arXiv subjects

P. Chen

Publications and source records attributed to P. Chen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

Developing New Analysis Tools for Near Surface Radio-based Neutrino Detectors

The ARIANNA experiment is an Askaryan radio detector designed to measure high-energy neutrino induced cascades within the Antarctic ice. Ultra-high-energy neutrinos above $10^{16}$ eV have an extremely low flux, so experimental data captured at trigger level need to be classified correctly to retain more neutrino signal. We first describe two new physics-based neutrino selection methods, (the updown and dipole cut) that extend the previously published analysis to a specialized ARIANNA station with 8 antenna channels, which is double the number used in the prior analysis. For a standard trigger with a threshold signal to noise ratio at 4.4, the new cuts produce a neutrino efficiency of > 95% per station-year, while rejecting 99.93% of the background (corresponding to 53 remaining experimental background events). When the new cuts are combined with a previously developed cut using neutrino waveform templates, all background is removed at no change of efficiency. In addition, the neutrino efficiency is extrapolated to 1,000 station-years, obtaining 91%. This work then introduces a new selection method (deep learning (DL) cut) to augment the identification of neutrino events by using DL methods and compares the efficiency to the physics-based analysis. The DL cut gives 99% signal efficiency per station-year of operation while rejecting 99.997% of the background (corresponding to 2 remaining experimental background events), which are then removed by the waveform template cut at no significant change in efficiency. The results of the DL cut were verified using measured cosmic rays which shows the simulations do not introduce artifacts with respect to experimental data. The paper demonstrates the background rejection and signal efficiency of near surface antennas meets the requirements of a large scale future array, as considered in baseline design of the radio component of IceCube-Gen2.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Calibration and Physics with ARA Station 1: A Unique Askaryan Radio Array Detector

The Askaryan Radio Array Station 1 (A1), the first among five autonomous stations deployed for the ARA experiment at the South Pole, is a unique ultra-high energy neutrino (UHEN) detector based on the Askaryan effect that uses Antarctic ice as the detector medium. Its 16 radio antennas (distributed across 4 strings, each with 2 Vertically Polarized (VPol), 2 Horizontally Polarized (HPol) receivers), and 2 strings of transmitting antennas (calibration pulsers, CPs), each with 1 VPol and 1 HPol channel, are deployed at depths less than 100 m within the shallow firn zone of the 2.8 km thick South Pole (SP) ice. We apply different methods to calibrate its Ice Ray Sampler second generation (IRS2) chip for timing offset and ADC-to-Voltage conversion factors using a known continuous wave input signal to the digitizer, and achieve a precision of sub-nanoseconds. We achieve better calibration for odd, compared to even samples, and also find that the HPols under-perform relative to the VPol channels. Our timing calibrated data is subsequently used to calibrate the ADC-to-Voltage conversion as well as precise antenna locations, as a precursor to vertex reconstruction. The calibrated data will then be analyzed for UHEN signals in the final step of data compression. The ability of A1 to scan the firn region of SP ice sheet will contribute greatly towards a 5-station analysis and will inform the design of the planned IceCube Gen-2 radio array.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2023

Nonlinear phonon Hall effects in ferroelectrics: its existence and non-volatile electrical control

Nonlinear Hall effects have been previously investigated in non-centrosymmetric systems for electronic systems. However, they only exist in metallic systems and are not compatible with ferroelectrics since these latter are insulators, hence limiting their applications. On the other hand, ferroelectrics naturally break inversion symmetry and can induce a non-zero Berry curvature. Here, we show that a non-volatile electric-field control of heat current can be realized in ferroelectrics through the nonlinear phonon Hall effects. More precisely, based on Boltzmann equation under the relaxation-time approximation, we derive the equation for nonlinear phonon Hall effects, and further show that the behaviors of nonlinear phonon (Boson) Hall effects are very different from nonlinear Hall effects for electrons (Fermion). Our work provides a route for electric-field control of thermal Hall current in ferroelectrics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

The Large Array Survey Telescope -- System Overview and Performances

The Large Array Survey Telescope (LAST) is a wide-field visible-light telescope array designed to explore the variable and transient sky with a high cadence. LAST will be composed of 48, 28-cm f/2.2 telescopes (32 already installed) equipped with full-frame backside-illuminated cooled CMOS detectors. Each telescope provides a field of view (FoV) of 7.4 deg^2 with 1.25 arcsec/pix, while the system FoV is 355 deg^2 in 2.9 Gpix. The total collecting area of LAST, with 48 telescopes, is equivalent to a 1.9-m telescope. The cost-effectiveness of the system (i.e., probed volume of space per unit time per unit cost) is about an order of magnitude higher than most existing and under-construction sky surveys. The telescopes are mounted on 12 separate mounts, each carrying four telescopes. This provides significant flexibility in operating the system. The first LAST system is under construction in the Israeli Negev Desert, with 32 telescopes already deployed. We present the system overview and performances based on the system commissioning data. The Bp 5-sigma limiting magnitude of a single 28-cm telescope is about 19.6 (21.0), in 20 s (20x20 s). Astrometric two-axes precision (rms) at the bright-end is about 60 (30)\,mas in 20\,s (20x20 s), while absolute photometric calibration, relative to GAIA, provides ~10 millimag accuracy. Relative photometric precision, in a single 20 s (320 s) image, at the bright-end measured over a time scale of about 60 min is about 3 (1) millimag. We discuss the system science goals, data pipelines, and the observatory control system in companion publications.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2023

The ASAS-SN Bright Supernova Catalog -- V. 2018-2020

We catalog the 443 bright supernovae discovered by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) in $2018-2020$ along with the 519 supernovae recovered by ASAS-SN and 516 additional $m_{peak}\leq18$ mag supernovae missed by ASAS-SN. Our statistical analysis focuses primarily on the 984 supernovae discovered or recovered in ASAS-SN $g$-band observations. The complete sample of 2427 ASAS-SN supernovae includes earlier $V$-band samples and unrecovered supernovae. For each supernova, we identify the host galaxy, its UV to mid-IR photometry, and the offset of the supernova from the center of the host. Updated light curves, redshifts, classifications, and host galaxy identifications supersede earlier results. With the increase of the limiting magnitude to $g\leq18$ mag, the ASAS-SN sample is roughly complete up to $m_{peak}=16.7$ mag and is $90\%$ complete for $m_{peak}\leq17.0$ mag. This is an increase from the $V$-band sample where it was roughly complete up to $m_{peak}=16.2$ mag and $70\%$ complete for $m_{peak}\leq17.0$ mag.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Dimensional crossover and symmetry transformation of the charge density waves in VSe2

Collective phenomena in solids can be sensitive to the dimensionality of the system; a case of special interest is VSe2, which shows a (r7 x r3) charge density wave (CDW) in the single layer with the three-fold symmetry in the normal phase spontaneously broken, in contrast to the (4 x 4) in-plane CDW in the bulk. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) from VSe2 ranging from a single layer to the bulk reveals the evolution of the electronic structure including the Fermi surface contours and the CDW gap. At a thickness of two layers, the ARPES maps are already nearly bulklike, but the transition temperature TC for the (4 x 4) CDW is much higher than the bulk value of 110 K. These results can be understood as a result of dimensional crossover of phonon instability driven by a competition of nesting vectors. Our study provides key insights into the CDW mechanisms and offers a perspective in the search and control of emergent phases in quantum materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Discovery and Follow-up of ASASSN-19dj: An X-ray and UV Luminous TDE in an Extreme Post-Starburst Galaxy

We present observations of ASASSN-19dj, a nearby tidal disruption event (TDE) discovered in the post-starburst galaxy KUG 0810+227 by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) at a distance of d $\simeq98$ Mpc. We observed ASASSN-19dj from $-$21 to 392 d relative to peak ultraviolet (UV)/optical emission using high-cadence, multiwavelength spectroscopy and photometry. From the ASAS-SN $g$-band data, we determine that the TDE began to brighten on 2019 February 6.8 and for the first 16 d the rise was consistent with a flux $\propto t^2$ power-law. ASASSN-19dj peaked in the UV/optical on 2019 March 6.5 (MJD = 58548.5) at a bolometric luminosity of $L = (6.2 \pm 0.2) \times 10^{44} \text{ erg s}^{-1}$. Initially remaining roughly constant in X-rays and slowly fading in the UV/optical, the X-ray flux increased by over an order of magnitude $\sim$225 d after peak, resulting from the expansion of the X-ray emitting region. The late-time X-ray emission is well fitted by a blackbody with an effective radius of $\sim1 \times 10^{12} \text{ cm}$ and a temperature of $\sim6 \times 10^{5} \text{ K}$. The X-ray hardness ratio becomes softer after brightening and then returns to a harder state as the X-rays fade. Analysis of Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey images reveals a nuclear outburst roughly 14.5 yr earlier with a smooth decline and a luminosity of $L_V\geq1.4 \times 10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$, although the nature of the flare is unknown. ASASSN-19dj occurred in the most extreme post-starburst galaxy yet to host a TDE, with Lick H$δ_{A}$ = $7.67\pm0.17$ Å.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Quantum enhancement of a single quantum battery by repeated interactions with large spins

A generalized collision model is developed to investigate coherent charging a single quantum battery by repeated interactions with many-atom large spins, where collective atom operators are adopted and the battery is modeled by a uniform energy ladder. For an initially empty battery, we derive analytical results of the average number of excitations and hence the charging power in the short-time limit. Our analytical results show that a faster charging and an increased amount of the power in the coherent protocol uniquely arise from the phase coherence of the atoms. Finally, we show that the charging power defined by the so-called ergotropy almost follows our analytical result, due to a nearly pure state of the battery in the short-time limit.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

A fast radio burst source at a complex magnetised site in a barred galaxy

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are highly dispersed millisecond-duration radio bursts. Recent observations of a Galactic FRB suggest that at least some FRBs originate from magnetars, but the origin of cosmological FRBs is still not settled. Here we report the detection of 1863 bursts in 82 hr over 54 days from the repeating source FRB~20201124A. These observations show irregular short-time variation of the Faraday rotation measure (RM), which probes the density-weighted line-of-sight magnetic field strength, of individual bursts during the first 36 days, followed by a constant RM. We detected circular polarisation in more than half of the burst sample, including one burst reaching a high fractional circular polarisation of 75%. Oscillations in fractional linear and circular polarisations as well as polarisation angle as a function of wavelength were detected. All of these features provide evidence for a complicated, dynamically evolving, magnetised immediate environment within about an astronomical unit (au; Earth-Sun distance) of the source. Our optical observations of its Milky-Way-sized, metal-rich host galaxy reveal a barred spiral, with the FRB source residing in a low stellar density, interarm region at an intermediate galactocentric distance. This environment is inconsistent with a young magnetar engine formed during an extreme explosion of a massive star that resulted in a long gamma-ray burst or superluminous supernova.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Triboelectric Backgrounds to radio-based UHE Neutrino Exeperiments

The proposed IceCube-Gen2 (ICG2) seeks to instrument ~500 sq. km of Antarctic ice near the geographic South Pole with radio antennas, in order to observe the highest energy (E>1 EeV) neutrinos in the Universe. To this end, ICG2 will use the impulsive radio-frequency (RF) signal produced by neutrino interactions in polar ice caps. In such experiments, rare single event candidates must be unambiguously separated from background; to date, signal identification strategies primarily reject thermal noise and anthropogenic backgrounds. Here, we consider the possibility that fake neutrino signals may also be naturally generated via the 'triboelectric effect'. This broadly includes any process in which force applied at a boundary layer results in displacement of surface charge, generating a potential difference ΔV. Wind blowing over granular surfaces such as snow can induce such a ΔV, with subsequent discharge. Discharges over nanosecond-timescales can then lead to RF emissions at characteristic MHz-GHz frequencies. We find that such backgrounds are evident in the several neutrino experiments considered, and are generally characterized by: a) a threshold wind velocity which likely depends on the experimental signal trigger threshold and layout; for the experiments considered herein, this value is typically O(10 m/s), b) frequency spectra generally shifted to the low-end of the frequency regime to which current radio experiments are typically sensitive (100-200 MHz), c) for the strongest background signals, an apparent preference for discharges from above-surface structures, although the presence of more isotropic, lower amplitude triboelectric discharges cannot be excluded.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2022

Experimental tests of sub-surface reflectors as an explanation for the ANITA anomalous events

The balloon-borne ANITA experiment is designed to detect ultra-high energy neutrinos via radio emissions produced by an in-ice shower. Although initially purposed for interactions within the Antarctic ice sheet, ANITA also demonstrated the ability to self-trigger on radio emissions from ultra-high energy charged cosmic rays interacting in the Earth's atmosphere. For showers produced above the Antarctic ice sheet, reflection of the down-coming radio signals at the Antarctic surface should result in a polarity inversion prior to subsequent observation at the $\sim$35-40 km altitude ANITA gondola. ANITA has published two anomalous instances of upcoming cosmic-rays with measured polarity opposite the remaining sample of $\sim$50 UHECR signals. The steep observed upwards incidence angles (25--30 degrees relative to the horizontal) require non-Standard Model physics if these events are due to in-ice neutrino interactions, as the Standard Model cross-section would otherwise prohibit neutrinos from penetrating the long required chord of Earth. Shoemaker et al. posit that glaciological effects may explain the steep observed anomalous events. We herein consider the scenarios offered by Shoemaker et al. and find them to be disfavored by extant ANITA and HiCal experimental data. We note that the recent report of four additional near-horizon anomalous ANITA-4 events, at $>3σ$ significance, are incompatible with their model, which requires significant signal transmission into the ice.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Improving sensitivity of the ARIANNA detector by rejecting thermal noise with deep learning

The ARIANNA experiment is an Askaryan detector designed to record radio signals induced by neutrino interactions in the Antarctic ice. Because of the low neutrino flux at high energies ($E > 10^{16} $), the physics output is limited by statistics. Hence, an increase in sensitivity significantly improves the interpretation of data and offers the ability to probe new parameter spaces. The amplitudes of the trigger threshold are limited by the rate of triggering on unavoidable thermal noise fluctuations. We present a real-time thermal noise rejection algorithm that enables the trigger thresholds to be lowered, which increases the sensitivity to neutrinos by up to a factor of two (depending on energy) compared to the current ARIANNA capabilities. A deep learning discriminator, based on a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), is implemented to identify and remove thermal events in real time. We describe a CNN trained on MC data that runs on the current ARIANNA microcomputer and retains 95 percent of the neutrino signal at a thermal noise rejection factor of $10^5$, compared to a template matching procedure which reaches only $10^2$ for the same signal efficiency. Then the results are verified in a lab measurement by feeding in generated neutrino-like signal pulses and thermal noise directly into the ARIANNA data acquisition system. Lastly, the same CNN is used to classify cosmic-rays events to make sure they are not rejected. The network classified 102 out of 104 cosmic-ray events as signal.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2022

Measuring the Polarization Reconstruction Resolution of the ARIANNA Neutrino Detector with Cosmic Rays

The ARIANNA detector is designed to detect neutrinos with energies above $10^{17}$eV. Due to the similarities in generated radio signals, cosmic rays are often used as test beams for neutrino detectors. Some ARIANNA detector stations are equipped with antennas capable of detecting air showers. Since the radio emission properties of air showers are well understood, and the polarization of the radio signal can be predicted from the arrival direction, cosmic rays can be used as a proxy to assess the reconstruction capabilities of the ARIANNA neutrino detector. We report on dedicated efforts of reconstructing the polarization of cosmic-ray radio pulses. After correcting for difference in hardware, the two stations used in this study showed similar performance in terms of event rate and agreed with simulation. Subselecting high quality cosmic rays, the polarizations of these cosmic rays were reconstructed with a resolution of $2.5^{\circ}$ (68% containment), which agrees with the expected value obtained from simulation. A large fraction of this resolution originates from uncertainties in the predicted polarization because of the contribution of the subdominant Askaryan effect in addition to the dominant geomagnetic emission. Subselecting events with a zenith angle greater than $70^{\circ}$ removes most influence of the Askaryan emission, and, with limited statistics, we found the polarization uncertainty is reduced to $1.3^{\circ}$ (68% containment).

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Close, bright and boxy: the superluminous SN 2018hti

SN 2018hti was a very nearby (z=0.0614) superluminous supernova with an exceedingly bright absolute magnitude of -21.7 mag in r-band at maximum. The densely sampled pre-maximum light curves of SN 2018hti show a slow luminosity evolution and constrain the rise time to ~50 rest-frame days. We fitted synthetic light curves to the photometry to infer the physical parameters of the explosion of SN 2018hti for both the magnetar and the CSM-interaction scenarios. We conclude that one of two mechanisms could be powering the luminosity of SN 2018hti; interaction with ~10 Msun of circumstellar material or a magnetar with a magnetic field of B_p~1.3e13 G and initial period of P_spin~1.8 ms. From the nebular spectrum modelling we infer that SN 2018hti likely results from the explosion of a ~40 Msun progenitor star.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

The SLAC T-510 experiment for radio emission from particle showers: detailed simulation study and interpretation

Over the last several decades, radio detection of air showers has been widely used to detect ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. We developed an experiment under controlled laboratory conditions at SLAC with which we measured the radio-frequency radiation from a charged particle shower produced by bunches of electrons as primaries with known energy. The shower took place in a target made of High Density Polyethylene located in a strong magnetic field. The experiment was designed so that Askaryan and magnetically-induced components of the radio emission could be measured independently. At the same time, we performed a detailed simulation of this experiment to predict the radio signal using two microscopic formalisms, endpoint and ZHS. In this paper, we present the simulation scheme and make a comparison with data characteristics such as linearity with magnetic field and amplitude. The simulations agree with the measurements within uncertainties and present a good description of the data. In particular, reflections within the target that accounted for the largest systematic uncertainties are addressed. The prediction of the amplitude of Askaryan emission agrees with measurements to within 5% for the endpoint formalism and 11% for the ZHS formalism. The amplitudes of magnetically-induced emission agree to within 5% for the endpoint formalism and less than 1% for the ZHS formalism. The agreement of the absolute scale of emission gives confidence in state-of-the-art air shower simulations which are based on the applied formalisms.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2022

A low-threshold ultrahigh-energy neutrino search with the Askaryan Radio Array

In the pursuit of the measurement of the still-elusive ultrahigh-energy (UHE) neutrino flux at energies of order EeV, detectors using the in-ice Askaryan radio technique have increasingly targeted lower trigger thresholds. This has led to improved trigger-level sensitivity to UHE neutrinos. Working with data collected by the Askaryan Radio Array (ARA), we search for neutrino candidates at the lowest threshold achieved to date, leading to improved analysis-level sensitivities. A neutrino search on a data set with 208.7~days of livetime from the reduced-threshold fifth ARA station is performed, achieving a 68\% analysis efficiency over all energies on a simulated mixed-composition neutrino flux with an expected background of $0.10_{-0.04}^{+0.06}$ events passing the analysis. We observe one event passing our analysis and proceed to set a neutrino flux limit using a Feldman-Cousins construction. We show that the improved trigger-level sensitivity can be carried through an analysis, motivating the Phased Array triggering technique for use in future radio-detection experiments. We also include a projection using all available data from this detector. Finally, we find that future analyses will benefit from studies of events near the surface to fully understand the background expected for a large-scale detector.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Analysis of a Tau Neutrino Origin for the Near-Horizon Air Shower Events Observed by the Fourth Flight of the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA)

We study in detail the sensitivity of the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) to possible $ν_τ$ point source fluxes detected via $τ$-lepton-induced air showers. This investigation is framed around the observation of four upward-going extensive air shower events very close to the horizon seen in ANITA-IV. We find that these four upgoing events are not observationally inconsistent with $τ$-induced EASs from Earth-skimming $ν_τ$, both in their spectral properties as well as in their observed locations on the sky. These four events, as well as the overall diffuse and point source exposure to Earth-skimming $ν_τ$, are also compared against published ultrahigh-energy neutrino limits from the Pierre Auger Observatory. While none of these four events occurred at sky locations simultaneously visible by Auger, the implied fluence necessary for ANITA to observe these events is in strong tension with limits set by Auger across a wide range of energies and is additionally in tension with ANITA's Askaryan in-ice neutrino channel above $10^{19}$ eV. We conclude by discussing some of the technical challenges with simulating and analyzing these near horizon events and the potential for future observatories to observe similar events.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

How low can you go? SN 2018zd as a low-mass Fe core-collapse supernova

We present spectroscopy and photometry of SN 2018zd, a Type IIP core-collapse supernova with signatures of interaction with circumstantial material in its earliest spectra. High ionization lines, the earmark of shock breakout, are not seen in the earliest spectral epoch, and are only seen in a single spectrum at 4.9 d after explosion. The strength and brevity of these features imply a confined circumstellar material shell in the immediate vicinity of the progenitor. Once the narrow emission lines disappear, SN 2018zd evolves similarly to a Type IIP SN, although the blue colour and enhanced plateau magnitude of SN 2018zd suggests an additional source of luminosity throughout the plateau phase. While SN 2018zd has previously been proposed as an electron-capture SN, we suggest that it is an Fe core-collapse from a low mass red supergiant progenitor. Differences in interpretation for SN 2018zd arise in part due to the large uncertainty on the distance to the host-galaxy NGC 2146, which we re-derive here to be $15.6^{+6.1}_{-3.0}$ Mpc. We find the ejected $^{56}$Ni mass for SN 2018zd to be 0.017 M$_{\odot}$, significantly higher than models of ECSNe predict. We also find the Ni/Fe ratio in SN 2018zd to be much lower that would be expected for an ECSN.

astro-ph.HE↗