Physikalisches Kolloquium Mainz

Magnetic fields of planets, stars and galaxies are generated by the homogeneous dynamo effect, or self-excitation, in moving electrically conducting fluids, such as liquid metals or plasmas. Once generated, magnetic fields can promote cosmic structure formation by destabilizing, via the magnetorotational instability (MRI), rotational flows that would be otherwise hydrodynamically stable. Closely related instabilities, such as the current-driven Tayler instability might be at work in the solar tachocline. For a long time, these topics had been the subject of purely theoretical and numerical research. This situation changed in 1999 when the threshold of magnetic-field self-excitation was exceeded in the two liquid sodium experiments in Riga and Karlsruhe. Since 2006, the VKS dynamo experiment in Cadarache has successfully reproduced many features of geophysical interest such as reversals and excursions. MRI related experiments were partly successful with the observation of the helical MRI and the azimuthal MRI at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), where first evidence of the current-driven Tayler instability in a liquid metal was obtained, too. In another liquid metal experiment at the Dresden High Magnetic Field laboratory (HLD) the “magic point” of coinciding Alfvén and sound speeds was reached, which is thought to play a key role for the heating of the solar corona. The lecture gives an overview about previous and future liquid metal experiments on dynamo action and magnetically triggered flow instabilities, with special focus on the precession driven liquid sodium experiment and the large-scale MRI experiment that are under construction in the framework of the DRESDYN project at HZDR. Particular emphasis is placed on generic questions such as the reversal mechanism of the geodynamo and the possibility of a planetary synchronization of the solar dynamo, on which those experiments might shed some fresh light.

Small satellites are nowadays extremely powerful, flexible and sustainable platforms that can be used to complement the missions usually assigned to larger spacecrafts. Modularity, standardization, intensive use of state-of-the art COTS technologies consent to prepare cheaper missions in shorter timeframes, thus allowing a more frequent access to space environment, including Cislunar and Interplanetary. The Italian Space Agency – ASI promotes, funds and coordinates the national initiatives also in this promising sector, both for national missions and within international cooperation. The first products of this effort are ArgoMoon and LICIACube, both 6U cubesats which operated during 2022 as first Italian spacecrafts beyond the Low Earth Orbit. The Light Italian Cubesat for Imaging of Asteroids - LICIACube participated in the NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test - DART mission, the first active Planetary Defense mission; on September 26th 2022, few minutes after DART’s impact on asteroid Dimorphos, LICIACube captured unique images of the impact effects, primarily the plume of ejecta, and the not visible side of the secondary asteroid. The operations have been conducted by a national team coordinated by ASI. The design, manufacturing, testing and operations of the space and ground segment elements have been performed by the Italian firm Argotec under ASI management, while a wide scientific team supported the investigation preparation with impact modelling simulation and data analysis and interpretation, under the coordination of the National Institute of Astrophysics INAF. The engineering teams of Polytechnic of Milan and University of Bologna were in charge of trajectory design and optimization and the orbit determination and navigation, respectively. Captured images during the challenging fly-by confirmed the DART success as Planetary Defense initiative and provided scientists with highly valuable data, that allowed a first set of results to be confirmed and are currently under further analysis for scientific investigations. In fact, on October 11th 2022, NASA announced the complete success of the DART mission, confirming that the spacecraft’s impact altered Dimorphos’ orbit around Didymos by 32 minutes. Moreover, The LICIACube images show that the DART impact on Dimorphos generated a cone of ejected surface material with a large aperture angle. This plume has a complex and inhomogeneous structure, characterized by non-radial filaments, dust grains, and single and clustered boulders that allows us to deeply investigate the nature of the ejecta and the structure of Dimorphos.

Coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) is a process in which a neutrino scatters off an entire nucleus. It is tremendously challenging to detect, due to the tiny nuclear recoil. CEvNS was measured for the first time by the COHERENT collaboration using the unique source of neutrinos at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Spallation Neutron Source. This talk will describe the physics reach of CEvNS, as well as COHERENT's measurements, status and future plans.

Quantum electrodynamics (QED) is part of the standard model and the best understood quantum field theory. Many tests exist, from free particles (electron and muon anomalous magnetic moment) to bound states. From the historical measurement of the Lamb-shift which lead to the advent of QED and field theories, many systems have been studied and compared to the most advanced calculations. One can cite hydrogen, positronium, muonium, highly charged, few electron ions[1] and exotic atoms (atoms in which the electron is replaced by a heavier particle like a muon, a pion or an antiproton). In this talk I will present a few cases of highly charged ions high-precision results (few ppm accuracy) obtained with our Double Crystal Spectrometer in Paris[2-4] for medium-Z elements, and preliminary results obtained at GSI on few-electron uranium. I will then present new ideas [5] and first demonstration results on QED tests using muonic atoms and transition-edge sensor micro-calorimeter at JPARC [6, 7], and their extension to antiprotonic atoms at ELENA in the future. Detailed comparison with QED and relativistic many-body calculations when relevant will be made. [1]Topical Review: QED tests with highly-charged ions, P. Indelicato. J. Phys. B 52, 232001 (2019). [2]High-precision measurements of n=2->n=1 transition energies and level widths in He- and Be-like Argon Ions, J. Machado, C.I. Szabo, J.P. Santos et al. Phys. Rev. A 97, 032517 (2018). [3]Reference-free measurements of the 1s 2s 2p 2P1/2,3/2 → 1s2 2s 2S1/2 and 1s 2s 2p 4P5/2 → 1s2 2s 2S1/2 transition energies and widths in lithiumlike sulfur and argon ions, J. Machado, G. Bian, N. Paul et al. Phys. Rev. A 101, 062505 (2020). [4]Absolute measurement of the relativistic magnetic dipole transition in He-like sulfur, J. Machado, N. Paul, G. Soum-Sidikov et al. Phys. Rev. A in press, (2023). [5]Testing Quantum Electrodynamics with Exotic Atoms, N. Paul, G. Bian, T. Azuma et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 173001 (2021). [6]Deexcitation Dynamics of Muonic Atoms Revealed by High-Precision Spectroscopy of Electronic K X Rays, T. Okumura, T. Azuma, D.A. Bennett et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 053001 (2021). [7]Proof-of-Principle Experiment for Testing Strong-Field Quantum Electrodynamics with Exotic Atoms: High Precision X-ray Spectroscopy of Muonic Neon, T. Okumura, T. Azuma, D.A. Bennett et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. in press, (2023).

Magnetic field sensors have a mature and transversal level of implementation in the market, from automotive to biomedical domains. The impressive technological progress in thin film preparation and characterization, combined with nano-microfabrication tools offer presently large spectra for device design. The materials discussed include several varieties of thin film materials combined onto multilayer stacks. In addition, the noise mechanisms (the “killing factor” that limits the MR sensor performance) will be discussed, and I will show successful strategies for improving the signal-to-noise ratio, improving the ultimate field detectable by an MR sensor. Examples where spintronic sensors are useful tools for precision sensing will be provided, including integration with microfluidics, optical and MEMS micromachined actuators. During my talk, I will show how challenging applications have identified creative solutions, requiring joint skills in transversal areas as physics, materials, electronics and mechanical engineering.