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SiPM-based readouts are becoming the standard for light detection in particle detectors given their superior resolution and ease of use with respect to vacuum tube photo-multipliers. However, the contributions of noise detection such as the dark rate, cross-talk, and after-pulsing (AP) may significantly impact their performance. In this work, we present the development of highly reflective single-phase argon chambers capable of displaying light yields up to 32 photo-electrons per keV, with approximately 12 being primary photo-electrons generated by the argon scintillation, while the rest are accounted by optical cross-talk. Furthermore, the presence of compound processes results in a generalized Fano factor larger than 2 already at an over-voltage of 5 V. Finally, we present a parametrization of the optical cross-talk for the FBK NUV-HD-Cryo SiPMs at 87 K that can be extended to future detectors with tailored optical simulations. 

We introduce a general method for the interpretation and comparison of neural models. The method is used to factor a complex neural model into its functional components, which are comprised of sets of co-firing neurons that cut across layers of the network architecture, and which we call neural pathways. The function of these pathways can be understood by identifying correlated task level and linguistic heuristics in such a way that this knowledge acts as a lens for approximating what the network has learned to apply to its intended task. As a case study for investigating the utility of these pathways, we present an examination of pathways identified in models trained for two standard tasks, namely Named Entity Recognition and Recognizing Textual Entailment. 

Abstract The discovery of joint sources of high-energy neutrinos and gravitational waves has been a primary target for the LIGO, Virgo, KAGRA, and IceCube observatories. The joint detection of high-energy neutrinos and gravitational waves would provide insight into cosmic processes, from the dynamics of compact object mergers and stellar collapses to the mechanisms driving relativistic outflows. The joint detection of multiple cosmic messengers can also elevate the significance of the common observation even when some or all of the constituent messengers are subthreshold, i.e., not significant enough to declare their detection individually. Using data from the LIGO, Virgo, and IceCube observatories, including subthreshold events, we searched for common sources of gravitational waves and high-energy neutrinos during the third observing run of the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. Our search did not identify significant joint sources. We derive constraints on the rate densities of joint sources. Our results constrain the isotropic neutrino emission from gravitational-wave sources for very high values of the total energy emitted in neutrinos (>10⁵²–10⁵⁴ erg). 

Abstract A large number of particle detectors employ liquid argon as their target material owing to its high scintillation yield and its ability to drift ionization charge over large distances. Scintillation light from argon is peaked at 128 nm and a wavelength shifter is required for its efficient detection. In this work, we directly compare the light yield achieved in two identical liquid argon chambers, one of which is equipped with polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and the other with tetraphenyl butadiene (TPB) wavelength shifter. Both chambers are lined with enhanced specular reflectors and instrumented with SiPMs with a coverage fraction of approximately 1%, which represents a geometry comparable to the future large scale detectors. We measured the light yield of the PEN chamber to be  39.4 $$\,\pm \,$$ ± 0.4(stat) $$\,\pm \,$$ ± 1.9(syst)% of the yield of the TPB chamber. Using a Monte Carlo simulation this result is used to extract the wavelength shifting efficiency of PEN relative to TPB equal to 47.2 $$\,\pm \,$$ ± 5.7%. This result paves the way for the use of easily available PEN foils as a wavelength shifter, which can substantially simplify the construction of future liquid argon detectors. 

We present an all-sky search for long-duration gravitational waves (GWs) from the first part of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA fourth observing run (O4), called O4a and comprising data taken between May 24, 2023, and January 16, 2024. The GW signals targeted by this search are the so-called “long-duration” ( $\gtrsim 1\mathrm{s}$) transients expected from a variety of astrophysical processes, including nonaxisymmetric deformations in magnetars or eccentric binary coalescences. We make minimal assumptions on the emitted GW waveforms in terms of morphologies and durations. Overall, our search targets signals with durations of $\sim 1–1000\mathrm{s}$and frequency content in the range 16–2048 Hz. In the absence of significant detections, we report the sensitivity limits of our search in terms of root-sum-square signal amplitude ( $h_{\mathrm{rss}}$) of reference waveforms. These limits improve upon the results from the third LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observing run (O3) by about 30% on average. Moreover, this analysis demonstrates substantial progress in our ability to search for long-duration GW signals owing to enhancements in pipeline detection efficiencies. As detector sensitivities continue to advance and observational runs grow longer, unmodeled long-duration searches will increasingly be able to explore a range of compelling astrophysical scenarios involving neutron stars and black holes. 

Abstract The DarkSide-20k dark matter experiment, currently under construction at LNGS, features a dual-phase time projection chamber (TPC) with a ∼ 50 t argon target from an underground well. At this scale, it is crucial to optimise the argon flow pattern for efficient target purification and for fast distribution of internal gaseous calibration sources with lifetimes of the order of hours. To this end, we have performed computational fluid dynamics simulations and heat transfer calculations. The residence time distribution shows that the detector is well-mixed on time-scales of the turnover time (∼ 40 d). Notably, simulations show that despite a two-order-of-magnitude difference between the turnover time and the half-life of^83mKr of 1.83 h, source atoms have the highest probability to reach the centre of the TPC 13 min after their injection, allowing for a homogeneous distribution before undergoing radioactive decay. We further analyse the thermal aspects of dual-phase operation and define the requirements for the formation of a stable gas pocket on top of the liquid. We find a best-estimate value for the heat transfer rate at the liquid-gas interface of 62 W with an upper limit of 144 W and a minimum gas pocket inlet temperature of 89 K to avoid condensation on the acrylic anode. This study also informs the placement of liquid inlets and outlets in the TPC. The presented techniques are widely applicable to other large-scale, noble-liquid detectors. 

Abstract Measuring observables to constrain models using maximum-likelihood estimation is fundamental to many physics experiments. Wilks' theorem provides a simple way to construct confidence intervals on model parameters, but it only applies under certain conditions. These conditions, such as nested hypotheses and unbounded parameters, are often violated in neutrino oscillation measurements and other experimental scenarios. Monte Carlo methods can address these issues, albeit at increased computational cost. In the presence of nuisance parameters, however, the best way to implement a Monte Carlo method is ambiguous. This paper documents the method selected by the NOvA experiment, the profile construction. It presents the toy studies that informed the choice of method, details of its implementation, and tests performed to validate it. It also includes some practical considerations which may be of use to others choosing to use the profile construction. 

The binary black hole signal GW250114, the loudest gravitational wave detected to date, offers a unique opportunity to test Einstein’s general relativity (GR) in the high-velocity, strong-gravity regime and probe whether the remnant conforms to the Kerr metric. Upon perturbation, black holes emit a spectrum of damped sinusoids with specific, complex frequencies. Our analysis of the postmerger signal shows that at least two quasinormal modes are required to explain the data, with the most damped remaining statistically significant for about one cycle. We probe the remnant’s Kerr nature by constraining the spectroscopic pattern of the dominant quadrupolar ( $\ell =m=2$) mode and its first overtone to match the Kerr prediction to tens of percent at multiple postpeak times. The measured mode amplitudes and phases agree with a numerical-relativity simulation having parameters close to GW250114. By fitting a parametrized waveform that incorporates the full inspiral-merger-ringdown sequence, we constrain the fundamental $(\ell =m=4)$mode to tens of percent and bound the quadrupolar frequency to within a few percent of the GR prediction. We perform a suite of tests—spanning inspiral, merger, and ringdown—finding constraints that are comparable to, and in some cases 2–3 times more stringent than those obtained by combining dozens of events in the fourth Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog. These results constitute the most stringent single-event verification of GR and the Kerr nature of black holes to date, and outline the power of black-hole spectroscopy for future gravitational-wave observations. 

Abstract The Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC) is a collection of short-duration (transient) gravitational-wave signals identified by the LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA Collaboration in gravitational-wave data produced by the eponymous detectors. The catalog provides information about the identified candidates, such as the arrival time and amplitude of the signal and properties of the signal’s source as inferred from the observational data. GWTC is the data release of this dataset, and version 4.0 extends the catalog to include observations made during the first part of the fourth LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA observing run up until 2024 January 31. This Letter marks an introduction to a collection of articles related to this version of the catalog, GWTC-4.0. The collection of articles accompanying the catalog provides documentation of the methods used to analyze the data, summaries of the catalog of events, observational measurements drawn from the population, and detailed discussions of selected candidates.