arXiv subjects

Brandon Stevenson

Publications and source records attributed to Brandon Stevenson.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Probing Dense Nuclear Matter at Small-x: A workflow for a global analysis framework

The dipole model provides a powerful framework for describing high-energy nuclear interactions, particularly in the regime of dense gluonic matter. However, accurately evolving the dipole--nucleus scattering amplitude remains a major computational challenge because it is governed by nonlinear QCD evolution equations. To address this, we investigate a machine learning (ML) model as an efficient surrogate for the conventional numerical evolution. These ML-based approximations dramatically reduce the computational cost of global analyses while maintaining the accuracy required to describe a broad range of experimental data. We systematically evaluate the ML results for accuracy, computational efficiency, and ability to capture essential features of dipole evolution in nuclear environments. These computational advancements will enable global analyses of diverse datasets within both the dipole and parton model frameworks, providing a more rigorous probe of nuclear structure in the dense regime. Comparing both descriptions within a common fitting framework can provide precise constraints on the gluon distributions and advance our understanding of the quark and gluon structure of nuclei, particularly in the small-x region.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2022

Beyond Fisher Forecasting for Cosmology

The planning and design of future experiments rely heavily on forecasting to assess the potential scientific value provided by a hypothetical set of measurements. The Fisher information matrix, due to its convenient properties and low computational cost, provides an especially useful forecasting tool. However, the Fisher matrix only provides a reasonable approximation to the true likelihood when data are nearly Gaussian distributed and observables have nearly linear dependence on the parameters of interest. Also, Fisher forecasting techniques alone cannot be used to assess their own validity. Thorough sampling of the exact or mock likelihood can definitively determine whether a Fisher forecast is valid, though such sampling is often prohibitively expensive. We propose a simple test, based on the Derivative Approximation for LIkelihoods (DALI) technique, to determine whether the Fisher matrix provides a good approximation to the exact likelihood. We show that the Fisher matrix becomes a poor approximation to the true likelihood in regions where two-dimensional slices of level surfaces of the DALI approximation to the likelihood differ from two-dimensional slices of level surfaces of the Fisher approximation to the likelihood. We demonstrate that our method accurately predicts situations in which the Fisher approximation deviates from the true likelihood for various cosmological models and several data combinations, with only a modest increase in computational cost compared to standard Fisher forecasts.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

Design and Performance of the Prototype Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope Camera

The prototype Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (pSCT) is a candidate for a medium-sized telescope in the Cherenkov Telescope Array. The pSCT is based on a novel dual mirror optics design which reduces the plate scale and allows for the use of silicon photomultipliers as photodetectors. The prototype pSCT camera currently has only the central sector instrumented with 25 camera modules (1600 pixels), providing a 2.68$^{\circ}$ field of view (FoV). The camera electronics are based on custom TARGET (TeV array readout with GSa/s sampling and event trigger) application specific integrated circuits. Field programmable gate arrays sample incoming signals at a gigasample per second. A single backplane provides camera-wide triggers. An upgrade of the pSCT camera is in progress, which will fully populate the focal plane. This will increase the number of pixels to 11,328, the number of backplanes to 9, and the FoV to 8.04$^{\circ}$. Here we give a detailed description of the pSCT camera, including the basic concept, mechanical design, detectors, electronics, current status and first light.

astro-ph.IM↗