Focus 26 January 2021

Nuclear and particle physics

The study of atomic nuclei is by now a very active and developed field, with both fundamental and technological implications. Its more fundamental spin-off, particle physics, while constantly refining the impressive building of the Standard Model, is trying to come to grips with mysteries like dark matter or neutrino masses. Within this page, we will highlight our latest most interesting papers within these areas.

Featured articles

Hadronic uncertainties versus new physics for the W boson mass and Muon g − 2 anomalies

The tension between measured W mass and its Standard Model prediction might arise from uncertainties in the hadronic contribution, and the same is true for the muon g − 2. Here, the authors show that such a common origin for the two anomalies is unlikely, while a model involving leptoquarks might explain them both.
- Peter Athron
- Andrew Fowlie
- Bin Zhu
ArticleOpen Access7 Feb 2023 Nature Communications
Search for Dark Matter Axions with CAST-CAPP

Haloscopes aim at detecting axions by converting them into photons using high-quality resonant cavities, where the cavity resonance should be tuned with the unknown axion mass. Here, the authors improve exclusion limits using four phase-matched resonant cavities and a fast frequency scanning technique.
- C. M. Adair
- K. Altenmüller
- K. Zioutas
ArticleOpen Access19 Oct 2022 Nature Communications
Ba⁺² ion trapping using organic submonolayer for ultra-low background neutrinoless double beta detector

One of the possible events signaling a neutrinoless double beta decay is a Xe atom decaying into a Ba ion and two electrons. Aiming at the realisation of a detector for such a process, the authors show that Ba ions can be efficiently trapped (chelated) in vacuum by an organic molecule layer on a surface.
- P. Herrero-Gómez
- J. P. Calupitan
- NEXT collaboration
ArticleOpen Access14 Dec 2022 Nature Communications
First measurements of p¹¹B fusion in a magnetically confined plasma

The fusion reaction involving proton (p) and boron (11B) has unique advantages over deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion in terms of number of neutrons generated and availability of the fuel components. Here the authors demonstrate the (p,11B) fusion reaction in a magnetically confined plasma at the Large Helical Device.
- R. M. Magee
- K. Ogawa
- M. Osakabe
ArticleOpen Access21 Feb 2023 Nature Communications
Measurement of the transition frequency from 2S_1/2, F = 0 to 2P_1/2, F = 1 states in Muonium

Muonium is a hydrogen like bound system with a positive muon and an electron. Here the authors measure the Lamb shift and frequency of the transition from 2S1/2, F = 0 state to 2P1/2, F = 1 state in muonium atom and the hyperfine structure of the 2S level.
- Gianluca Janka
- Ben Ohayon
- Paolo Crivelli
ArticleOpen Access25 Nov 2022 Nature Communications
Study of the doubly charmed tetraquark \({{{{{{\rm{T}}}}}}}_{{{{{{\rm{c}}}}}}{{{{{\rm{c}}}}}}}^{+}\)

The existence and properties of tetraquark states with two heavy quarks and two light antiquarks have been widely debated. Here, the authors use a unitarized model to study the properties of an exotic narrow state compatible with a doubly charmed tetraquark.
- LHCb collaboration
ArticleOpen Access16 Jun 2022 Nature Communications
Dark matter from axion strings with adaptive mesh refinement

The question of what axion mass would give rise to the observed dark matter abundance requires proper modelling of non-linear dynamics of the axion field in the early Universe. Here, the authors use adaptive mesh refinement simulations to predict a mass in the range in the range (40,180) microelectronvolts.
- Malte Buschmann
- Joshua W. Foster
- Benjamin R. Safdi
ArticleOpen Access25 Feb 2022 Nature Communications
Stochastic fluctuations of bosonic dark matter

Direct dark matter searches need to take into account whether the total observation time is lower than the characteristic coherence time of the DM field. Analysing this generally overlooked scenario, here the authors quantify the impact on DM limits of the stochastic nature of the virialised ultralight field.
- Gary P. Centers
- John W. Blanchard
- Andrei Derevianko
ArticleOpen Access16 Dec 2021 Nature Communications
Lattice quantum electrodynamics in (3+1)-dimensions at finite density with tensor networks

Tensor network simulations of lattice gauge theories may overcome the limitations of the Monte Carlo approach, but results have been limited to 1+1 and 2+1 dimensions so far. Here, the authors report a tree-tensor-based numerical study of a 3+1d truncated U(1) lattice gauge theory with fermionic matter.
- Giuseppe Magnifico
- Timo Felser
- Simone Montangero
ArticleOpen Access14 Jun 2021 Nature Communications
Observation of persistent species temperature separation in inertial confinement fusion mixtures

The influence of contaminants is one of the factors hindering self-sustained thermonuclear burn in inertial confinement fusion. Here, the authors present evidence, through simulations and experiments, that contaminants do not fully reach thermal equilibrium, and thus their amount is usually underestimated.
- Brian M. Haines
- R. C. Shah
- D. W. Schmidt
ArticleOpen Access28 Jan 2020 Nature Communications
Electromagnetic character of the competitive γγ/γ-decay from ^137mBa

Second order effects can play an important role in highlighting nuclear structure properties. Here, the authors show how the second-order nuclear transitions in the form of double-gamma decay in ¹³⁷Ba help understanding atomic nuclei.
- P.-A. Söderström
- L. Capponi
- T. Petruse
ArticleOpen Access26 Jun 2020 Nature Communications
Understanding the interface interaction between U₃Si₂ fuel and SiC cladding

Triuranium disilicide fuel and silicon carbide cladding system is of importance for accident tolerance fuel initiative. Here the authors discuss the role of interface interaction between the U3Si2 fuel and SiC cladding in their use as an advanced concept in light water reactors.
- Vancho Kocevski
- Denise A. Lopes
- Theodore M. Besmann
ArticleOpen Access26 May 2020 Nature Communications
A physically cryptographic warhead verification system using neutron induced nuclear resonances

Inspection and authentication of warheads is important for nuclear safety and security. Here the authors report experimental scheme for the verification of nuclear warheads using the neutron resonance transmission analysis of a reference and candidate objects while preserving the sensitive information.
- Ezra M. Engel
- Areg Danagoulian
ArticleOpen Access30 Sep 2019 Nature Communications
Generating keV ion distributions for nuclear reactions at near solid-density using intense short-pulse lasers

Studying nuclear reactions in an astrophysical plasma environment is challenging but laboratory experiments can mimic such extreme conditions. Here the authors discuss the potential use of intense laser-produced dense plasma to find the rates of nuclear reactions in plasma-screened conditions.
- A. J. Kemp
- S. C. Wilks
- G. Grim
ArticleOpen Access13 Sep 2019 Nature Communications
Employing antineutrino detectors to safeguard future nuclear reactors from diversions

Nuclear reactors can be used for energy generation or for dangerous weapons and therefore their monitoring is crucial. Here the authors discuss detecting antineutrino from a nuclear reactor and use it for nuclear safeguards in a diversion scenario.
- Christopher Stewart
- Abdalla Abou-Jaoude
- Anna Erickson
ArticleOpen Access6 Aug 2019 Nature Communications
The observation of vibrating pear-shapes in radon nuclei

Octupole deformation in nuclei is important to understand nuclear structure and electric dipole moments of heavy atoms. Here the authors measure energies of excited quantum states in radon isotopes and find that these isotopes do not provide favourable conditions in the search for CP-violation.
- P. A. Butler
- L. P. Gaffney
- M. Zielinska
ArticleOpen Access6 Jun 2019 Nature Communications
Experimental limit on an exotic parity-odd spin- and velocity-dependent interaction using an optically polarized vapor

Symmetry breaking is an important process in fundamental understanding of matter and dark matter. Here the authors discuss an experimental bound on an exotic parity odd spin- and velocity-dependent interaction between electron and nucleon by using a sensitive spin-exchange relaxation-free atomic magnetometer.
- Young Jin Kim
- Ping-Han Chu
- Shaun Newman
ArticleOpen Access21 May 2019 Nature Communications
Stand-off nuclear reactor monitoring with neutron detectors for safeguards and non-proliferation applications

Nuclear power reactors need to be monitored for safety and security while in operation. Here the authors discuss monitoring and safeguarding research reactors and small modular reactors using detection of neutrons up to a hundred meters away from the reactor shielding.
- B. M. van der Ende
- L. Li
- B. Sur
ArticleOpen Access29 Apr 2019 Nature Communications
Evidence for prevalent Z = 6 magic number in neutron-rich carbon isotopes

Magic numbers are associated with the stability of atomic nuclei. Here, the authors analyse the proton radii, binding energies and electric quadrupole transition rates of neutron-rich carbon isotopes at proton number six and use nuclear structure models to support the magic number Z = 6.
- D. T. Tran
- H. J. Ong
- T. Yamamoto
ArticleOpen Access23 Apr 2018 Nature Communications

Nuclear and particle physics

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