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.

The Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)on the SMILE Mission

The Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)is part of the scientific payload of the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)mission.SMILE is a joint science mission between the European Space Agency(ESA)and the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)and is due for launch in 2025.SXI is a compact X-ray telescope with a wide field-of-view(FOV)capable of encompassing large portions of Earth’s magnetosphere from the vantage point of the SMILE orbit.SXI is sensitive to the soft X-rays produced by the Solar Wind Charge eXchange(SWCX)process produced when heavy ions of solar wind origin interact with neutral particles in Earth’s exosphere.SWCX provides a mechanism for boundary detection within the magnetosphere,such as the position of Earth’s magnetopause,because the solar wind heavy ions have a very low density in regions of closed magnetic field lines.The sensitivity of the SXI is such that it can potentially track movements of the magnetopause on timescales of a few minutes and the orbit of SMILE will enable such movements to be tracked for segments lasting many hours.SXI is led by the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom(UK)with collaborating organisations on hardware,software and science support within the UK,Europe,China and the United States.

K-core attack, equilibrium K-core,and kinetically constrained spin system

Kinetically constrained spin systems are toy models of supercooled liquids and amorphous solids. In this perspective,we revisit the prototypical Fredrickson–Andersen(FA) kinetically constrained model from the viewpoint of K-core combinatorial optimization. Each kinetic cluster of the FA system, containing all the mutually visitable microscopic occupation configurations, is exactly the solution space of a specific instance of the K-core attack problem. The whole set of different jammed occupation patterns of the FA system is the configuration space of an equilibrium K-core problem. Based on recent theoretical results achieved on the K-core attack and equilibrium K-core problems, we discuss the thermodynamic spin glass phase transitions and the maximum occupation density of the fully unfrozen FA kinetic cluster, and the minimum occupation density and extreme vulnerability of the partially frozen(jammed) kinetic clusters. The equivalence between K-core attack and the fully unfrozen FA kinetic cluster also implies a new way of sampling K-core attack solutions.

Consistency between domain wall oscillation modes and spin wave modes in nanostrips

Investigations on domain wall(DW) and spin wave(SW) modes in a series of nanostrips with different widths and thicknesses have been carried out using micromagnetic simulation. The simulation results show that the frequencies of SW modes and the corresponding DW modes are consistent with each other if they have the same node number along the width direction. This consistency is more pronounced in wide and thin nanostrips, favoring the DW motion driven by SWs.Further analysis of the moving behavior of a DW driven by SWs is also carried out. The average DW speed can reach a larger value of ~ 140 m/s under two different SW sources. We argue that this study is very meaningful for the potential application of DW motion driven by SWs.

Parametric instability in the pure-quartic nonlinear Schrödinger equation

We study the nonlinear stage of modulation instability(MI)in the non-intergrable pure-quartic nonlinear Schrödinger equation where the fourth-order dispersion is modulated periodically.Using the three-mode truncation,we reveal the complex recurrence of parametric resonance(PR)breathers,where each recurrence is associated with two oscillation periods(PR period and internal oscillation period).The nonlinear stage of parametric instability admits the maximum energy exchange between the spectrum sidebands and central mode occurring outside the MI gain band.

Cooperative activation of sodium channels for downgrading the energy efficiency in neuronal information processing

The Hodgkin–Huxley model assumes independent ion channel activation,although mutual interactions are common in biological systems.This raises the problem why neurons would favor independent over cooperative channel activation.In this study,we evaluate how cooperative activation of sodium channels affects the neuron’s information processing and energy consumption.Simulations of the stochastic Hodgkin–Huxley model with cooperative activation of sodium channels show that,while cooperative activation enhances neuronal information processing capacity,it greatly increases the neuron’s energy consumption.As a result,cooperative activation of sodium channel degrades the energy efficiency for neuronal information processing.This discovery improves our understanding of the design principles for neural systems,and may provide insights into future designs of the neuromorphic computing devices as well as systematic understanding of pathological mechanisms for neural diseases.

Mobility edges and localization characteristics in one-dimensional quasiperiodic quantum walk

We construct a one-dimensional quasiperiodic quantum walk to investigate the localization–delocalization transition.The inverse participation ratio and Lyapunov exponent are employed as two indexes to determine the mobility edge, a critical energy to distinguish the energy regions of extended and localized states. The analytical solution of mobility edge is obtained by the Lyapunov exponents in global theory, and the consistency of the two indexes is confirmed. We further study the dynamic characteristics of the quantum walk and show that the probabilities are localized to some specific lattice sites with time evolution. This phenomenon is explained by the effective potential of the Hamiltonian which corresponds to the phase in the coin operator of the quantum walk.

Dual-wavelength pumped latticed Fermi-Pasta-Ulam recurrences in nonlinear Schrödinger equation

We show that the nonlinear stage of the dual-wavelength pumped modulation instability(MI)in nonlinear Schrödinger equation(NLSE)can be effectively analyzed by mode truncation methods.The resulting complicated heteroclinic structure of instability unveils all possible dynamic trajectories of nonlinear waves.Significantly,the latticed-Fermi-Pasta-Ulam recurrences on the modulated-wave background in NLSE are also investigated and their dynamic trajectories run along the Hamiltonian contours of the heteroclinic structure.It is demonstrated that there has much richer dynamic behavior,in contrast to the nonlinear waves reported before.This novel nonlinear wave promises to inject new vitality into the study of MI.

Critical Opalescence and Its Impact on the Jet Quenching Parameter q

Jet quenching parameter q is essential for characterizing the interaction strength between jet partons and nuclear matter.Based on the quark-meson model,we develop a new framework for calculating q at finite chemical potentials,in which q is related to the spectral function of the chiral order parameter.

Thermal-contact capacity of one-dimensional attractive Gaudin-Yang model

Tan's contact C is an important quantity measuring the two-body correlations at short distances in a dilute system.Here we make use of the technique of exactly solved models to study the thermal-contact capacity K_(T),i.e.,the derivative of C with respect to temperature in the attractive Gaudin-Yang model.It is found that K_(T) is useful in identifying the low temperature phase diagram,and using the obtained analytical expression of K_(T),we study its critical behavior and the scaling law.Especially,we show K_(T) versus temperature and thus the non-monotonic tendency of C in a tiny interval,for both spin-balanced and imbalanced phases.Such a phenomenon is merely observed in multi-component systems such as SU(2)Fermi gases and spinor bosons,indicating the crossover from the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid to the spin-coherent liquid.

Analysis of Strong Coupling Constant with Machine Learning and Its Application

We investigate the nature of the strong coupling constant and related physics.Through the analysis of accumulated experimental data around the world,we employ the ability of machine learning to unravel its physical laws.The result of our efforts is a formula that captures the expansive panorama of the distribution of the strong coupling constant across the entire energy range.

Regulating the dopant clustering in LiZnAs-based diluted magnetic semiconductor

Tuning of the magnetic interaction plays the vital role in reducing the clustering of magnetic dopant in diluted magnetic semiconductors(DMS).Due to the not well understood magnetic mechanism and the interplay between different magnetic mechanisms,no efficient and universal tuning strategy is proposed at present.Here,the magnetic interactions and formation energies of isovalent-doped(Mn) and aliovalent(Cr)-doped LiZnAs are studied based on density functional theory(DFT).It is found that the dopant–dopant distance-dependent magnetic interaction is highly sensitive to the carrier concentration and carrier type and can only be explained by the interplay between two magnetic mechanisms,i.e.,superexchange and Zener’s p–d exchange model.Thus,the magnetic behavior and clustering of magnetic dopant can be tuned by the interplay between two magnetic mechanisms.The insensitivity of the tuning effect to U parameter suggests that our strategy could be universal to other DMS.

High-order harmonic generation of ZnO crystals in chirped and static electric fields

High harmonic generation in ZnO crystals under chirped single-color field and static electric field are investigated by solving the semiconductor Bloch equation(SBE). It is found that when the chirp pulse is introduced, the interference structure becomes obvious while the harmonic cutoff is not extended. Furthermore, the harmonic efficiency is improved when the static electric field is included. These phenomena are demonstrated by the classical recollision model in real space affected by the waveform of laser field and inversion symmetry. Specifically, the electron motion in k-space shows that the change of waveform and the destruction of the symmetry of the laser field lead to the incomplete X-structure of the crystal-momentum-resolved(k-resolved) inter-band harmonic spectrum. Furthermore, a pre-acceleration process in the solid four-step model is confirmed.

Constructing Hopf Insulator from Geometric Perspective of Hopf Invariant

We propose a method to construct Hopf insulators based on the study of topological defects from the geometric perspective of Hopf invariant I.Firstly,we prove two types of topological defects naturally inhering in the inner differential structure of the Hopf mapping.One type is the four-dimensional point defects.

Emergent topological ordered phase for the Ising-XY model revealed by cluster-updating Monte Carlo method

The two-component cold atom systems with anisotropic hopping amplitudes can be phenomenologically described by a two-dimensional Ising-XY coupled model with spatial anisotropy.At low temperatures,theoretical predictions[Phys.Rev.A 72053604(2005)]and[arXiv:0706.1609]indicate the existence of a topological ordered phase characterized by Ising and XY disorder but with 2XY ordering.However,due to ergodic difficulties faced by Monte Carlo methods at low temperatures,this topological phase has not been numerically explored.We propose a linear cluster updating Monte Carlo method,which flips spins without rejection in the anisotropy limit but does not change the energy.Using this scheme and conventional Monte Carlo methods,we succeed in revealing the nature of topological phases with half-vortices and domain walls.In the constructed global phase diagram,Ising and XY-type transitions are very close to each other and differ significantly from the schematic phase diagram reported earlier.We also propose and explore a wide range of quantities,including magnetism,superfluidity,specific heat,susceptibility,and even percolation susceptibility,and obtain consistent and reliable results.Furthermore,we observed first-order transitions characterized by common intersection points in magnetizations for different system sizes,as opposed to the conventional phase transition where Binder cumulants of various sizes share common intersections.The critical exponents of different types of phase transitions are reasonably fitted.The results are useful to help cold atom experiments explore the half-vortex topological phase.

Production of the X(4014)as the Spin-2 Partner of X(3872)in e^(+)e^(-)Collisions

In 2021,the Belle collaboration reported the first observation of a new structure in theψ(2S)γfinal state produced in the two-photon fusion process.In the hadronic molecule picture,this new structure can be associatedwith the shallow isoscalar D*D* bound state and as such is an excellent candidate for the spin-2 partner of the X(3872)with the quantum numbers J^(PC)=2^(++)conventionally named X_(2).

Assessment of the performance of the TOPGNSS and ANN-MB antennas for ionospheric measurements using low-cost u-blox GNSS receivers

Low-cost GNSS receivers have recently been gaining reliability as good candidates for ionospheric studies. In line with these gains are genuine concerns about improving the performance of these receivers. In this work, we present a comprehensive investigation of the performances of two antennas(the u-blox ANN-MB and the TOPGNSS TOP-106) used on a low-cost GNSS receiver known as the u-blox ZED-F9P. The two antennas were installed on two identical and co-located u-blox receivers. Data used from both receivers cover the period from January to June 2022. Results from the study indicate that the signal strengths are dominantly greater for the receiver with the TOPGNSS antenna than for the receiver with the ANN-MB antenna, implying that the TOPGNSS antenna is better than the ANN-MB antenna in terms of providing greater signal strengths. Summarily, the TOPGNSS antenna also performed better in minimizing the occurrence of cycle slips on phase TEC measurements. There are no conspicuous differences between the variances(computed as 5-min standard deviations) of phase TEC measurements for the two antennas, except for a period around May-June when the TOPGNSS gave a better performance in terms of minimizing the variances in phase TEC. Remarkably, the ANN-MB antenna gave a better performance than the TOPGNSS antenna in terms of minimizing the variances in pseudorange TEC for some satellite observations. For precise horizontal(North and East) positioning, the receiver with the TOPGNSS antenna gave better results, while the receiver with the ANN-MB antenna gave better vertical(Up) positioning. The errors for the receivers of both antennas are typically within about 5 m(the monthly mean was usually smaller than 1 m) in the horizontal direction and within about 10 m(the monthly mean was usually smaller than 4 m) in the vertical direction.

Formation of Water Quality of Surface Water Bodies Used in the Material Processing

In the process of production or processing of materials by various methods,there is a need for a large volume of water of the required quality.Today in many regions of the world,there is an acute problem of providing industry with water of a required quality.Its solution is an urgent and difficult task.The water quality of surface water bodies is formed by a combination of a large number of both natural and anthropogenic factors,and is often significantly heterogeneous not only in the water area,but also in depth.As a rule,the water supply of large industrial enterprises is located along the river network.Mergers are the most important nodes of river systems.Understanding the mechanism of transport of pollutants at the confluence of rivers is critical for assessing water quality.In recent years,thanks to the data of satellite images,the interest of researchers in the phenomenon of mixing the waters of merging rivers has increased.The nature of the merger is influenced by the formation of transverse circulation.Within the framework of this work,a study of vorticity,as well as the width of the mixing zone,depending on the distance from the confluence,the speeds of the merging rivers and the angle of confluence was carried out.Since the consumer properties of water are largely determined by its chemical and physical indicators,the intensity of mixing,determined largely by the nature of the secondary circulation,is of fundamental importance for assessing the distribution of hydrochemical indicators of water quality in the mixing zone.These characteristics are important not only for organizing water intake for drinking and technical purposes with the best consumer properties,but also for organizing an effective monitoring system for confluence zones.

Period–Luminosity Relationship forδScuti Stars Revisited

The Gaia DR3 parallax approach was used to estimate the absolute parameters of 2375δScuti stars from the ASAS catalog.The selected stars have a variety of observational characteristics,with a higher than 80%probability of beingδScuti stars.We have displayed all the stars in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram along with theδScuti instability strip,the Zero Age Main Sequence and the Terminal Age Main Sequence.Then,we determined which fundamental and overtone modes each star belongs to using pulsation constant(Q)calculations.In addition,we evaluated the parameters in the Q calculation equation using three machine learning methods,which showed that surface gravity and temperature have the greatest effect on its calculation.The Period-Luminosity(P-L)relationship of theδScuti stars was also revisited.Eventually,using least squares linear regression,we made four linear fits for fundamental and overtone modes and updated their relationships.

Polarization control of above-threshold ionization spectrum in elliptically polarized two-color laser fields

We study the above-threshold ionization(ATI)process of atoms exposed to fundamental and high-frequency lasers with arbitrary ellipticity by applying the frequency-domain theory.It is found that the angular-resolved ATI spectrum is sensitive to ellipticities of two lasers and emitted angles of the photoelectron.Particularly for the photon energy of the highfrequency laser more than atomic ionization potential,the width of plateau tends to a constant with increasing ellipticity of fundamental field,the dip structure disappears with increasing ellipticity of the high-frequency field.With the help of the quantum channel analysis,it is shown that the angular distribution depends mainly on the ellipticity of high-frequency field in the case that its frequency is high.Moreover,one can see that the maximal and minimal energies in quantum numerical results are in good agreement with the classical prediction.Our investigation may provide theoretical support for experimental research on polarization control of ionization in elliptically polarized two-color laser fields.