High-energy nuclear physics meets machine learning

Although seemingly disparate,high-energy nuclear physics(HENP)and machine learning(ML)have begun to merge in the last few years,yielding interesting results.It is worthy to raise the profile of utilizing this novel mindset from ML in HENP,to help interested readers see the breadth of activities around this intersection.The aim of this mini-review is to inform the community of the current status and present an overview of the application of ML to HENP.From different aspects and using examples,we examine how scientific questions involving HENP can be answered using ML.

New opportunities for nuclear and atomic physics on the femto-to nanometer scale with ultra-high-intensity lasers

There are a number of puzzles concerning physics on the scale of nanometers to femtometers,including the neutron lifetime,the proton charge radius,and the possible existence of the deep Dirac level.With the development of high-intensity laser technology,lasers today can induce extremely strong electromagnetic fields.Electrons in the deep shells of atoms as well as the atomic nucleus itself can be affected by these fields.This may provide a new experimental platform for studies of physical processes on the femto-to nanometer scale,where atomic physics and nuclear physics coexist.In this paper,we review possible new opportunities for studying puzzles on the femto-to nanometer scale using highintensity lasers.

Feasibility study of the photonuclear reaction cross section of medical radioisotopes using a laser Compton scattering gamma source

In recent years,the gap between the supply and demand of medical radioisotopes has increased,necessitating new methods for producing medical radioisotopes.Photonuclear reactions based on gamma sources have unique advantages in terms of producing high specific activity and innovative medical radioisotopes.However,the lack of experimental data on reaction cross sections for photonuclear reactions of medical radioisotopes of interest has severely limited the development and production of photonuclear transmutation medical radioisotopes.In this study,the entire process of the generation,decay,and measurement of medical radioisotopes was simulated using online gamma activation and offline gamma measurements combined with a shielding gamma-ray spectrometer.Based on a quasi-monochromatic gamma beam from the Shanghai Laser Electron Gamma Source(SLEGS),the feasibility of this measurement of production cross section for surveyed medi-cal radioisotopes was simulated,and specific solutions for measuring medical radioisotopes with ultra-low production cross sections were provided.The feasibility of this method for high-precision measurements of the reaction cross section of medical radioisotopes was demonstrated.

Simulation of nuclear isomer production in laser-induced plasma

Nuclear isomers play essential roles in various fields,including stellar nucleosynthesis,nuclear clocks,nuclear batteries,clean nuclear energy,and-ray lasers.Recent technological advances in high-intensity lasers have made it possible to excite or de-excite nuclear isomers using table-top laser equipment.Utilizing a particle-in-cell code,we investigate the interaction of a laser with a nanowire array and calculate the production rates of the^(73m)Ge(E_(1)=13.3 keV)and^(107m)Ag(E_(1)=93.1 keV)isomers.For^(73m1)Ge,production by Coulomb excitation is found to contribute a peak efficiency of 1.0×10^(19) particles s^(−1)J^(−1),while nuclear excitation by electron capture(NEEC)contributes a peak of 1.65×10^(11)particles s^(−1)J^(−1).These results indicate a high isomeric production ratio,as well as demonstrating the potential for confirming the existence of NEEC,a long-expected but so far experimentally unobserved fundamental process.

Hypernuclei as a laboratory to test hyperon–nucleon interactions

Directed flow(v_(1))of the hypernuclei ^(3)_(Λ)H and ^(4)_(Λ)H have been observed in mid-central Au+Au collisions at√^(s)NN=3 GeV at RHIC.This measurement opens up a new possibility for studying hyperon–nucleon(Y–N)interaction under finite pressure.In addition,multi-strangeness hypernuclei provide a venue to probe hyperon–nucleon–nucleon(Y–N–N)and even hyperon–hyperon–nucleon(Y–Y–N)interactions.Hypernuclei are important for making connection between nuclear collisions and the equation of state which governs the inner structure of compact stars.

Benchmarking calculations of excitation energies and transition properties with spectroscopic accuracy of highly charged ions used for the fusion plasma and astrophysical plasma

Atomic radiative data such as excitation energies, transition wavelengths, radiative rates, and level lifetimes with high precision are the essential parameters for the abundance analysis, simulation, and diagnostics in fusion and astrophysical plasmas. In this work, we mainly focus on reviewing our two projects performed in the past decade. One is about the ions with Z■30 that are generally of astrophysical interest, and the other one is about the highly charged krypton(Z = 36)and tungsten(Z = 74) ions that are relevant in research of magnetic confinement fusion. Two different and independent methods, namely, multiconfiguration Dirac–Hartree–Fock(MCDHF) and the relativistic many-body perturbation theory(RMBPT) are usually used in our studies. As a complement/extension to our previous works for highly charged tungsten ions with open M-shell and open N-shell, we also mainly focus on presenting and discussing our complete RMBPT and MCDHF calculations for the excitation energies, wavelengths, electric dipole(E1), magnetic dipole(M1), electric quadrupole(E2), and magnetic quadrupole(M2) transition properties, and level lifetimes for the lowest 148 levels belonging to the 3l3configurations in Al-like W61+. We also summarize the uncertainties of our systematical theoretical calculations, by cross-checking/validating our datasets from our RMBPT and MCDHF calculations, and by detailed comparisons with available accurate observations and other theoretical calculations. The data are openly available in Science Data Bank at https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.10569.

Gamma-,neutron-,and muon-induced environmental background simulations for 100Mo-based bolometric double-beta decay experiment at Jinping Underground Laboratory

The sensitivity of an experiment to detect the Majorana neutrino mass via neutrinoless double-beta decay(0νββ) strongly depends on the rate of background events that can mimic this decay. One major source of this background is the radioactive emissions from the laboratory environment. In our study, we focused on assessing the background contributions from environmental gamma rays, neutrons, and underground muons to the Jinping bolometric demonstration experiment. This experiment uses an array of lithium molybdate crystal bolometers to probe the potential 0νββ decay of the100Mo isotope at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. We also evaluated the shielding effectiveness of the experimental setup through an attenuation study. Our simulations indicate that the combined background from environmental gamma rays, neutrons, and muons in the relevant100Mo 0νββ Q-value region can be reduced to approximately 0.003 cts/kg/keV/yr.

Electromagnetic fields in ultra-peripheral relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Ultra-peripheral heavy-ion collisions(UPCs)offer unique opportunities to study processes under strong electromagnetic fields.In these collisions,highly charged fast-moving ions carry strong electromagnetic fields that can be effectively treated as photon fluxes.The exchange of photons can induce photonuclear and two-photon interactions and excite ions.This excitation of the ions results in Coulomb dissociation with the emission of photons,neutrons,and other particles.Additionally,the electromagnetic fields generated by the ions can be sufficiently strong to enforce mutual interactions between the two colliding ions.Consequently,the two colliding ions experience an electromagnetic force that pushes them in opposite directions,causing a back-to-back correlation in the emitted neutrons.Using a Monte Carlo simulation,we qualitatively demonstrate that the above electromagnetic effect is large enough to be observed in UPCs,which would provide a clear means to study strong electromagnetic fields and their effects.

Machine learning in nuclear physics at low and intermediate energies

Machine learning(ML)is becoming a new paradigm for scientific research in various research fields due to its exciting and powerful capability of modeling tools used for big-data processing tasks.In this review,we first briefly introduce the different methodologies used in ML algorithms and techniques.As a snapshot of many applications by ML,some selected applications are presented,especially for low-and intermediate-energy nuclear physics,which include topics on theoretical applications in nuclear structure,nuclear reactions,properties of nuclear matter,and experimental applications in event identification/reconstruction,complex system control,and firmware performance.Finally,we present a summary and outlook on the possible directions of ML use in low-intermediate energy nuclear physics and possible improvements in ML algorithms.

Study of baryon number transport dynamics and strangeness conservation effects using Ω-hadron correlations

In nuclear collisions at RHIC energies, an excess of Ω hyperons over ■ is observed, indicating that Ω has a net baryon number despite s and s quarks being produced in pairs. The baryon number in Ω may have been transported from the incident nuclei and/or produced in the baryon-pair production of Ω with other types of anti-hyperons such as Ξ. To investigate these two scenarios, we propose to measure the correlations between Ω and K and between Ω and anti-hyperons. We use two versions, the default and string-melting, of a multiphase transport(AMPT) model to illustrate the method for measuring the correlation and to demonstrate the general shape of the correlation. We present the Ω-hadron correlations from simulated Au+Au collisions at ■ =7.7 and 14.6 Ge V and discuss the dependence on the collision energy and on the hadronization scheme in these two AMPT versions. These correlations can be used to explore the mechanism of baryon number transport and the effects of baryon number and strangeness conservation on nuclear collisions.

Design of hadronic calorimeter for DarkSHINE experiment

The sensitivity of the dark photon search through invisible decay final states in low-background experiments relies sig-nificantly on the neutron and muon veto efficiencies,which depend on the amount of material used and the design of the detector geometry.This paper presents the optimized design of the hadronic calorimeter(HCAL)used in the DarkSHINE experiment,which is studied using a GEANT4-based simulation framework.The geometry is optimized by comparing a traditional design with uniform absorbers to one that uses different thicknesses at different locations on the detector,which enhances the efficiency of vetoing low-energy neutrons at the sub-GeV level.The overall size and total amount of material used in the HCAL are optimized to be lower,owing to the load and budget requirements,whereas the overall performance is studied to satisfy the physical objectives.

Electron capture and excitation in intermediate-energy He^(2+)–H(1s,2s)collisions

The semiclassical non-perturbative atomic orbital close-coupling approach has been employed to study the electron capture and excitation processes in He^(2+)-H(1s)and He^(2+)-H(2s)collision systems.In order to ensure the accuracy of our calculated cross sections,a large number of high excited states and pseudostates are included in the expansion basis sets which are centered on the target and projectile,respectively.The total and partial charge transfer and excitation cross sections are obtained for a wide-energy domain ranging from 1 keV/amu to 200 keV/amu.The present calculations are also compared with the results from other theoretical methods.These cross section data are useful for the investigation of astrophysics and laboratory plasma.

Structure and 2p decay mechanism of^(18)Mg

The recently discovered,extremely proton-rich nuclide 18 Mg exhibits ground-state decay via two sequential two-proton(2p)emissions through the intermediate nucleus,16Ne.This study investigates the structure and the initial 2p decay mechanism of^(18)Mgby examining the density and correlations of the valence protons using a three-body Gamow coupled-channel method.The results show that the ground state of^(18)Mgis significantly influenced by the continuum,resulting in a significant s-wave component.However,based on the current framework,this does not lead to a significant deviation in mirror symmetry in either the structure or spectroscopy of the 18Mg-18C pair.Additionally,the time evolution analysis of the^(18)Mgground state suggests a simultaneous 2p emission during the first step of decay.The observed nucleon-nucleon correlations align with those of the light-mass 2p emitters,indicating a consistent decay behavior within this nuclear region.

Measurement of 2p-3d absorption in a hot molybdenum plasma

We present measurements of the 2p-3d transition opacity of a hot molybdenum-scandium sample with nearly half-vacant molybdenum M-shell configurations.A plastic-tamped molybdenum-scandium foil sample is radiatively heated to high temperature in a compact D-shaped gold Hohlraum driven by∼30 kJ laser energy at the SG-100 kJ laser facility.X rays transmitted through the molybdenum and scandium plasmas are diffracted by crystals and finally recorded by image plates.The electron temperatures in the sample in particular spatial and temporal zones are determined by the K-shell absorption of the scandium plasma.A combination of the IRAD3D view factor code and the MULTI hydrodynamic code is used to simulate the spatial distribution and temporal behavior of the sample temperature and density.The inferred temperature in the molybdenum plasma reaches a average of 138±11 eV.A detailed configuration-accounting calculation of the n=2–3 transition absorption of the molybdenum plasma is compared with experimental measurements and quite good agreement is found.The present measurements provide an opportunity to test opacity models for complicated M-shell configurations.

Study on open charm hadron production and angular correlation in high-energy nuclear collisions

We study the production and angular correlationof charm hadrons in hot and dense matter produced in high-energy nuclear-nuclear collisions within a multiphasetransport model(AMPT).By triggering additional charm-anticharm quark pair production in the AMPT,the modeldescribes the D^0 nuclear modification factor in the low andintermediate pr regions in Au+Au collisions at√VSNN=200 GeV reasonably well.Further exploration of the D^0 pair azimuthal angular correlation for different centralitiesshows clear evolution from low-multiplicity to high-mul-tiplicity events,which is associated with the number ofcharm quark interactions with medium partons duringAMPT transport.

Investigation of the symmetry energy of nuclear matter using isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics

Simulations of infinite nuclear matter at different densities,isospin asymmetries and temperatures are performed using the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics(IQMD)model to study the equation of state and symmetry energy.A rigorous periodic boundary condition is used in the simulations.Symmetry energies are extracted from the binding energies under different conditions and compared to the classical molecular dynamics(CMD)model using the same method.The results show that both models can reproduce the experimental results for the symmetry energies at low densities,but IQMD is more appropriate than CMD for nuclear matter above the saturation density.This indicates that IQMD may be a reliable model for the study of the properties of infinite nuclear matter.

High-energy-density plasma in femtosecond-laser-irradiated nanowire-array targets for nuclear reactions

In this work,the high-energy-density plasmas(HEDP)evolved from joule-class-femtosecond-laser-irradiated nanowire-array(NWA)targets were numerically and experimentally studied.The results of particle-in-cell simulations indicate that ions accelerated in the sheath field around the surfaces of the nanowires are eventually confined in a plasma,contributing most to the high energy densities.The protons emitted from the front surfaces of the NWA targets provide rich information about the interactions that occur.We give the electron and ion energy densities for broad target parameter ranges.The ion energy densities from NWA targets were found to be an order of magnitude higher than those from planar targets,and the volume of the HEDP was several-fold greater.At optimal target parameters,8%of the laser energy can be converted to confined protons,and this results in ion energy densities at the GJ/cm^(3) level.In the experiments,the measured energy of the emitted protons reached 4 MeV,and the changes in energy with the NWA’s parameters were found to fit the simulation results well.Experimental measurements of neutrons from 2H(d,n)3He fusion with a yield of(24±18)×10^(6)/J from deuterated polyethylene NWA targets also confirmed these results.

Reaction Rate Weighted Multilayer Nuclear Reaction Network

Nuclear reaction rate A is a significant factor in processes of nucleosyntheses.A multi-layer directed-weighted nuclear reaction network,in which the reaction rate is taken as the weight,and neutron,proton,4 He and the remainder nuclei as the criteria for different reaction layers,is for the first time built based on all thermonuclear reactions in the JINA REACLIB database.Our results show that with the increase in the stellar temperature T9,the distribution of nuclear reaction rates on the R-layer network demonstrates a transition from unimodal to bimodal distributions.Nuclei on the R-layer in the region of A=[1,2.5×101]have a more complicated out-going degree distribution than that in the region of A=[1011,1013],and the number of involved nuclei at T9=1 is very different from the one at T9=3.The redundant nuclei in the region of A=[1,2.5×101]at T9=3 prefer(γ,p)and(γ,α)reactions to the ones at T9=1,which produce nuclei around theβstable line.This work offers a novel way to the big-data analysis on the nuclear reaction network at stellar temperatures.

Simulation and test of the SLEGS TOF spectrometer at SSRF

The Shanghai laser electron gamma source(SLEGS)is a powerful tool for exploring photonuclear physics,such as giant dipole resonance(GDR)and pygmy dipole resonance,which are the main mechanisms of collective nuclear motion.The goal of the SLEGS neutron time-of-flight(TOF)spectrometer is to measure GDR and specific nuclear structures in the energy region above the neutron threshold.The SLEGS TOF spectrometer was designed to hold 20 sets of EJ301 and LaBr3 detectors.Geant4 was used to simulate the efficiency of each detector and the entire spectrometer,which provides a reference for the selection of detectors and layout of the SLEGS TOF spectrometer.Under the events of 208Pb,implementations of coincidence and time-of-flight technology for complex experiments are available;thus,and neutron decay events can be separated.The performance of SLEGS TOF spectrometer was systematically evaluated using offline experiments,in which the time resolution reached approximately 0.9 ns.

Phase Transition Study Meets Machine Learning

In recent years, machine learning(ML) techniques have emerged as powerful tools for studying many-body complex systems, and encompassing phase transitions in various domains of physics. This mini review provides a concise yet comprehensive examination of the advancements achieved in applying ML to investigate phase transitions, with a primary focus on those involved in nuclear matter studies.