arXiv subjects

Z. H. Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to Z. H. Zhang.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A three-step proposal for searching for light shining through walls in the X-ray band at the High Energy Photon Source

Despite compelling observational evidence for dark matter (DM), its fundamental physical properties remain poorly understood. In this report, we propose a three-step light-shining-through-walls (LSW) experimental scheme utilizing the high-brilliance, high-energy X-rays from the ID21 Hard X-ray Imaging Beamline at the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) to search for signatures of dark photons (DPs) and other weakly interacting slim particles (WISPs). The scheme includes three steps of LSW experiments: a short-term (several days) dedicated exposure experiment, a long-term (several years) synchronous accompanying experiment, and a WISP detection with strong magnetic fields. Projection results show that this HEPS-based LSW experiment can effectively constrain DP parameters in the 1 eV--400 keV mass range, covering unexploited parameter space of the existing X-ray LSW experiments. It provides a least model-dependent and most purely-laboratory approach for probing dark sector particles and advancing new physics research beyond the Standard Model gradually.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2026

First search for light fermionic dark matter absorption on electrons using germanium detector in CDEX-10 experiment

We present the first results of the search for sub-MeV fermionic dark matter absorbed by electron targets of germanium using the 205.4~kg$\cdot$day data collected by the CDEX-10 experiment, with the analysis threshold of 160~eVee. No significant dark matter (DM) signals over the background are observed. Results are presented as limits on the cross section of DM--electron interaction. We present new constraints of cross section in the DM range of 0.1--10 keV/$c^2$ for vector and axial-vector interaction. The upper limit on the cross section is set to be $\rm 6.8\times10^{-46}~cm^2$ for vector interaction, and $\rm 2.3\times10^{-46}~cm^2$ for axial-vector interaction at DM mass of 5 keV/$c^2$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2026

Two late-T dwarfs at kiloparsec distances revealed by JWST UNCOVER survey

We conducted a search for brown dwarf candidates in a James Webb Space Telescope deep field around A2744 to investigate the space density of these objects at kiloparsec distances. Our methodology employed an initial selection based on photometric colours, followed by spectral energy distribution fitting to both stellar atmospheric models and high-redshift galaxy templates. This approach yielded two robust T dwarf candidates and one possible L subdwarf candidate. The T dwarfs have estimated Galactic heights of 0.43 and 0.86 kpc, likely residing near the outer edges of the Galactic thin and thick discs, respectively. We measure a T dwarf surface number density of 0.094 per squared arcmin in the UNCOVER field, lower than previous predictions but consistent at the order-of-magnitude level. We also provide space number density estimates for T5-T8.9 dwarfs across different effective temperature and spectral type bins, finding that T5-T7 dwarfs out to 2 kpc have significantly lower densities than their solar neighbourhood counterparts, whilst T8 dwarfs within the thick disc exhibit densities comparable to local values. Our analysis demonstrates that broad-band near- to mid-infrared photometry provides high sensitivity to late-T dwarfs but is relatively less sensitive to L and early-T dwarfs. Spectroscopy is typically required to distinguish photometric candidates of L dwarfs, early-T subdwarfs, and high-redshift galaxies in JWST deep fields. This study demonstrates the potential for expanding our understanding of brown dwarf distributions and characteristics at unprecedented distances, offering new insights into substellar populations beyond the solar neighbourhood.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Constraints on dark matter boosted by supernova shock within the effective field theory framework from the CDEX-10 experiment

Supernova shocks can boost dark matter (DM) particles to high, yet nonrelativistic, velocities, providing a suitable mechanism for analysis within the framework of the nonrelativistic effective field theory (NREFT). These accelerated DM sources extend the experimental ability to scan the parameter space of light DM into the sub-GeV region. In this study, we specifically analyze DM accelerated by the Monogem Ring supernova remnant, whose age ($\sim 68000$ yr) and distance to Earth ($\sim 300$ parsec) are strategically matched to enable detection with current terrestrial detectors. Utilizing the 205.4 kg$\cdot$day data obtained from the CDEX-10 experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory, we derive new constraints on boosted DM within the NREFT framework. The NREFT coupling constant exclusion regions now penetrate the sub-GeV mass range, with optimal sensitivity achieved for operators $\mathcal{O}_{3}$, $\mathcal{O}_{6}$, $\mathcal{O}_{15}$ in the 0.4--0.6 GeV mass range.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Benchmark brown dwarfs -- I. A blue M2 + T5 wide binary and a probable young [M4 + M4] + [T7 + T8] hierarchical quadruple

Benchmark brown dwarfs in wide binary systems are crucial for characterizing substellar objects and calibrating atmospheric and evolutionary models. However, brown dwarf benchmarks with subsolar metallicity, very cool temperatures, or suitability for dynamical mass measurements are rare, limiting our understanding across the full range of mass, age, and metallicity. We present the discovery of two new multiple systems containing T dwarf companions, identified through a targeted search using CatWISE2020 and Gaia catalogues. L 122-88 AB is a wide binary comprising a mildly metal-poor M2 dwarf and a T5 dwarf, separated by 215.6 arcsec at a distance of 33.106+/-0.014 pc. Atmospheric model fitting to the near infrared spectrum of L 122-88 A suggests a mildly metal-poor composition ([Fe/H] = -0.2). UPM J1040-3551 AB is a candidate hierarchical quadruple system at 25.283+/-0.013 pc, consisting of a likely astrometric binary of two M4 dwarfs and a probable unresolved spectral binary of T7 and T8 dwarfs, separated by 65.48 arcsec from the primary. The H-alpha emission detected in UPM J1040-3551 A indicates an age range of 0.3-2.0 Gyr. This age estimate suggests that the T8 component has a mass between 9 and 28 Jupiter masses, potentially classifying it as a planetary-mass object. These systems augment the sample of benchmark brown dwarfs, particularly in the underexplored regime of cool temperature, providing valuable opportunities for refining our understanding of substellar objects.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

On the distance signless Laplacian spectral radius, fractional matching and factors of graphs

The distance signless Laplacian matrix of a graph $G$ is define as $Q(G)=$Tr$(G)+D(G)$, where Tr$(G)$ and $D(G)$ are the diagonal matrix of vertex transmissions and the distance matrix of $G$, respectively. Denote by $E_G(v)$ the set of all edges incident to a vertex $v$ in $G$. A fractional matching of a graph $G$ is a function $f:E(G) \rightarrow [0,1]$ such that $\sum_{e\in E_G(v)} f(e)\leq 1$ for every vertex $v\in V(G)$. The fractional matching number $μ_f(G)$ of a graph $G$ is the maximum value of $ \sum_{e\in E(G)} f(e)$ over all fractional matchings. Given subgraphs $H_1, H_2,...,H_k$ of $G$, a $\{H_1, H_2,...,H_k\}$-factor of $G$ is a spanning subgraph $F$ in which each connected component is isomorphic to one of $H_1, H_2,...,H_k$. In this paper, we establish a upper bound for the distance signless Laplacian spectral radius of a graph $G$ of order $n$ to guarantee that $μ_f(G)> \frac{n-k}{2}$, where $1\leq k<n$ is an integer. Besides, we also provide a sufficient condition based on distance signless Laplacian spectral radius to guarantee the existence of a $\{K_2,\{C_k\}\}$-factor in a graph, where $k \geq 3$ is an integer.

math.CO↗

arXiv2025

Novel Search for absorption of ultra-light fermionic dark matter on electron with cosmic ray boost

The search for the absorption of fermionic dark matter (DM) on electron is hindered by a partial or complete loss of sensitivity for the mass of DM ($m_χ$) below $\mathcal{O} (10)$ keV. We introduce a novel search using a small but high-energy portion of DM boosted by cosmic rays, and the loss of sensitivity is circumvented because the subsequent absorption within the detector imparts to the target electron not only $m_χ$ but also substantial $T_χ$. The one-sided 90\% confidence level constraints on ($σ_e v_χ$) are derived with the XENONnT public dataset for $m_χ$ $\in$ (1$\times$10$^{-5}$--1) keV which has not been explored yet. Our results have placed constraints on DM at the lowest $m_χ$ currently achievable among the DMDD experiments utilizing ionizing signals from DM interactions within the detectors.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Search for fractionally charged particles as lightly ionizing particles using public data from an underground direct detection experiment

Approximately 60 years after the Milligan oil drop experiment in 1909, fractionally charged particles (FCPs) were reported to have been discovered in air-shower cores, and the search for FCPs continues to the present day in space, terrestrial and underground experiments. In this letter, relativistic FCPs are examined as lightly ionizing particles in underground direct detection on the basis of electron recoil data from XENON-nT. For FCPs from supernova shocks, the best results are obtained via direct detection, excluding the FCP charge of $\left(3.6\times10^{-9} - 1.0\times10^{-2}\right)\cdot e$ corresponding to an FCP mass of 1 keV--556 GeV. For FCPs from general sources, the best limit is achieved, which is far ahead of other results in almost the entire parameter space, by excluding the FCP flux of $\left(4.0\times10^{-4} - 4.0\times10^{-16}\right)$ cm$^{-2}\cdot$ s$^{-1}\cdot$ sr$^{-1}$ corresponding to the FCP charge of $\left(1\times10^{-6} - 1\right)\cdot e$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

Test of electric charge conservation in dark matter direct detection experiment

Electric charge conservation (ECC) is typically taken as an axiom in the standard model. Searching for small violations with high-performance experiments could lead us to new physics. In this work, we tested ``invisible" electric charge nonconservation (ECNC) events with 1.16 ton$\cdot$year electron recoil data from the XENON-nT experiment. There was no statistically significant signal, and the ECNC limit was updated to $τ(e^-\rightarrow{ν_e+\barν_e+ν_e}) > 4.34 \times10^{27}$ yr. This work increases the limit by two orders of magnitude and shows that dark matter direct detection experiments have great potential for further ECC testing.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Probing Dark Matter Particles from Evaporating Primordial Black Holes via Electron Scattering in the CDEX-10 Experiment

Dark matter (DM) is a major constituent of the Universe. However, no definite evidence of DM particles (denoted as ``$χ$") has been found in DM direct detection (DD) experiments to date. There is a novel concept of detecting $χ$ from evaporating primordial black holes (PBHs). We search for $χ$ emitted from PBHs by investigating their interaction with target electrons. The examined PBH masses range from 1$\times$10$^{15}$ to 7$\times$10$^{16}$ g under the current limits of PBH abundance $f_{PBH}$. Using 205.4 kg$\cdot$day data obtained from the CDEX-10 experiment conducted in the China Jinping Underground Laboratory, we exclude the $χ$--electron ($χ$--$e$) elastic-scattering cross section $σ_{χe} \sim 5\times10^{-29}$ cm$^2$ for $χ$ with a mass $m_χ\lesssim$ 0.1 keV from our results. With the higher radiation background but lower energy threshold (160 eV), CDEX-10 fill a part of the gap in the previous work. If ($m_χ$, $σ_{χe}$) can be determined in the future, DD experiments are expected to impose strong constraints on $f_{PBH}$ for large $M_{PBH}$s.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Searching for $^{76}$Ge neutrinoless double beta decay with the CDEX-1B experiment

We operated a p-type point contact high purity germanium (PPCGe) detector (CDEX-1B, 1.008 kg) in the China Jinping Underground Laboratory (CJPL) for 500.3 days to search for neutrinoless double beta ($0νββ$) decay of $^{76}$Ge. A total of 504.3 kg$\cdot$day effective exposure data was accumulated. The anti-coincidence and the multi/single-site event (MSE/SSE) discrimination methods were used to suppress the background in the energy region of interest (ROI, 1989$-$2089 keV for this work) with a factor of 23. A background level of 0.33 counts/(keV$\cdot$kg$\cdot$yr) was realized. The lower limit on the half life of $^{76}$Ge $0νββ$ decay was constrained as $T_{1/2}^{0ν}\ > \ {1.0}\times 10^{23}\ \rm yr\ (90\% \ C.L.)$, corresponding to the upper limits on the effective Majorana neutrino mass: $\langle m_{ββ}\rangle < $3.2$-$7.5$\ \mathrm{eV}$.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2024

The Gaia Ultracool Dwarf Sample -- IV. GTC/OSIRIS optical spectra of Gaia late-M and L dwarfs

As part of our comprehensive, ongoing characterisation of the low-mass end of the main sequence in the Solar neighbourhood, we used the OSIRIS instrument at the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias to acquire low- and mid-resolution (R$\approx$300 and R$\approx$2500) optical spectroscopy of 53 late-M and L ultracool dwarfs. Most of these objects are known but poorly investigated and lacking complete kinematics. We measured spectral indices, determined spectral types (six of which are new) and inferred effective temperature and surface gravity from BT-Settl synthetic spectra fits for all objects. We were able to measure radial velocities via line centre fitting and cross correlation for 46 objects, 29 of which lacked previous radial velocity measurements. Using these radial velocities in combination with the latest Gaia DR3 data, we also calculated Galactocentric space velocities. From their kinematics, we identified two candidates outside of the thin disc and four in young stellar kinematic groups. Two further ultracool dwarfs are apparently young field objects: 2MASSW J1246467$+$402715 (L4$β$), which has a potential, weak lithium absorption line, and G 196$-$3B (L3$β$), which was already known as young due to its well-studied primary companion.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Primeval very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs -- VIII. The first age benchmark L subdwarf, a wide companion to a halo white dwarf

We report the discovery of five white dwarf + ultracool dwarf systems identified as common proper motion wide binaries in the Gaia Catalogue of Nearby Stars. The discoveries include a white dwarf + L subdwarf binary, VVV 1256-62AB, a gravitationally bound system located 75.6(+1.9/-1.8) pc away with a projected separation of 1375(+35/-33) au. The primary is a cool DC white dwarf with a hydrogen dominated atmosphere, and has a total age of 10.5(+3.3/-2.1) Gyr, based on white dwarf model fitting. The secondary is an L subdwarf with a metallicity of [M/H] = -0.72(+0.08/-0.10) (i.e. [Fe/H] = -0.81+/-0.10) and Teff = 2298(+45/-43) K based on atmospheric model fitting of its optical to near infrared spectrum, and likely has a mass just above the stellar/substellar boundary. The sub-solar metallicity of the L subdwarf and the system's total space velocity of 406 km/s indicates membership in the Galactic halo, and it has a flat eccentric Galactic orbit passing within 1~kpc of the centre of the Milky Way every ~0.4Gyr and extending to 15-31 kpc at apogal. VVV 1256-62B is the first L subdwarf to have a well-constrained age, making it an ideal benchmark of metal-poor ultracool dwarf atmospheres and evolution.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Demonstration of High-Efficiency Microwave Heating Producing Record Highly Charged Xenon Ion Beams with Superconducting ECR Ion Sources

Intense highly charged ion beam production is essential for high-power heavy ion accelerators. A novel movable Vlasov launcher for superconducting high charge state Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion source has been devised that can affect the microwave power effectiveness by a factor of about 4 in terms of highly charged ion beam production. This approach based on a dedicated microwave launching system instead of the traditional coupling scheme has led to new insight on microwave-plasma interaction. With this new understanding, the world record highly charged xenon ion beam currents have been enhanced by up to a factor of 2, which could directly and significantly enhance the performance of heavy ion accelerators and provide many new research opportunities in nuclear physics, atomic physics and other disciplines.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2024

Projected WIMP sensitivity of the CDEX-50 dark matter experiment

CDEX-50 is a next-generation project of the China Dark Matter Experiment (CDEX) that aims to search for dark matter using a 50-kg germanium detector array. This paper comprises a thorough summary of the CDEX-50 dark matter experiment, including an investigation of potential background sources and the development of a background model. Based on the baseline model, the projected sensitivity of weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) is also presented. The expected background level within the energy region of interest, set to 2--2.5 keVee, is $\sim$0.01 counts keVee$^{-1}$ kg$^{-1}$ day$^{-1}$. At 90\% confidence level, the expected sensitivity to spin-independent WIMP-nucleon couplings is estimated to reach a cross-section of 5.1 $\times$ 10$^{-45}$ cm$^{2}$ for a WIMP mass of 5 GeV/c$^{2}$ with an exposure objective of 150 kg$\cdot$year and an analysis threshold of 160 eVee. This science goal will correspond to the most sensitive results for WIMPs with a mass of 2.2--8 GeV/c$^{2}$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Search for solar axions by Primakoff effect with the full dataset of the CDEX-1B Experiment

We present the first limit on $g_{Aγ}$ coupling constant using the Bragg-Primakoff conversion based on an exposure of 1107.5 kg days of data from the CDEX-1B experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. The data are consistent with the null signal hypothesis, and no excess signals are observed. Limits of the coupling $g_{Aγ}<2.08\times10^{-9}$ GeV$^{-1}$ (95\% C.L.) are derived for axions with mass up to 100 eV/$c^2$. Within the hadronic model of KSVZ, our results exclude axion mass $>5.3~\rm{eV}/c^2$ at 95\% C.L.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Experimental Limits on Solar Reflected Dark Matter with a New Approach on Accelerated-Dark-Matter-Electron Analysis in Semiconductors

Recently a dark matter-electron (DM-electron) paradigm has drawn much attention. Models beyond the standard halo model describing DM accelerated by high energy celestial bodies are under intense examination as well. In this Letter, a velocity components analysis (VCA) method dedicated to swift analysis of accelerated DM-electron interactions via semiconductor detectors is proposed and the first HPGe detector-based accelerated DM-electron analysis is realized. Utilizing the method, the first germanium based constraint on sub-GeV solar reflected DM-electron interaction is presented with the 205.4 kg$\cdot$day dataset from the CDEX-10 experiment. In the heavy mediator scenario, our result excels in the mass range of 5$-$15 keV/$c^2$, achieving a 3 orders of magnitude improvement comparing with previous semiconductor experiments. In the light mediator scenario, the strongest laboratory constraint for DM lighter than 0.1 MeV/$c^2$ is presented. The result proves the feasibility and demonstrates the vast potential of the VCA technique in future accelerated DM-electron analyses with semiconductor detectors.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Constraints on the Blazar-Boosted Dark Matter from the CDEX-10 Experiment

We report new constraints on light dark matter (DM) boosted by blazars using the 205.4 kg day data from the CDEX-10 experiment located at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. Two representative blazars, TXS 0506+56 and BL Lacertae are studied. The results derived from TXS 0506+56 exclude DM-nucleon elastic scattering cross sections from $4.6\times 10^{-33}\ \rm cm^2$ to $1\times10^{-26}\ \rm cm^2$ for DM masses between 10 keV and 1 GeV, and the results derived from BL Lacertae exclude DM-nucleon elastic scattering cross sections from $2.4\times 10^{-34}\ \rm cm^2$ to $1\times10^{-26}\ \rm cm^2$ for the same range of DM masses. The constraints correspond to the best sensitivities among solid-state detector experiments in the sub-MeV mass range.

hep-ex↗