arXiv subjects

Zhen Cao

Publications and source records attributed to Zhen Cao.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Self-consistent approach for measuring the energy spectra and composition of cosmic rays and determining the properties of hadronic interactions at high energy

Air showers, produced by the interaction of energetic cosmic rays with the atmosphere, are an excellent alternative to study particle physics at energies beyond any human-made particle accelerator. For that, it is necessary to identify first the mass composition of the primary cosmic ray (and its energy). None of the existing high energy interaction models have been able to reproduce coherently all air shower observables over the entire energy and zenith angle phase space. This is despite having tried all possible combinations for the cosmic ray mass composition. This proposal outlines a self-consistent strategy to study high energy particle interactions and identify the energy spectra and mass composition of cosmic rays. This strategy involves the participation of different particle accelerators and astrophysics experiments. This is important to cover the entire cosmic ray energy range and a larger phase-space of shower observables to probe the high energy interaction models.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Keyword-Attentive Deep Semantic Matching

Deep Semantic Matching is a crucial component in various natural language processing applications such as question and answering (QA), where an input query is compared to each candidate question in a QA corpus in terms of relevance. Measuring similarities between a query-question pair in an open domain scenario can be challenging due to diverse word tokens in the queryquestion pair. We propose a keyword-attentive approach to improve deep semantic matching. We first leverage domain tags from a large corpus to generate a domain-enhanced keyword dictionary. Built upon BERT, we stack a keyword-attentive transformer layer to highlight the importance of keywords in the query-question pair. During model training, we propose a new negative sampling approach based on keyword coverage between the input pair. We evaluate our approach on a Chinese QA corpus using various metrics, including precision of retrieval candidates and accuracy of semantic matching. Experiments show that our approach outperforms existing strong baselines. Our approach is general and can be applied to other text matching tasks with little adaptation.

cs.CL↗

arXiv2020

ICE: An Interactive Configuration Explorer for High Dimensional Categorical Parameter Spaces

There are many applications where users seek to explore the impact of the settings of several categorical variables with respect to one dependent numerical variable. For example, a computer systems analyst might want to study how the type of file system or storage device affects system performance. A usual choice is the method of Parallel Sets designed to visualize multivariate categorical variables. However, we found that the magnitude of the parameter impacts on the numerical variable cannot be easily observed here. We also attempted a dimension reduction approach based on Multiple Correspondence Analysis but found that the SVD-generated 2D layout resulted in a loss of information. We hence propose a novel approach, the Interactive Configuration Explorer (ICE), which directly addresses the need of analysts to learn how the dependent numerical variable is affected by the parameter settings given multiple optimization objectives. No information is lost as ICE shows the complete distribution and statistics of the dependent variable in context with each categorical variable. Analysts can interactively filter the variables to optimize for certain goals such as achieving a system with maximum performance, low variance, etc. Our system was developed in tight collaboration with a group of systems performance researchers and its final effectiveness was evaluated with expert interviews, a comparative user study, and two case studies.

cs.GR↗

arXiv2016

Seasonal and Lunar month periods observed in natural neutron flux at high altitude

Air radon concentration measurement is useful for research on geophysical effects, but it is strongly sensitive to site geology and many geophysical and microclimatic processes such as wind, ventilation, air humidity and so on that induce very big fluctuations on the concentration of radon in air. On the contrary, monitoring the radon concentration in soil by measuring the thermal neutron flux reduces environmental effects. In this paper we report some experimental results on the natural thermal neutron flux as well as the concentration of air radon and its variations at 4300 m a.s.l. These results were obtained with unshielded thermal neutron scintillation detectors (en-detectors) and radon monitors located inside the ARGO-YBJ experimental hall. The correlation of these variations with the lunar month and 1-year period is undoubtedly confirmed. A method for earthquakes prediction provided by a global net of the en-detectors is currently under study.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv2016

Expectation on Observation of Supernova Remnants with the LHAASO Project

Supernova remnants (SNRs) are believed to be the most important acceleration sites for cosmic rays (CRs) below $\sim10^{15}$ eV in the Galaxy. High energy photons, either directly from the shocks of the SNRs or indirectly from the interaction between SNRs and the nearby clouds, are crucial probes for the CR acceleration. Big progresses on observations of SNRs have been achieved by space- and ground-based $γ$-ray facilities. However, whether $γ$-rays come from accelerated hadrons or not, as well as their connection with the CRs observed at Earth, remains in debate. Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO), the next generation experiment, is designed to survey the northern part of the very high energy $γ$-ray sky from $\sim 0.3$ TeV to PeV with the sensitivity of $\lesssim1\%$ of the Crab nebula flux. In this paper, we indicate that LHAASO will be dedicated to enlarging the $γ$-ray SNR samples and improving the spectral and morphological measurements. These measurements, especially at energies above 30 TeV, will be important for us to finally understand the CR acceleration in SNRs.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2014

Multi-wavelength study of the MGRO J2019+37

MGRO J2019+37 within the Cygnus region is a bright and extended source revealed by Milagro at 12-35 TeV. This source is almost as bright as Crab Nebula in northern sky, while it is not confirmed by ARGO-YBJ around TeV. Up to now, no obvious counterpart at low energy wavelengths has been found. Hence, MGRO J2019+37 becomes mysterious and its VHE gamma-ray emission mechanism is attractive. In this paper, a brief summary of the multi-wavelength observations from Radio to gamma-ray is presented. All the available data from the XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL at X-ray, and the Fermi-LAT at gamma-ray bands were used to get constraint on its emission flux at low energy wavelengths. Then, its possible counterparts and the VHE emission mechanism are discussed.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

The ARGO-YBJ Experiment Progresses and Future Extension

Gamma ray source detection above 30TeV is an encouraging approach for finding galactic cosmic ray origins. All sky survey for gamma ray sources using wide field of view detector is essential for population accumulation for various types of sources above 100GeV. To target the goals, the ARGO-YBJ experiment has been established. Significant progresses have been made in the experiment. A large air shower detector array in an area of 1km2 is proposed to boost the sensitivity. Hybrid detection with multi-techniques will allow a good discrimination between different types of primary particles, including photons and protons, thus enable an energy spectrum measurement for individual specie. Fluorescence light detector array will extend the spectrum measurement above 100PeV where the second knee is located. An energy scale determined by balloon experiments at 10TeV will be propagated to ultra high energy cosmic ray experiments.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2010

The Correlated Multi-color Optical Variations of BL Lac Object S5 0716+714

S5 0716+714 is a well-studied BL Lac object in the sky. Verifying the existence of correlations among the flux variations in different bands serves as an important tool to investigate the emission processes. To examine the possible existence of a lag between variations in different optical bands on this source, we employ a discrete correlation function (DCF) analysis on the light curves. In order to obtain statistically meaningful values for the cross-correlation time lags and their related uncertainties, we perform Monte Carlo simulations called "flux redistribution/random subset selection" (FR/RSS). Our analysis confirms that the variations in different optical light curves are strongly correlated. The time lags show a hint of the variations in high frequency band leading those in low frequency band of the order of a few minutes.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2009

Testing Lorentz Invariance with Ultra High Energy Cosmic Ray Spectrum

The GZK cutoff predicted at the Ultra High Energy Cosmic Ray (UHECR) spectrum as been observed by the HiRes and Auger experiments. The results put severe constraints on the effect of Lorentz Invariance Violation(LIV) which has been introduced to explain the absence of GZK cutoff indicated in the AGASA data. Assuming homogeneous source distribution with a single power law spectrum, we calculate the spectrum of UHECRs observed on Earth by taking the processes of photopion production, $e^+e^-$ pair production and adiabatic energy loss into account. The effect of LIV is also taken into account in the calculation. By fitting the HiRes monocular spectra and the Auger combined spectra, we show that the LIV parameter is constrained to $ξ=-0.8^{+3.2}_{-0.5}\times10^{-23}$ and $0.0^{+1.0}_{-0.4}\times10^{-23}$ respectively, which is well consistent with strict Lorentz Invariance up to the highest energy.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

The correlations between BL Lacs and ultra-high-energy cosmic rays deflected by using different GMF models

Some studies suggested that a correlation between locations of BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs) and the arrival directions of the ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) exists. Especially by assuming the primary particles charged +1 and using a galactic magnetic field (GMF) model to calculate the deflections of the UHECRs, the significance of correlation is improved. We construct a new GMF model by incorporating all progresses in the GMF measurements in recent years. Based on a thorough study of the deflections of the UHECRs measured by the AGASA experiment, we study the GFM model dependence of the correlation between the UHECRs and the selected BL Lacs using the new model together with others. It turns out that only specific one of those GMF models makes the correlation significant, even if neither GMF models themselves nor deflections of the UHECRs are not significantly different. It suggests that the significance of the correlation, calculated using a method suggested in those studies, is intensively depending on the GMF model. Great improvement in statistics may help to suppress the sensitivity to the GMF models.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

A Color Mutation Hadronic Soft Interaction Model -- Eikonal Formalism and Branching Evolution

ECOMB is established as a hadronic multiparticle production generator by soft interaction. It incorporates the eikonal formalism, parton model, color mutation, branching, resonance production and decay. A partonic cluster, being color-neutral initially, splits into smaller color-neutral clusters successively due to the color mutation of the quarks. The process stops at hadronic resonance, $q\bar q$ pair, formation. The model contains self-similar dynamics and exhibits scaling behavior in the factorial moments, e.g. the intermittency.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

A Color Mutation Model of Soft Interaction in High Energy Hadronic Collisions

A comprehensive model, called ECOMB, is proposed to describe multiparticle production by soft interaction. It incorporates the eikonal formalism, parton model, color mutation, branching and recombination. The physics is conceptually opposite to the dynamics that underlies the fragmentation of a string. The partons are present initially in a hadronic collision; they form a single, large, color-neutral cluster until color mutation of the quarks leads to a fission of the cluster into two color-neutral subclusters. The mutation and branching processes continue until only $q\bar q$ pairs are left in each small cluster. The model contains self-similar dynamics and exhibits scaling behavior in the factorial moments. It can satisfactorily reproduce the intermittency data that no other model has been able to fit.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

A New Method Of Distinguishing Models For The High-$Q^2$ Events At HERA

Many explanations for the excess high-Q^2 $e^+p \to e^+X$ events from H1 and ZEUS at HERA have been proposed each with criticisms. We propose a new method to distinguish different models by looking at a new distribution which is insensitive to parton distribution function but sensitive to new physics.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

Fluctuations of Spatial Patterns as a Measure of Classical Chaos

In problems where the temporal evolution of a nonlinear system cannot be followed, a method for studying the fluctuations of spatial patterns has been developed. That method is applied to well-known problems in deterministic chaos (the logistic map and the Lorenz model) to check its effectiveness in characterizing the dynamical behaviors. It is found that the indices $μ_q$ are as useful as the Lyapunov exponents in providing a quantitative measure of chaos.

nucl-th↗

arXiv1996

Fluctuations and Entropy Indices of QCD Parton Showers

The branching processes in parton showers are studied in perturbative QCD for both quark and gluon jets. The emphasis is on the nature of fluctuations of both the parton multiplicities and the spatial patterns of the final states. Effective measures of such fluctuations are calculated from the data obtained by Monte Carlo simulations. The entropy indices are used to characterize chaoticity. Both running and fixed couplings are considered. The fixed coupling case is used to study the onset of chaos. Implications of the results are discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1996

Quark-hadron phase transition with surface fluctuation

The effect of surface fluctuation on the observables of quark-hadron phase transition is studied. The Ginzburg-Landau formalism is extended by the inclusion of an extra term in the free energy that depends on the vertical displacements from a flat surface. The probability that a bin has a particular net displacement is determined by lattice simulation, where the physics input is color confinement. The surface fluctuation from bin to bin is related to multiplicity fluctuation, which in turn is measured by the factorial moments. It is found that both the F-scaling behavior and the scaling exponent are essentially unaffected by the inclusion of surface fluctuation.

nucl-th↗

arXiv1996

Scaling Properties of Hadron Production in the Ising Model for Quark-Hadron Phase Transition

Earlier study of quark-hadron phase transition in the Ginzberg-Landau theory is reexamined in the Ising model, so that spatial fluctuations during the transition can be taken into account. Although the dimension of the physical system is 2, as will be argued, both d=2 and d=4 Ising systems are studied, the latter being theoretically closer to the Ginzberg-Landau theory. The normalized factorial moments F_q are used to quantify multiplicity fluctuations, and the scaling exponent νis used to characterize the scaling properties. It is found by simulation on the Ising lattice that νbecomes a function of the temperature T near T_c. The average value of νover a range of T<T_c agrees with the value of 1.3 derived analytically from the Ginzberg-Landau theory. Thus the implications of the mean-field theory are not invalidated by either the introduction of spatial fluctuations or the restriction to a 2D system.

nucl-th↗

arXiv1995

Chaotic Behavior of Particle Production in Branching Processes

The notion of chaotic behavior is examined for particle production in branching processes. Two types of branching are considered: non-Abelian gauge interaction and an Abelian cascade model. Properties of the production processes are investigated by Monte Carlo stimulation. The ``temporal'' behavior is studied by following the fluctuations in the multiplicities of each generation as the branching evolves. The ``spatial'' behavior is described in terms of the fluctuations of the normalized factorial moments from event to event. The information dimension and a new entropy index are determined. When all the measures are taken together, they collectively give a strong suggestion that the QCD branching process is chaotic, while the Abelian cascade model is not.

hep-ph↗