Centrality and System Size Dependence among Freezeout Parameters and the Implications for EOS and QGP in High-Energy Collisions.

Utilizing the Modified Hagedorn function with embedded flow, we analyze the transverse momenta (pT) and transverse mass (mT) spectra of π+ in Au-Au, Cu-Cu, and d-Au collisions at sNN = 200 GeV across various centrality bins. Our study reveals the centrality and system size dependence of key freezeout parameters, including kinetic freezeout temperature (T0), transverse flow velocity (βT), entropy-related parameter (n), and kinetic freezeout volume (V). Specifically, T0 and n increase from central to peripheral collisions, while βT and V show the opposite trend. These parameters also exhibit system size dependence; T0 and βT are smaller in larger collision systems, whereas V is larger. Importantly, central collisions correspond to a stiffer Equation of State (EOS), characterized by larger βT and smaller T0, while peripheral collisions indicate a softer EOS. These insights are crucial for understanding the properties of Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) and offer valuable constraints for Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) models at high temperatures and densities.

On the Partition Temperature of Massless Particles in High-Energy Collisions

Although partition temperature derived using the Darwin–Fowler method is exact for simple scenarios, the derivation for complex systems might reside in specific approximations whose viability is not ensured if the thermodynamic limit is not attained. This work elaborates on a related problem relevant to relativistic high-energy collisions. On the one hand, it is simple enough that closed-form expressions can be obtained precisely for the one-particle distribution function. On the other hand, the resulting expression is not an exponential form, and therefore, it is not straightforward that the notion of partition function could be implied. Specifically, we derive the one-particle distribution function for massless particles where the phase-space integration is performed exactly for the underlying canonical ensemble consisting of a given number of particles. We discuss the viability of the partition temperature in this case. Possible implications of the obtained results regarding the observed Tsallis distribution in transverse momentum spectra in high-energy collisions are also addressed.

Exploring the higher-order QED effects on the differential distributions of vacuum pair production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Extensive studies have been conducted in the past few decades to investigate potential signatures of higher-order QED effects in high-energy electromagnetic scattering processes. In our previous work, we have identified evidence of higher-order corrections in the total cross-section for the vacuum pair production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. However, the presence of higher-order QED corrections cannot be unambiguously proven solely based on total cross-section measurements due to substantial experimental and theoretical uncertainties. The objective of this paper is to explore the sensitivity of specific differential observables in the vacuum pair production to higher-order QED effects in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. These investigations will provide guidance in determining the presence or absence of higher-order QED processes by conducting precise measurements in future experiments.

A novel method for calculating Bose–Einstein correlation functions with Coulomb final-state interaction

Measurements of Bose–Einstein correlations played a crucial role in the discovery and the subsequent detailed exploration of the Quark-Gluon-Plasma (QGP) created in high-energy collisions of heavy nuclei. Such measurements gave rise to femtoscopy, a flourishing sub-field of high-energy physics, and there are important new directions to explore and discoveries to be made in the near future. One of these important current topics is the precise investigation of the shape of the correlation functions utilizing Lévy-stable sources. In this paper, we utilize Lebesgue’s dominated convergence theorem and Fubini’s theorem to present a novel method of calculating the shape of the two-particle correlation functions, including the Coulomb final-state interaction. This method relies on an exact calculation of a large part of the necessary integrals of the Coulomb wave function and can be utilized to calculate the correlation function for any source function with an easily accessible Fourier transform. In this way, it is eminently applicable to Lévy-stable source functions. In this particular case, we find that the new method is more robust and allows the investigation of a wider parameter range than the previously utilized techniques. We present an easily applicable software package that is ready to use in experimental studies.

Molecular electronic stopping cross section for H and He beams colliding with water: projectile charge state contribution

Abstract When an ion beam impinges on a target material, electron stripping and capture processes involve different charge fraction states in the beam, such that each projectile charge state produces a different energy-loss. In this work, the energy deposition of swift hydrogen and helium ion beams colliding with a water target in the gas phase is studied. The electronic structure of the molecular target is represented in terms of core, bond, and lone pair orbital decomposition within a Harmonic Oscillator representation. In this way, the stopping cross section becomes only a function of the orbital mean excitation energy, I 0i . The ion beam charge fraction compositions colliding on water is determined from the work of Wedlund et al (2019) Astronomy & Astrophysics, 630, A36) by accounting for the electron transfer cross sections. We find that the larger the projectile charge state, the larger the electronic stopping cross section and that the beam charge fraction determines the position of the maximum of the electronic stopping curve. Also, in agreement with the experiment, evidence is given on the dominant role of the largest projectile charge state in defining the stopping cross section for high energy collisions, while for low collision energies it is the lowest charge state together with all possible charge states contributing at the maximum of the electronic stopping cross section curve. Our results are reported and compared to available experimental data showing an excellent agreement to the available literature.

LHC hadronic jet generation using convolutional variational autoencoders with normalizing flows

In high energy physics, one of the most important processes for collider data analysis is the comparison of collected and simulated data. Nowadays the state-of-the-art for data generation is in the form of Monte Carlo (MC) generators. However, because of the upcoming high-luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), there will not be enough computational power or time to match the amount of needed simulated data using MC methods. An alternative approach under study is the usage of machine learning generative methods to fulfill that task. Since the most common final-state objects of high-energy proton collisions are hadronic jets, which are collections of particles collimated in a given region of space, this work aims to develop a convolutional variational autoencoder (ConVAE) for the generation of particle-based LHC hadronic jets. Given the ConVAE’s limitations, a normalizing flow (NF) network is coupled to it in a two-step training process, which shows improvements on the results for the generated jets. The ConVAE+NF network is capable of generating a jet in , making it one of the fastest methods for this task up to now.

Internal Fragment Ions from Higher Energy Collision Dissociation Enable the Glycoform-Resolved Asn325 Deamidation Assessment of Antibodies by Middle-Down Mass Spectrometry

Internal Fragment Ions from Higher Energy Collision Dissociation Enable the Glycoform-Resolved Asn325 Deamidation Assessment of Antibodies by Middle-Down Mass Spectrometry

Diagnostic utility of N-terminal TMPP labels for unambiguous identification of clipped sites in therapeutic proteins

Protein therapeutics are susceptible to clipping via enzymatic and nonenzymatic mechanisms that create neo-N-termini. Typically, neo-N-termini are identified by chemical derivatization of the N-terminal amine with (N-Succinimidyloxycarbonylmethyl)tris(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)phosphonium bromide (TMPP) followed by proteolysis and mass spectrometric analysis. Detection of the TMPP-labeled peptide is achieved by mapping the peptide sequence to the product ion spectrum derived from collisional activation. The site-specific localization of the TMPP tag enables unambiguous determination of the true N-terminus or neo-N-termini. In addition to backbone product ions, TMPP reporter ions at m/z 573, formed via collision-induced dissociation, can be diagnostic for the presence of a processed N-termini. However, reporter ions generated by collision-induced dissociation may be uninformative because of their low abundance. We demonstrate a novel high-throughput LC–MS method for the facile generation of the TMPP reporter ion at m/z 533 and, in some instances m/z 590, upon electron transfer dissociation. We further demonstrate the diagnostic utility of TMPP labeled peptides derived from a total cell lysate shows high degree of specificity towards selective N-terminal labeling over labeling of lysine and tyrosine and highly-diagnostic Receiver Operating Characteristic’s (ROC) of TMPP reporter ions of m/z 533 and m/z 590. The abundant generation of these reporters enables subsequent MS/MS by intensity and m/z-dependent triggering of complementary ion activation modes such as collision-induced dissociation, high-energy collision dissociation, or ultraviolet photo dissociation for subsequent peptide sequencing.

Measurement of the forward η meson production rate in p-p collisions at s\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\sqrt{\ extrm{s}} $$\\end{document} = 13 TeV with the LHCf-Arm2 detector

The forward η mesons production has been observed by the Large Hadron Collider forward (LHCf) experiment in proton-proton collision at s\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\sqrt{s} $$\\end{document} = 13 TeV. This paper presents the measurement of the inclusive production rate of η in pT< 1.1 GeV/c, expressed as a function of the Feynman-x variable. These results are compared with the predictions of several hadronic interaction models commonly used for the modelling of the air showers produced by ultra-high energy cosmic rays. This is both the first measurement of η mesons from LHCf and the first time a particle containing strange quarks has been observed in the forward region for high-energy collisions. These results will provide a powerful constraint on hadronic interaction models for the purpose of improving the understanding of the processes underlying the air showers produced in the Earth’s atmosphere by ultra-energetic cosmic rays.

A review on anisotropic flow in heavy-ion collisions

We present a review of published experimental measurements on anisotropic flow in heavy-ion collisions. Flow coefficients [Formula: see text] are presented for charged and identified hadrons at various beam energies ranging from [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]GeV to 200[Formula: see text]GeV at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]GeV at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We present [Formula: see text] and its slope [Formula: see text] and discuss possible first-order Quantum chromodynamics (QCD) phase transition. [Formula: see text] of particles containing heavy quarks (Charm quarks) is also discussed to illustrate the effect of the magnetic field produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We also present flow harmonics ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]) for inclusive charged and identified hadrons. We compare the charged particle [Formula: see text] coefficients with hydrodynamics to study and constrain initial conditions in the transport models. The results of identified particle [Formula: see text] from ideal and viscous hydrodynamics are discussed to understand the dynamics and mechanism of particle production in high-energy nuclear collisions.