The modeling and removal of foregrounds poses a major challenge to searches for signals from inflation using the cosmic microwave background (CMB). In particular, the modeling of CMB foregrounds ...including various spatial averaging effects introduces multiple complications that will have to be accounted for in upcoming analyses. In this work, we introduce the generalization of the intensity moment expansion to the spin-2 field of linear polarization: the spin-moment expansion. Within this framework, moments become spin-2 objects that are directly related to the underlying spectral parameter and polarization angle distribution functions. In obtaining the required expressions for the polarization modeling, we highlight the similarities and differences with the intensity moment methods. A spinor rotation in the complex plane with frequency naturally arises from the first order moment when the signal contains both spectral parameter and polarization angle variations. Additional dependencies are introduced at higher order, and we demonstrate how these can be accounted with several illustrative examples. Our new modeling of the polarized signals reveals to be a powerful tool to model the frequency dependence of the polarization angle. As such, it can be immediately applied to numerous astrophysical situations.
The isolation, characterization and study of the properties of aquatic dissolved organic matter (DOM) still represent a challenge because of the heterogeneity, complexity and low concentration of ...organic material in natural waters. Based on its ability to interact with contaminants and thus to modify their transport and bioavailability, DOM is of interest for environmental purposes. The objective of this work was to better characterize DOM in the Gironde Estuary (southwestern France). The estuary represents an exchange zone between the continent and the Atlantic Ocean and conditions the transfer of organic and inorganic substances from the continental to the oceanic environment. Several samples were collected along the estuary during three cruises in 2002 and 2006. They were analysed using excitation–emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy, a sensitive technique that allows direct analysis of water samples. Fluorescent DOM and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) did not behave conservatively in this estuarine system, i.e. the organic material did not undergo simple dilution from the upstream to the downstream part of the estuary. A seasonal variability in DOC content was pointed out, whereas few seasonal variations in DOM fluorescence were observed. DOM sources and processing in the estuary were further evaluated by determining two fluorescence indices – the humification index (HIX) and the index of recent autochthonous contribution (BIX). By applying these indices, the relative degree of humification (HIX) and autotrophic productivity (BIX) could be assessed. Based on the fluorescence and DOC results, the estuary was divided into three zones depending on salinity (S) and characterized by specific DOM: (i) A turbid zone of low salinity (S<5) and high suspended particulate matter concentration with increase in the intensities of the α′ and α fluorophores, characteristic of humic-like compounds. (ii) A mid-estuarine zone (5<S<25) characterized by low autotrophic productivity and containing strongly degraded organic material, as shown by the low values of BIX and high values of HIX. (iii) A higher salinity area (S>25) characterized by increased autotrophic productivity and a marked marine influence, and associated with high and low values of BIX and HIX, respectively. The HIX and BIX indices were shown as useful tools for readily defining and classifying DOM characteristics in estuarine waters.
•We perform physical laboratory experiments investigating freshwater lenses in layered aquifers.•We compare experimental steady-state interface geometries to analytical and numerical ...models.•Analytical models by Vacher (1988) reproduce the experimental geometries fairly well.•Vertical exaggeration of model experiments has little influence on analytical model performance.
The interface geometry of freshwater lenses in layered aquifers was investigated by physical 2D laboratory experiments. The resulting steady-state geometries of the lenses were compared to existing analytical expressions from Dupuit–Ghyben–Herzberg (DGH) analysis of strip-island lenses for various cases of heterogeneity. Despite the vertical exaggeration of the physical models, which would seem to vitiate the assumption of vertical equipotentials, the fits with the DGH models were generally satisfactory. Observed deviations between the analytical and physical models can be attributed mainly to outflow zones along the shore line, which are not considered in the analytical models. As unconfined natural lenses have small outflow zones compared to their overall dimensions, and flow is mostly horizontal, the DGH analytical models should perform even better at full scale. Numerical models that do consider the outflow face generally gave a good fit to the physical models.
One of the clear predictions of string theory is the presence of a dynamical scalar partner of the spin-2 graviton, known as the dilaton. This will violate the Einstein equivalence principle, leading ...to a plethora of possibly observable consequences which in a cosmological context include dynamical dark energy and spacetime variations of nature's fundamental constants. The runaway dilaton scenario of Damour, Piazza, and Veneziano is a particularly interesting class of string theory inspired models which can in principle reconcile a massless dilaton with experimental data. Here we use the latest background cosmology observations, astrophysical and laboratory tests of the stability of the fine-structure constant, and local tests of the weak equivalence principle to provide updated constraints on this scenario, under various simplifying assumptions. Overall we find consistency with the standard Λ CDM paradigm. We improve the existing constraints on the coupling of the dilaton to baryonic matter by a factor of 6 and to the dark sector by a factor of 2. At the one-sigma level the current data already exclude dark sector couplings of order unity, which would be their natural value.
Abstract
A methodology to provide the polarization angle requirements for different sets of detectors, at a given frequency of a CMB polarization experiment, is presented. The uncertainties in the ...polarization angle of each detector set are related to a given bias on the tensor-to-scalar ratio r parameter. The approach is grounded in using a linear combination of the detector sets to obtain the CMB polarization signal. In addition, assuming that the uncertainties on the polarization angle are in the small angle limit (lower than a few degrees), it is possible to derive analytic expressions to establish the requirements. The methodology also accounts for possible correlations among detectors, that may originate from the optics, wafers, etc. The approach is applied to the LiteBIRD space mission. We show that, for the most restrictive case (i.e., full correlation of the polarization angle systematics among detector sets), the requirements on the polarization angle uncertainties are of around 1 arcmin at the most sensitive frequency bands (i.e., ≈ 150 GHz) and of few tens of arcmin at the lowest (i.e., ≈ 40 GHz) and highest (i.e., ≈ 400 GHz) observational bands. Conversely, for the least restrictive case (i.e., no correlation of the polarization angle systematics among detector sets), the requirements are ≈ 5 times
less restrictive than for the previous scenario. At the global and the telescope levels, polarization angle knowledge of a few arcmins is sufficient for correlated global systematic errors and can be relaxed by a factor of two for fully uncorrelated errors in detector polarization angle. The reported uncertainty levels are needed in order to have the bias on r due to systematics below the limit established by the LiteBIRD collaboration.
•Overview on TPCF modelling with SYS-TH codes is presented.•Main outcomes from a benchmark on TPCF predictability are presented.•Possible actions for further R&D to improve predictability of TPCF are ...identified.
A benchmark activity on Two-Phase Critical Flow (TPCF) prediction was conducted in the framework of the Forum & Network of System Thermal-Hydraulics Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics (FONESYS). FONESYS is a network among code developers who share the common objective to strengthen current technology. The aim of the FONESYS Network is to highlight the capabilities and the robustness as well as the limitations of current SYS-TH codes to predict the main phenomena during transient scenarios in nuclear reactors for safety issues.
Six separate effect test facilities, more than 90 tests, both in steady and transient conditions, were considered for the activity. Moreover, two ideal tests were designed for code to code comparison in clearly defined conditions. Overall eight System Thermal-Hydraulic (SYS-TH) codes were adopted, mostly by the developers themselves, ensuring the minimization of the user effect. Results from selected tests were also compared against Delayed Equilibrium Model, not yet implemented in industrial version of SYS-TH codes.
Generally, the results of the benchmark show an improvement of the capability of SYS-TH codes to predict TPCF in the last three decades. However, predicting break flowrate remains a major source of uncertainty in accidental transient simulations of Water-Cooled Nuclear Reactors (WCNR). A set of possible actions is proposed to go beyond the current limitations of choked flow models. More detailed guidelines for using 0-D choked flow models is possible by using the experience gained by the benchmark results as well as all available validation results. Progress in understanding and 1-D modelling of flashing and choked flow might be achieved by a deeper physical analysis leading to more mechanistic models based on specific flow regime maps for high speed flow. Also the use of advanced 3-D numerical tools may help to understand and predict the complex 3-D geometrical effects.
Abstract
We present a demonstration of the in-flight polarization angle calibration for the JAXA/ISAS second strategic large class mission,
LiteBIRD
, and estimate its impact on the measurement of ...the tensor-to-scalar ratio parameter,
r
, using simulated data.
We generate a set of simulated sky maps with CMB and polarized foreground emission, and inject instrumental noise and polarization angle offsets to the 22 (partially overlapping)
LiteBIRD
frequency channels. Our in-flight angle calibration relies on nulling the EB cross correlation of the polarized signal in each channel. This calibration step has been carried out by two independent groups with a blind analysis, allowing an accuracy of the order of a few arc-minutes to be reached on the estimate of the angle offsets. Both the corrected and uncorrected multi-frequency maps are propagated through the foreground cleaning step, with the goal of computing clean CMB maps. We employ two component separation algorithms, the Bayesian-Separation of Components and Residuals Estimate Tool (
B-SeCRET
), and the Needlet Internal Linear Combination (
NILC
). We find that the recovered CMB maps obtained with algorithms that do not make any assumptions about the foreground properties, such as
NILC
, are only mildly affected by the angle miscalibration. However, polarization angle offsets strongly bias results obtained with the parametric fitting method. Once the miscalibration angles are corrected by EB nulling prior to the component separation, both component separation algorithms result in an unbiased estimation of the
r
parameter. While this work is motivated by the conceptual design study for
LiteBIRD
, its framework can be broadly applied to any CMB polarization experiment. In particular, the combination of simulation plus blind analysis provides a robust forecast by taking into account not only detector sensitivity but also systematic effects.
Abstract We estimate the efficiency of mitigating the lensing B -mode polarization, the so-called delensing, for the LiteBIRD experiment with multiple external data sets of lensing-mass tracers. The ...current best bound on the tensor-to-scalar ratio, r , is limited by lensing rather than Galactic foregrounds. Delensing will be a critical step to improve sensitivity to r as measurements of r become more and more limited by lensing. In this paper, we extend the analysis of the recent LiteBIRD forecast paper to include multiple mass tracers, i.e., the CMB lensing maps from LiteBIRD and CMB-S4-like experiment, cosmic infrared background, and galaxy number density from Euclid - and LSST-like survey. We find that multi-tracer delensing will further improve the constraint on r by about 20%. In LiteBIRD , the residual Galactic foregrounds also significantly contribute to uncertainties of the B -modes, and delensing becomes more important if the residual foregrounds are further reduced by an improved component separation method.
Abstract We study the possibility of using the LiteBIRD satellite B -mode survey to constrain models of inflation producing specific features in CMB angular power spectra. We explore a particular ...model example, i.e. spectator axion-SU(2) gauge field inflation. This model can source parity-violating gravitational waves from the amplification of gauge field fluctuations driven by a pseudoscalar “axionlike” field, rolling for a few e-folds during inflation. The sourced gravitational waves can exceed the vacuum contribution at reionization bump scales by about an order of magnitude and can be comparable to the vacuum contribution at recombination bump scales. We argue that a satellite mission with full sky coverage and access to the reionization bump scales is necessary to understand the origin of the primordial gravitational wave signal and distinguish among two production mechanisms: quantum vacuum fluctuations of spacetime and matter sources during inflation. We present the expected constraints on model parameters from LiteBIRD satellite simulations, which complement and expand previous studies in the literature. We find that LiteBIRD will be able to exclude with high significance standard single-field slow-roll models, such as the Starobinsky model, if the true model is the axion-SU(2) model with a feature at CMB scales. We further investigate the possibility of using the parity-violating signature of the model, such as the TB and EB angular power spectra, to disentangle it from the standard single-field slow-roll scenario. We find that most of the discriminating power of LiteBIRD will reside in BB angular power spectra rather than in TB and EB correlations.
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