arXiv subjects

K. Nagai

Publications and source records attributed to K. Nagai.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Scaling of microcraters with molten rims derived from laser-induced cratering experiments

Microcraters with molten rims are widely observed in returned samples from the Moon and asteroids. These features reflect the conditions of small-scale impact events, but the impact velocities required for their formation are not well understood. In this study, we use well-controlled laser irradiation on rock surfaces as an experimental analog to investigate the formation of these molten-rim craters. Specifically, we derive a scaling relation between crater volume, total irradiation energy, and energy loss associated with thermal diffusion. The experimental results indicate that molten-rim structures of microcraters can be formed in the range of $10^2$--$10^3$~m/s impact velocity. This value is consistent with some previous studies which suggested that the origin of microcraters is secondary impact events. These findings provide experimental constraints on the formation mechanisms of molten-rim microcraters and offer a new perspective on impact processes recorded on planetary surfaces. The estimated result is also consistent with the impact velocity required to produce the observed wavy rim protrusions due to a Rayleigh-Taylor hydrodynamic instability ($\sim 10^2$~m/s).

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2026

Measurements of Angular Distributions of Drell-Yan Dimuons in $p+p$ and $p+d$ Interactions at 120 GeV/$c$

We present experimental results on the angular distributions of Drell-Yan muons produced by a 120 GeV/$c$ proton beam interacting with liquid hydrogen and deuterium targets. The dimuon angular distributions in both polar ($\theta$) and azimuthal ($\phi$) angles in the Collins-Soper frame are measured within the kinematic range of $4.5 < m_{\mu\mu} < 10\ \mathrm{GeV}/c^2$, $0.19 < p_T < 2.24\ \mathrm{GeV}/c$, and $0 < x_F < 0.95$. Unlike the results of a previous proton-induced Drell-Yan experiment at a higher energy, the data reveal a pronounced $\cos 2\phi$ modulation in the angular distributions. Comparison with perturbative QCD (pQCD) predictions shows statistically significant deviations, with p-values of 3.5\% for the $p+p$ and 1.5\% for the $p+d$ Drell-Yan processes. These results suggest the presence of nonperturbative QCD contributions.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2025

Final SeaQuest results on the flavor asymmetry of the proton light-quark sea with proton-induced Drell-Yan process

The Fermilab E906/SeaQuest collaboration performed measurements of the Drell-Yan process using 120 GeV proton beams bombarding liquid hydrogen and liquid deuterium targets. A combined analysis of all collected data was performed to obtain the final results for the $\sigma_{pd}/2\sigma_{pp}$ Drell-Yan cross section ratio covering the kinematic region of $0.13 < x < 0.45$. The $x$-dependencies of $\bar{d}\left(x\right) / \bar{u}\left(x\right)$ and $\bar{d}\left(x\right) - \bar{u}\left(x\right)$ are extracted from these cross section ratios. It is found that $\bar{d}\left(x\right)$ is greater than $\bar{u}\left(x\right)$ over the entire measured $x$ range, with improved statistical accuracy compared to previous measurements. The new results on $\bar{d}\left(x\right) / \bar{u}\left(x\right)$ and $\bar{d}\left(x\right) - \bar{u}\left(x\right)$ are compared to various parton distribution functions and theoretical calculations.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Measurement of $J/ψ$ and $ψ\left(2S\right)$ production in $p+p$ and $p+d$ interactions at 120 GeV

We report the $p+p$ and $p+d$ differential cross sections measured in the SeaQuest experiment for $J/ψ$ and $ψ\left(2S\right)$ production at 120 GeV beam energy covering the forward $x$-Feynman ($x_F$) range of $0.5 < x_F <0.9$. The measured cross sections are in good agreement with theoretical calculations based on the nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD) using the long-distance matrix elements deduced from a recent global analysis of proton- and pion-induced charmonium production data. The $σ_{ψ\left(2S\right)} / σ_{J/ψ}$ cross section ratios are found to increase as $x_F$ increases, indicating that the $q \bar{q}$ annihilation process has larger contributions in the $ψ\left(2S\right)$ production than the $J/ψ$ production. The $σ_{pd}/2σ_{pp}$ cross section ratios are observed to be significantly different for the Drell-Yan process and $J/ψ$ production, reflecting their different production mechanisms. We find that the $σ_{pd}/2σ_{pp}$ ratios for $J/ψ$ production at the forward $x_F$ region are sensitive to the $\bar{d}/ \bar{u}$ flavor asymmetry of the proton sea, analogous to the Drell-Yan process. The transverse momentum ($p_T$) distributions for $J/ψ$ and $ψ\left(2S\right)$ production are also presented and compared with data collected at higher center-of-mass energies.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

AI-Assisted Detector Design for the EIC (AID(2)E)

Artificial Intelligence is poised to transform the design of complex, large-scale detectors like the ePIC at the future Electron Ion Collider. Featuring a central detector with additional detecting systems in the far forward and far backward regions, the ePIC experiment incorporates numerous design parameters and objectives, including performance, physics reach, and cost, constrained by mechanical and geometric limits. This project aims to develop a scalable, distributed AI-assisted detector design for the EIC (AID(2)E), employing state-of-the-art multiobjective optimization to tackle complex designs. Supported by the ePIC software stack and using Geant4 simulations, our approach benefits from transparent parameterization and advanced AI features. The workflow leverages the PanDA and iDDS systems, used in major experiments such as ATLAS at CERN LHC, the Rubin Observatory, and sPHENIX at RHIC, to manage the compute intensive demands of ePIC detector simulations. Tailored enhancements to the PanDA system focus on usability, scalability, automation, and monitoring. Ultimately, this project aims to establish a robust design capability, apply a distributed AI-assisted workflow to the ePIC detector, and extend its applications to the design of the second detector (Detector-2) in the EIC, as well as to calibration and alignment tasks. Additionally, we are developing advanced data science tools to efficiently navigate the complex, multidimensional trade-offs identified through this optimization process.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2023

Estimation of Combinatoric Background in SeaQuest using an Event-Mixing Method

All experiments observing dilepton pairs (e.g. $e^+e^-$, $μ^+μ^-$) must confront the existence of a combinatoric background caused by the combining of tracks not arising from the same physics vertex. Some method must be devised to calculate and remove this background. In this document we describe a particular event-mixing method relying on many of the unique aspects of the SeaQuest spectrometer and data. The method described here calculates the combinatoric background with correct normalization; i.e., there is no need to assign a floating normalization factor that is then determined in a subsequent fitting procedure. Numerous tests are applied to demonstrate the reliability of the method.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2023

Ultrafast electron-electron scattering in metallic phase of 2H-NbSe$_2$ probed by high harmonic generation

Electron-electron scattering on the order of a few to tens of femtoseconds plays a crucial role in the ultrafast electron dynamics of conventional metals. When mid-infrared light is used for driving and the period of light field is comparable to the scattering time in metals, unique light-driven states and nonlinear optical responses associated with the scattering process are expected to occur. Here, we use high-harmonics spectroscopy to investigate the effect of electron-electron scattering on the electron dynamics in thin film 2H-NbSe$_2$ driven by a mid-infrared field. We observed odd-order high harmonics up to 9th order as well as a broadband emission from hot electrons in the energy range from 1.5 to 4.0 eV. The electron-electron scattering time in NbSe$_2$ was estimated from the broadband emission to be almost the same as the period of the mid-infrared light field. A comparison between experimental results and a numerical calculation reveals that a kind of resonance between scattering and driving enhances the non-perturbative behavior of high harmonics in metals, causing a highly non-equilibrium electronic state corresponding to several thousand Kelvin.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Measurement of flavor asymmetry of light-quark sea in the proton with Drell-Yan dimuon production in $p+p$ and $p+d$ collisions at 120 GeV

Evidence for a flavor asymmetry between the $\bar u$ and $\bar d$ quark distributions in the proton has been found in deep-inelastic scattering and Drell-Yan experiments. The pronounced dependence of this flavor asymmetry on $x$ (fraction of nucleon momentum carried by partons) observed in the Fermilab E866 Drell-Yan experiment suggested a drop of the $\bar d\left(x\right) / \bar u\left(x\right)$ ratio in the $x > 0.15$ region. We report results from the SeaQuest Fermilab E906 experiment with improved statistical precision for $\bar d\left(x\right) / \bar u\left(x\right)$ in the large $x$ region up to $x=0.45$ using the 120 GeV proton beam. Two different methods for extracting the Drell-Yan cross section ratios, $\sigma^{pd} /2 \sigma^{pp}$, from the SeaQuest data give consistent results. The $\bar{d}\left(x\right) / \bar{u}\left(x\right)$ ratios and the $\bar d\left(x\right) - \bar u\left(x\right)$ differences are deduced from these cross section ratios for $0.13 < x < 0.45$. The SeaQuest and E866/NuSea $\bar{d}\left(x\right) / \bar{u}\left(x\right)$ ratios are in good agreement for the $x\lesssim 0.25$ region. The new SeaQuest data, however, show that $\bar d\left(x\right)$ continues to be greater than $\bar u\left(x\right)$ up to the highest $x$ value ($x = 0.45$). The new results on $\bar{d}\left(x\right) / \bar{u}\left(x\right)$ and $\bar{d}\left(x\right) - \bar{u}\left(x\right)$ are compared with various parton distribution functions and theoretical calculations.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Visualization of two-dimensional transition dipole moment texture in momentum space using high-harmonic generation spectroscopy

Highly nonlinear optical phenomena can provide access to properties of electronic systems which are otherwise difficult to access through conventional linear optical spectroscopies. In particular, high harmonic generation (HHG) in crystalline solids is strikingly different from that in atomic gases, and it enables us to access electronic properties such as the band structure, Berry curvature, and valence electron density. Here, we show that polarization-resolved HHG measurements can be used to probe the transition dipole moment (TDM) texture in momentum space in two dimensional semiconductors. TDM is directly related to the internal structure of the electronic system and governs the optical properties. We study HHG in black phosphorus, which offers a simple two-band system, with bandgap resonant excitation. We observed a unique crystal-orientation dependence of the HHG yields and polarizations and succeeded in reconstructing the TDM texture related to the inter-atomic bonding structure. Our results demonstrate the potential of high harmonic spectroscopy for probing electronic wavefunctions in crystalline solids.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2021

The Asymmetry of Antimatter in the Proton

The fundamental building blocks of the proton, quarks and gluons, have been known for decades. However, we still have an incomplete theoretical and experimental understanding of how these particles and their dynamics give rise to the quantum bound state of the proton and its physical properties, such as for example its spin. The two up and the single down quarks that comprise the proton in the simplest picture account only for a few percent of the proton mass, the bulk of which is in the form of quark kinetic and potential energy and gluon energy from the strong force. An essential feature of this force, as described by quantum chromodynamics, is its ability to create matter-antimatter quark pairs inside the proton that exist only for a very short time. Their fleeting existence makes the antimatter quarks within protons difficult to study, but their existence is discernible in reactions where a matter-antimatter quark pair annihilates. In this picture of quark-antiquark creation by the strong force, the probability distributions as a function of momentum for the presence of up and down antimatter quarks should be nearly identical, since their masses are quite similar and small compared to the mass of the proton. In the present manuscript, we show evidence from muon pair production measurements that these distributions are significantly different, with more abundant down antimatter quarks than up antimatter quarks over a wide range of momentum. These results revive interest in several proposed mechanisms as the origin of this antimatter asymmetry in the proton that had been disfavored by the previous results and point to the future measurements that can distinguish between these mechanisms.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

The SeaQuest Spectrometer at Fermilab

The SeaQuest spectrometer at Fermilab was designed to detect oppositely-charged pairs of muons (dimuons) produced by interactions between a 120 GeV proton beam and liquid hydrogen, liquid deuterium and solid nuclear targets. The primary physics program uses the Drell-Yan process to probe antiquark distributions in the target nucleon. The spectrometer consists of a target system, two dipole magnets and four detector stations. The upstream magnet is a closed-aperture solid iron magnet which also serves as the beam dump, while the second magnet is an open aperture magnet. Each of the detector stations consists of scintillator hodoscopes and a high-resolution tracking device. The FPGA-based trigger compares the hodoscope signals to a set of pre-programmed roads to determine if the event contains oppositely-signed, high-mass muon pairs.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

Half-metallicity of Mn2VAl ferrimagnet revealed by resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering under magnetic field

Detailed information on the electronic states of both V and Mn 3d electrons in the ferrimagnet Mn2VAl is obtained by the bulk sensitive resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering (SX-RIXS) excited with the circularly polarized light under an external magnetic field for the first time. The results under the V L-edge excitation have revealed the negligible partial density of states (PDOS) of the V 3d states around the Fermi energy as well as their rather localized character. Under the Mn L-edge excitation, on the other hand, the spectra are dominated by fluorescence with clear magnetic circular dichroism with noticeable excitation photon energy dependence. Compared with the theoretical prediction of the RIXS spectra based on the density-functional-theory band structure calculation, an itinerant, spin-dependent character of the Mn 3d states and decays of the Mn 2p core states are confirmed in consistence with the half-metallicity of the Mn 3d states.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Electronic Structure and Magnetic Properties of Half-metallic Ferrimagnet Mn$_{2}$VAl Probed by Soft X-ray Spectroscopies

We have studied the electronic structure of ferrimagnetic Mn2VAl single crystal by means of soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray absorption magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and resonant soft X-ray inelastic scattering (RIXS). We have successfully observed the XMCD signals for all constitute elements, supporting the spin polarized states at the Fermi level. The Mn $L_{2,3}$ XAS and XMCD spectra are reproduced by the spectral simulation based on density-functional theory (DFT), indicating itinerant character of the Mn 3d states. On the other hand, V $3d$ electrons are rather localized since the ionic model can qualitatively explain the V $L_{2,3}$ XAS and XMCD spectra as well as the local dd excitation revealed by V $L_3$ RIXS.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Development of a custom on-line ultrasonic vapour analyzer/flowmeter for the ATLAS inner detector, with application to gaseous tracking and Cherenkov detectors

Precision sound velocity measurements can simultaneously determine binary gas composition and flow. We have developed an analyzer with custom electronics, currently in use in the ATLAS inner detector, with numerous potential applications. The instrument has demonstrated ~0.3% mixture precision for C3F8/C2F6 mixtures and < 10-4 resolution for N2/C3F8 mixtures. Moderate and high flow versions of the instrument have demonstrated flow resolutions of +/- 2% F.S. for flows up to 250 l.min-1, and +/- 1.9% F.S. for linear flow velocities up to 15 ms-1; the latter flow approaching that expected in the vapour return of the thermosiphon fluorocarbon coolant recirculator being built for the ATLAS silicon tracker.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2012

A combined ultrasonic flow meter and binary vapour mixture analyzer for the ATLAS silicon tracker

An upgrade to the ATLAS silicon tracker cooling control system may require a change from C3F8 (octafluoro-propane) evaporative coolant to a blend containing 10-25% of C2F6 (hexafluoro-ethane). Such a change will reduce the evaporation temperature to assure thermal stability following radiation damage accumulated at full LHC luminosity. Central to this upgrade is a new ultrasonic instrument in which sound transit times are continuously measured in opposite directions in flowing gas at known temperature and pressure to deduce the C3F8/C2F6 flow rate and mixture composition. The instrument and its Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software are described in this paper. Several geometries for the instrument are in use or under evaluation. An instrument with a pinched axial geometry intended for analysis and measurement of moderate flow rates has demonstrated a mixture resolution of 3.10-3 for C3F8/C2F6 molar mixtures with 20%C2F6, and a flow resolution of 2% of full scale for mass flows up to 30gs-1. In mixtures of widely-differing molecular weight (mw), higher mixture precision is possible: a sensitivity of <5.10-5 to leaks of C3F8 into part of the ATLAS tracker nitrogen envelope (mw difference 160) has been seen. An instrument with an angled sound path geometry has been developed for use at high fluorocarbon mass flow rates of around 1.2 kgs-1 - corresponding to full flow in a new 60kW thermosiphon recirculator under construction for the ATLAS silicon tracker. Extensive computational fluid dynamics studies were performed to determine the preferred geometry (ultrasonic transducer spacing and placement, together with the sound crossing angle with respect to the vapour flow direction). A prototype with 45deg crossing angle has demonstrated a flow resolution of 1.9% of full scale for linear flow velocities up to 15 ms-1. The instrument has many potential applications.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2012

Knudsen-to-Hydrodynamic Crossover in Liquid 3He in a High-Porosity Aerogel

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of the drag force acting on a high porosity aerogel immersed in liquid ${}^3$He and its effect on sound propagation. The drag force is characterized by the Knudsen number, which is defined as the ratio of the quasiparticle mean free path to the radius of an aerogel strand. Evidence of the Knudsen-hydrodynamic crossover is clearly demonstrated by a drastic change in the temperature dependence of ultrasound attenuation in 98% porosity aerogel. Our theoretical analysis shows that the frictional sound damping caused by the drag force is governed by distinct laws in the two regimes, providing excellent agreement with the experimental observation.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2012

Odd-frequency Cooper pairs and zero-energy surface bound states in superfluid 3He

We study the odd-frequency Cooper pairs formed near the surface of superfluid 3He. The odd-frequency pair amplitude is closely related to the local density of states in the low energy limit. We derive a formula relating explicitly the two quantities. This formula holds for arbitrary boundary condition at the surface. We also present some numerical results on the surface odd-frequency pair amplitude in superfluid 3He-B. Those analytical and numerical results allow one to interpret the midgap surface density of states, observed recently by transverse acoustic impedance measurements on superfluid 3He-B, as the manifestation of the surface odd-frequency state.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2012

A Combine On-Line Acoustic Flowmeter and Fluorocarbon Coolant Mixture Analyzer for The ATLAS Silicon Tracker

An upgrade to the ATLAS silicon tracker cooling control system may require a change from C3F8 (octafluoro-propane) to a blend containing 10-30% of C2F6 (hexafluoro-ethane) to reduce the evaporation temperature and better protect the silicon from cumulative radiation damage with increasing LHC luminosity. Central to this upgrade is a new acoustic instrument for the real-time measurement of the C3F8/C2F6 mixture ratio and flow. The instrument and its Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software are described in this paper. The instrument has demonstrated a resolution of 3.10-3 for C3F8/C2F6 mixtures with ~20%C2F6, and flow resolution of 2% of full scale for mass flows up to 30gs-1. In mixtures of widely-differing molecular weight (mw), higher mixture precision is possible: a sensitivity of < 5.10-4 to leaks of C3F8 into the ATLAS pixel detector nitrogen envelope (mw difference 160) has been seen. The instrument has many potential applications, including the analysis of mixtures of hydrocarbons, vapours for semi-conductor manufacture and anaesthesia.

physics.acc-ph↗