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David Ward

Publications and source records attributed to David Ward.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Quark Number Susceptibilities and Conserved Charge Fluctuations in $(2+1)$-flavor QCD with M\"obius domain-wall fermions (MDWF)

We calculate second- and selected fourth-order conserved-charge fluctuations in $(2+1)$-flavor QCD using M\"obius domain-wall fermions (MDWF) along a line of constant physics. Gauge ensembles were generated for two light-to-strange quark-mass ratios, $m_l/m_s=1/10$ and $1/27.4$, corresponding to heavier-than-physical and physical pion masses, respectively. For $m_l/m_s=1/10$, calculations were carried out on lattices with temporal extents $N_\tau=12$ and $16$, enabling an assessment of lattice-spacing effects at heavier pion mass. For $m_l/m_s=1/27.4$, calculations were performed at $N_\tau=12$, allowing us to study the light-quark-mass dependence down to the physical point. Below the pseudocritical temperature, second-order electric-charge, strangeness, and off-diagonal conserved-charge fluctuations are consistent with QMHRG2020 hadron resonance gas calculations. Across the crossover region, these observables rise rapidly and tend toward their Stefan--Boltzmann limits. Selected fourth-order cumulants were also computed at the physical pion mass. Although these observables are statistically more demanding, several channels with controlled uncertainties permit a first comparison with hadron resonance gas calculations.

hep-lat

Heliometric stereo: a new frontier in surface profilometry

Accurate and reliable measurements of three-dimensional surface structures are important for a broad range of technological and research applications, including materials science, nanotechnology, and biomedical research. Scanning helium microscopy (SHeM) uses low-energy (64 meV) neutral helium atoms as the imaging probe particles, providing a highly sensitive and delicate approach to measuring surface topography. To date, topographic SHeM measurements have been largely qualitative, but with the advent of the heliometric stereo method - a technique that combines multiple images to create a 3D representation of a surface - quantitative maps of surface topography may now be acquired with SHeM. Here, we present and discuss two different implementations of heliometric stereo on two separate instruments, a single detector SHeM and a multiple-detector SHeM. Both implementations show good accuracy (5% and 10% respectively) for recovering the shape of a surface. Additionally, we discuss where heliometric stereo is most applicable, identify contrast features that can limit its accuracy, and discuss how to mitigate these limitations with careful design and sample choices that be readily implemented on current instruments.

physics.ins-det

Symmetry of screening masses of mesons in two-flavor lattice QCD at high temperatures

We investigate spatial two-point correlation functions of mesonic operators in two-flavor lattice QCD at high temperatures. The simulated temperatures over the range $T \in [147, 330]$ MeV, where the critical temperature is estimated around 165 MeV. To ensure a good control of the chiral symmetry we employ the M\"obius domain-wall fermion action for two degenerate flavors of quarks. With a lattice cut off $a^{-1}\sim 2.6$ GeV, the residual mass is reduced to 0.14 MeV. With the energy spectrum obtained from the screening mass at incremental values of the temperature range, we examine the $SU(2)_L\times SU(2)_R$ chiral symmetry, the anomalous axial $U(1)$ as well as an enhanced symmetry which exchanges the spin degrees of freedom. We also study how the data approaches the perturbative prediction given by twice the Matsubara frequency of free quarks.

hep-lat

Study of symmetries in finite temperature $N_f=2$ QCD with M\"obius Domain Wall Fermions

We report on the ongoing study of symmetry of $N_f=2$ QCD around the critical temperature. Our simulations of $N_f = 2$ QCD employ the M\"obius domain-wall fermion action with residual mass $\sim 1\mbox{MeV}$ or less, maintaining a good chiral symmetry. Using the screening masses from the two point spatial correlators we compare the mass difference between channels connected through various symmetry transformations. Our analysis focuses on restoration of the $SU(2)_L\times SU(2)_R$ as well as anomalously broken axial $U(1)_A$. We also present additional study of a potential $SU(2)_{CS}$ symmetry which may emerge at sufficiently high temperatures.

hep-lat

Helium atom micro-diffraction as a characterisation tool for 2D materials

We present helium atom micro-diffraction as an ideal technique for characterization of 2D materials due to its ultimate surface sensitivity combined with sub-micron spatial resolution. Thermal energy neutral helium scatters from the valence electron density, 2-3A above the ionic cores of a surface, making the technique ideal for studying 2D materials, where other approaches can struggle due to small interaction cross-sections with few-layer samples. Sub-micron spatial resolution is key development in neutral atom scattering to allow measurements from device-scale samples. We present measurements of monolayer-substrate interactions, thermal expansion coefficients, the electron-phonon coupling constant and vacancy-type defect density on monolayer-MoS2. We also discuss extensions to the presented methods which can be immediately implemented on existing instruments to perform spatial mapping of these material properties.

physics.app-ph

Measuring vacancy-type defect density in monolayer semiconductors

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted wide-spread interest due to their unique and tunable properties. Their optoelectronic, mechanical, and thermal properties are greatly influenced by crystal defects, which are, in turn, used to control these properties. However, experimental quantification of the density of defects, whether deliberately introduced or inherent, is very difficult in these atomically thin materials. Here we show that helium atom micro-diffraction can be used to measure the defect density in 15x20um monolayer MoS2, a prototypical 2D semiconductor, quickly and easily compared to standard methods. We present a simple analytic model, the lattice gas equation, that fully captures the relationship between atomic Bragg diffraction intensity and defect density. The model, combined with ab initio scattering calculations, shows that our technique can immediately be applied to a wide range of 2D materials, independent of sample chemistry or structure. Additionally, wafer-scale characterization is immediately possible.

physics.app-ph

On the application of components manufactured with stereolithographic 3D printing in high vacuum systems

We explore the ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) compatibility of Formlabs `Clear Resin' via vat photopolymerization (VPP). We report on a method for using VPP additive manufacturing, specifically Formlabs' widely available stereolithographic (SLA) printing using their `Clear Resin' material, to rapidly and cheaply prototype components for use in high-vacuum (HV) environments. We present pump down curves and residual gas analysis to demonstrate the primary vacuum contaminant from freshly printed SLA plastics is water with no evidence of polymers outgassing from the material and thus the vacuum performance can be controlled with simple treatments which do not involve surface sealing. An unbaked vacuum system containing SLA printed components achieved 1.9e-8 mbar base pressure whilst retaining structural integrity and manufacturing accuracy. Outgassing rates in the HV test chamber and preliminary results in a UHV chamber indicate that our method can be extended to achieve ultrahigh-vacuum compatibility. We further report on the effect of atmospheric exposure to components and present evidence to suggest that water re-ad/absorption occurs exclusively on the surface, by showing that the bulk mass changes of the material is irreversible on the timescale investigated (< 2 weeks).

physics.app-ph

Axial U(1) symmetry near the pseudocritical temperature in $N_f=2+1$ lattice QCD with chiral fermions

We study the $U(1)_A$ anomaly at high temperatures of $N_f=2+1$ lattice QCD with chiral fermions. Gauge ensembles are generated with M\"obius domain-wall (MDW) fermions, and the measurements are reweighted to those with overlap fermions. We report on the results for the Dirac spectra, the $U(1)_A$ susceptibility, and the topological susceptibility in the temperature range of $T=136$, $153$, $175$, and $204$ MeV, where the up and down quark masses are set to be near the physical point as well as at lighter or heavier masses.

hep-lat

Study of Chiral Symmetry and $U(1)_A$ using Spatial Correlators for $N_f=2+1$ QCD at finite temperature with Domain Wall Fermions

Based on simulations of 2+1 flavor lattice QCD with M\"obius domain wall fermions at high temperatures, we compute a series of spatial correlation functions to study the screening masses in mesonic states. We compare these masses with the symmetry relations for various quark masses and lattice sizes at temperatures above the critical point. Using these spatial correlation functions we examine the $SU(2)_L \times SU(2)_R$ symmetry as well as the anomalously broken axial $U(1)_A$ symmetry. Additionally we explore a possible and emergent chiral-spin symmetry $SU(2)_{CS}$.

hep-lat

The Higgs phase as a spin glass phase in D=5 dimensional SU(2) gauge Higgs theory

According to recent work of Greensite and Matsuyama, the Higgs phase of a gauge Higgs theory is distinguished from the confinement and massless phases by the spontaneous breaking of a global center subgroup of the gauge group, and by confinement type. This is contrary to the notion that there is no essential distinction between the Higgs and confinement phases when the Higgs field is in the fundamental representation of the gauge group. Although this new symmetry breaking order parameter has been investigated in $D=4$ dimensions, there is so far no check in a non-abelian gauge theory containing a massless as well as confinement/Higgs phases, where the prediction is that the symmetry breaking order parameter will show transition lines separating the massless to Higgs and confinement to Higgs phases, but not the massless to confinement phase. In this work we map out the phase structure of the $D=5$ dimensional model, according to both the symmetry breaking parameter and thermodynamic observables, and check the assertion regarding the massless to confinement phase.

hep-lat

Version 0: An Educational Package for Helium Atom Scattering Studies

Helium atom scattering studies have the potential for making numerous breakthroughs in the study of processes on surfaces. As this field remains active, there will frequently be new young researchers entering the field. The transition from student to researcher is often met with difficulty, consequently wasting limited time available for a PhD or masters level research. Addressing this issue, we present an educational package for emerging research students in the field of helium atom scattering. We hope that this package serves as sufficient material to significantly accelerate the progress made by new postgraduate students.

physics.ed-ph

Optimal Remote Estimation Over Use-Dependent Packet-Drop Channels - Extended Version

Consider a discrete-time remote estimation system formed by an encoder, a transmission policy, a channel, and a remote estimator. The encoder assesses a random process that the remote estimator seeks to estimate based on information sent to it by the encoder via the channel. The channel is affected by Bernoulli drops. The instantaneous probability of a drop is governed by a finite state machine (FSM). The state of the FSM is denoted as the channel state. At each time step, the encoder decides whether to attempt a transmission through the packet-drop link. The sequence of encoder decisions is the input to the FSM. This paper seeks to design an encoder, transmission policy and remote estimator that minimize a finite-horizon mean squared error cost. We present two structural results. The first result in which we assume that the process to be estimated is white and Gaussian, we show that there is an optimal transmission policy governed by a threshold on the estimation error. The second result characterizes optimal symmetric transmission policies for the case when the measured process is the state of a scalar linear time-invariant plant driven by white Gaussian noise. Use-dependent packet-drop channels can be used to quantify the effect of transmission on channel quality when the encoder is powered by energy harvesting. An application to a mixed initiative system in which a human operator performs visual search tasks is also presented.

eess.SY

Tests of the Standard Model: W mass and WWZ Couplings

Recent tests of the electroweak Standard Model are reviewed, covering the precise measurements of Z decays at LEP I and SLC and measurements of fermion pair production at higher energies at LEP II. Special emphasis is given to new results on W physics from LEP and FNAL.

hep-ph