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The 2022 Roadmap is the next update in the series of Plasma Roadmaps published by Journal of Physics D with the intent to identify important outstanding challenges in the field of low-temperature plasma (LTP) physics and technology. The format of the Roadmap is the same as the previous Roadmaps representing the visions of 41 leading experts representing 21 countries and five continents in the various sub-fields of LTP science and technology. In recognition of the evolution in the field, several new topics have been introduced or given more prominence. These new topics and emphasis highlight increased interests in plasma-enabled additive manufacturing, soft materials, electrification of chemical conversions, plasma propulsion, extreme plasma regimes, plasmas in hypersonics, data-driven plasma science and technology and the contribution of LTP to combat COVID-19. In the last few decades, LTP science and technology has made a tremendously positive impact on our society. It is our hope that this roadmap will help continue this excellent track record over the next 5-10 years.

The 2022 Roadmap is the next update in the series of Plasma Roadmaps published by Journal of Physics D with the intent to identify important outstanding challenges in the field of low-temperature plasma (LTP) physics and technology. The format of the Roadmap is the same as the previous Roadmaps representing the visions of 41 leading experts representing 21 countries and five continents in the various sub-fields of LTP science and technology. In recognition of the evolution in the field, several new topics have been introduced or given more prominence. These new topics and emphasis highlight increased interests in plasma-enabled additive manufacturing, soft materials, electrification of chemical conversions, plasma propulsion, extreme plasma regimes, plasmas in hypersonics, data-driven plasma science and technology and the contribution of LTP to combat COVID-19. In the last few decades, LTP science and technology has made a tremendously positive impact on our society. It is our hope that this roadmap will help continue this excellent track record over the next 5-10 years.

We study the detection of particles with magnetic moment and no charge by using coils and solenoids. The detector uses the Faraday-Lenz law to create a current whose energy is measured. Our development can be applied to any particle with magnetic moment. The neutron is ideal to show our detector scheme for particles with long lifetimes and the result is encouraging. However, our interest lies in the detection of monopolium states which decays much faster than neutrons. The accelerator scenario with a relatively low monopole mass $\sim 1000$ GeV requires the generalization of the scheme to finite lifetimes. We use two descriptions, which we have called Dirac and Schwinger, (also $\beta$-coupling), schemes, in our study. The theoretical behavior of excited monopolia in coils teaches us many of their properties. However, their small production cross sections, given the achievable LHC luminosities, makes detection using coils difficult. Therefore, we generalize the discussion to cosmological heavy monopolium. Our scheme becomes useful for those and supplements detectors like MoEDAL and MAPP in distinguishing monopolia from other long lived particles., Comment: 22 pages and 19 figures

In this talk the answer to the question: what neutrinos have to do with QCD, the present theory of strong interactions? is presented. The answer is positive as some strong arguments on this assertion that are presented bring out., Comment: invited talk at LISHEP 2021

We study the detection of particles with magnetic moment and no charge by using coils and solenoids. The detector uses the Faraday-Lenz law to create a current whose energy is measured. Our development can be applied to any particle with magnetic moment. The neutron is ideal to show our detector scheme for particles with long lifetimes and the result is encouraging. However, our interest lies in the detection of monopolium states which decays much faster than neutrons. The accelerator scenario with a relatively low monopole mass $\sim 1000$ GeV requires the generalization of the scheme to finite lifetimes. We use two descriptions, which we have called Dirac and Schwinger, (also $\beta$-coupling), schemes, in our study. The theoretical behavior of excited monopolia in coils teaches us many of their properties. However, their small production cross sections, given the achievable LHC luminosities, makes detection using coils difficult. Therefore, we generalize the discussion to cosmological heavy monopolium. Our scheme becomes useful for those and supplements detectors like MoEDAL and MAPP in distinguishing monopolia from other long lived particles., Comment: 22 pages and 19 figures

We study the detection of particles with magnetic moment and no charge by using coils and solenoids. The detector uses the Faraday-Lenz law to create a current whose energy is measured. Our development can be applied to any particle with magnetic moment. The neutron is ideal to show our detector scheme for particles with long lifetimes and the result is encouraging. However, our interest lies in the detection of monopolium states which decays much faster than neutrons. The accelerator scenario with a relatively low monopole mass $\sim 1000$ GeV requires the generalization of the scheme to finite lifetimes. We use two descriptions, which we have called Dirac and Schwinger, (also $\beta$-coupling), schemes, in our study. The theoretical behavior of excited monopolia in coils teaches us many of their properties. However, their small production cross sections, given the achievable LHC luminosities, makes detection using coils difficult. Therefore, we generalize the discussion to cosmological heavy monopolium. Our scheme becomes useful for those and supplements detectors like MoEDAL and MAPP in distinguishing monopolia from other long lived particles., Comment: 22 pages and 19 figures

The Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) experiment has observed two air shower events with energy $\sim 500~{\rm PeV}$ emerging from the Earth with exit angles $\sim 30^\circ$ above the horizon. As was immediately noted by the ANITA Collaboration, these events (in principle) could originate in the atmospheric decay of an upgoing $\tau$-lepton produced through a charged current interaction of a $\nu_\tau$ inside the Earth. However, the relatively steep arrival angles of these perplexing events create tension with the standard model (SM) neutrino-nucleon interaction cross section. Deepening the conundrum, the IceCube neutrino telescope and the Pierre Auger Observatory with substantially larger exposures to cosmic $\nu_\tau$'s in this energy range have not observed any events. This lack of observation implies that the messenger particle (MP) giving rise to ANITA events must produce an air shower event rate at least a factor of 40 larger than that produced by a flux of $\tau$-neutrinos to avoid conflicts with the upper limits reported by the IceCube and the Pierre Auger collaborations. In addition, the sensitivity of ANITA to MP-induced events must be comparable to or larger than those of IceCube and Auger to avoid conflict with the non-observation of any signal at these facilities. Beyond SM interpretations of ANITA events can be classified according to whether the MPs: (i) live inside the Earth, (ii) originate in neutrino-nucleon collisions inside the Earth, (iii) come from cosmological distances. In this communication we investigate the positive and negative facets of these three classes of models., Comment: To appear in Proceedings of the 36th International Cosmic Ray Conference

The Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) experiment has observed two air shower events with energy $\sim 500~{\rm PeV}$ emerging from the Earth with exit angles $\sim 30^\circ$ above the horizon. As was immediately noted by the ANITA Collaboration, these events (in principle) could originate in the atmospheric decay of an upgoing $\tau$-lepton produced through a charged current interaction of a $\nu_\tau$ inside the Earth. However, the relatively steep arrival angles of these perplexing events create tension with the standard model (SM) neutrino-nucleon interaction cross section. Deepening the conundrum, the IceCube neutrino telescope and the Pierre Auger Observatory with substantially larger exposures to cosmic $\nu_\tau$'s in this energy range have not observed any events. This lack of observation implies that the messenger particle (MP) giving rise to ANITA events must produce an air shower event rate at least a factor of 40 larger than that produced by a flux of $\tau$-neutrinos to avoid conflicts with the upper limits reported by the IceCube and the Pierre Auger collaborations. In addition, the sensitivity of ANITA to MP-induced events must be comparable to or larger than those of IceCube and Auger to avoid conflict with the non-observation of any signal at these facilities. Beyond SM interpretations of ANITA events can be classified according to whether the MPs: (i) live inside the Earth, (ii) originate in neutrino-nucleon collisions inside the Earth, (iii) come from cosmological distances. In this communication we investigate the positive and negative facets of these three classes of models., Comment: To appear in Proceedings of the 36th International Cosmic Ray Conference

The Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) experiment has observed two air shower events with energy $\sim 500~{\rm PeV}$ emerging from the Earth with exit angles $\sim 30^\circ$ above the horizon. As was immediately noted by the ANITA Collaboration, these events (in principle) could originate in the atmospheric decay of an upgoing $\tau$-lepton produced through a charged current interaction of a $\nu_\tau$ inside the Earth. However, the relatively steep arrival angles of these perplexing events create tension with the standard model (SM) neutrino-nucleon interaction cross section. Deepening the conundrum, the IceCube neutrino telescope and the Pierre Auger Observatory with substantially larger exposures to cosmic $\nu_\tau$'s in this energy range have not observed any events. This lack of observation implies that the messenger particle (MP) giving rise to ANITA events must produce an air shower event rate at least a factor of 40 larger than that produced by a flux of $\tau$-neutrinos to avoid conflicts with the upper limits reported by the IceCube and the Pierre Auger collaborations. In addition, the sensitivity of ANITA to MP-induced events must be comparable to or larger than those of IceCube and Auger to avoid conflict with the non-observation of any signal at these facilities. Beyond SM interpretations of ANITA events can be classified according to whether the MPs: (i) live inside the Earth, (ii) originate in neutrino-nucleon collisions inside the Earth, (iii) come from cosmological distances. In this communication we investigate the positive and negative facets of these three classes of models., Comment: To appear in Proceedings of the 36th International Cosmic Ray Conference

The results of high energy simulated experiments where a given hadronic particle impacts on a given target are statistically analyzed. The energy range of the projectiles goes from below the LHC scale up to the highest cosmic ray energies. This study was carried out by using the pre- and post-LHC versions of the hadronic interaction models QGSJET, EPOS and SIBYLL. Our analysis indicates that the post-LHC models present smaller differences in various quantities that characterize the secondary particles produced after the hadronic collisions, in comparison with the corresponding differences that are found comparing the respective old (pre-LHC) versions of the hadronic models. However, it is also found that there exist some discrepancies among models that persist even at the LHC energy scale, that call for further theoretical investigation. An additional analysis of the impact that different modeling of hadronic collisions has on air shower development is also included. It consists of a detailed study of the impact of the different pre- and post-LHC versions of the hadronic models considered, for relevant observables like the muon production depth distribution.

The complex phase present in CP-violating systems such as neutral kaons is shown to be of geometrical origin. It is also concluded that the complex phase of the Cabibbo--Kobayashi--Maskawa (CKM) matrix is a Berry-like phase., Comment: 7 pages and 1 figure

We study nuclear effects on the deuteron in the deep inelastic regime using the newest available data analyzing their $Q^2$ dependence. We conclude that precise EMC ratios for large $Q^2$ (> 30, GeV$^2$) cannot be obtained without considering these nuclear effects. For this purpose we use a scheme which parametrizes these effects in a simple manner and compare our results with other recent proposals., Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures

We find that the ratio r_{mu e} of the muon to the electromagnetic component of an extended air shower at the ground level provides an indirect measure of the depth X_{max} of the shower maximum. This result, obtained with the air-shower code AIRES, is independent of the hadronic model used in the simulation. We show that the value of r_{mu e} in a particular shower discriminates its proton or iron nature with a 98% efficiency. We also show that the eventual production of forward heavy quarks inside the shower may introduce anomalous values of r_{mu e} in isolated events., Comment: 10 pages, version to appear in Astroparticle Physics

We investigate the role of heavy quarks in the production of light flavored hadrons and in the determination of the corresponding non perturbative hadronization probabilities. We define a general mass variable flavor number scheme for fragmentation functions that accounts for heavy quark mass effects, and perform a global QCD analysis to an up-to-date data set including very precise Belle and BaBar results. We show that the mass dependent picture provides a much more accurate and consistent description of data., Comment: 5 pages, 3 eps figures

We find that the ratio r_{mu e} of the muon to the electromagnetic component of an extended air shower at the ground level provides an indirect measure of the depth X_{max} of the shower maximum. This result, obtained with the air-shower code AIRES, is independent of the hadronic model used in the simulation. We show that the value of r_{mu e} in a particular shower discriminates its proton or iron nature with a 98% efficiency. We also show that the eventual production of forward heavy quarks inside the shower may introduce anomalous values of r_{mu e} in isolated events., Comment: 10 pages, version to appear in Astroparticle Physics

The total photoproduction cross section at ultra-high energies is obtained using a model based on QCD minijets and soft-gluon resummation and the ansatz that infrared gluons limit the rise of total cross sections. This cross section is introduced into the Monte Carlo system AIRES to simulate extended air-showers initiated by cosmic ray photons. The impact of the new photoproduction cross section on common shower observables, especially those related to muon production, is compared with previous results., Comment: 21 pages, 10 figures, to be published in Physical Review D

The total photoproduction cross section at ultra-high energies is obtained using a model based on QCD minijets and soft-gluon resummation and the ansatz that infrared gluons limit the rise of total cross sections. This cross section is introduced into the Monte Carlo system AIRES to simulate extended air-showers initiated by cosmic ray photons. The impact of the new photoproduction cross section on common shower observables, especially those related to muon production, is compared with previous results., Comment: 21 pages, 10 figures, to be published in Physical Review D

The behavior of the nucleon structure functions in lepton nuclei deep inelastic scattering, both polarized and unpolarized, due to nuclear structure effects is reanalyzed. The study is performed in two schemes: an x-rescaling approach, and one in which there is an increase of sea quark components in the in medium nucleon, related to the low energy N-N interaction. In view of a recent interesting experimental proposal to study the behavior of the proton spin structure functions in nuclei we proceed to compare these approaches in an effort to enlighten the possible phenomenological interest of such difficult experiment., Comment: 11 pages and 5 figures

The behavior of the nucleon structure functions in lepton nuclei deep inelastic scattering, both polarized and unpolarized, due to nuclear structure effects is reanalyzed. The study is performed in two schemes: an x-rescaling approach, and one in which there is an increase of sea quark components in the in medium nucleon, related to the low energy N-N interaction. In view of a recent interesting experimental proposal to study the behavior of the proton spin structure functions in nuclei we proceed to compare these approaches in an effort to enlighten the possible phenomenological interest of such difficult experiment., Comment: 11 pages and 5 figures

Burning biogas in a combined heat and power (CHP) plant is a promising option to reduce the emissions and the operational cost of a WWTP. However, the biogas generated in anaerobic digestion facilities in WWTPs contains average concentrations of H2S in the range from 0.1 to 0.5 vol.% which has to be removed to avoid corrosion, unnecessary production of by-products, and SO2 emissions. In a biotrickling filter (BTF), the H2S is absorbed and removed in a packed column where biomass is immobilized, being a liquid phase continuously recirculated from the bottom of the reactor. Advances in mathematical modelling of biofilters have allowed improving the knowledge of the phenomena and interactions involved in the biological desulfurization of biogas (Almenglo et al. 2013). The principal limitation for the long term operation of BTF in biogas sweetening is the accumulation of elemental sulphur due to oxygen mass transfer limitations. Apart from reducing the removal efficiency, this accumulation increases pressure drops, thus it increases the operation cost to blow the air through the bed, and force frequent maintenance tasks to replace or wash the packing material. In the present study, the dynamic model developed and validated by Rodriguez (2013) has been used to evaluate different control strategies and optimize the performance of a BTF located in the WWTP of Manresa (Barcelona). Particularly, the use of different kind of packing materials (organic and inorganic) has been evaluated to determine in different operation conditions which removal efficiency (RE) and sulphur accumulation could be expected, i.e time period of operation before the forced shutdown. Additionally, an optimal distribution of different particle sizes of materials has been proposed to reduce sulphur rate production, affecting minimally the abatement efficiencies currently obtained., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

Very energetic charm and bottom hadrons may be produced in the upper atmosphere when a primary cosmic ray or the leading hadron in an extensive air shower collide with a nucleon. At $E\approx 10^8$ GeV their decay length becomes of the order of 10 km, implying that they tend to interact in the air instead of decaying. Since the inelasticity in these collisions is much smaller than the one in proton and pion collisions, there could be rare events where a heavy-hadron component transports a significant amount of energy deep into the atmosphere. We have developed a module for the detailed simulation of these processes and have included it in a new version of the air shower simulator AIRES. We study the frequency, the energy distribution and the depth of charm and bottom production, as well as the depth and the energy distribution of these quarks when they decay. As an illustration, we consider the production and decay of tau leptons (from $D_s$ decays) and the lepton flux at PeV energies from a 30 EeV proton primary. The proper inclusion of charm and bottom hadrons in AIRES opens the possibility to search for air-shower observables that are sensitive to heavy quark effects., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics

Very energetic charm and bottom hadrons may be produced in the upper atmosphere when a primary cosmic ray or the leading hadron in an extensive air shower collide with a nucleon. At $E\approx 10^8$ GeV their decay length becomes of the order of 10 km, implying that they tend to interact in the air instead of decaying. Since the inelasticity in these collisions is much smaller than the one in proton and pion collisions, there could be rare events where a heavy-hadron component transports a significant amount of energy deep into the atmosphere. We have developed a module for the detailed simulation of these processes and have included it in a new version of the air shower simulator AIRES. We study the frequency, the energy distribution and the depth of charm and bottom production, as well as the depth and the energy distribution of these quarks when they decay. As an illustration, we consider the production and decay of tau leptons (from $D_s$ decays) and the lepton flux at PeV energies from a 30 EeV proton primary. The proper inclusion of charm and bottom hadrons in AIRES opens the possibility to search for air-shower observables that are sensitive to heavy quark effects., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics

Very energetic charm and bottom hadrons may be produced in the upper atmosphere when a primary cosmic ray or the leading hadron in an extensive air shower collide with a nucleon. At $E\approx 10^8$ GeV their decay length becomes of the order of 10 km, implying that they tend to interact in the air instead of decaying. Since the inelasticity in these collisions is much smaller than the one in proton and pion collisions, there could be rare events where a heavy-hadron component transports a significant amount of energy deep into the atmosphere. We have developed a module for the detailed simulation of these processes and have included it in a new version of the air shower simulator AIRES. We study the frequency, the energy distribution and the depth of charm and bottom production, as well as the depth and the energy distribution of these quarks when they decay. As an illustration, we consider the production and decay of tau leptons (from $D_s$ decays) and the lepton flux at PeV energies from a 30 EeV proton primary. The proper inclusion of charm and bottom hadrons in AIRES opens the possibility to search for air-shower observables that are sensitive to heavy quark effects., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics

An equivalence between the $\mathrm{Schr\ddot{o}dinger}$ dynamics of a quantum system with a finite number of basis states and a classical dynamics is presented. The equivalence is an isomorphism that connects in univocal way both dynamical systems. We treat the particular case of neutral kaons and found a class of electric networks uniquely related to the kaon system finding the complete map between the matrix elements of the effective Hamiltonian of kaons and those elements of the classical dynamics of the networks. As a consequence, the relevant $\epsilon$ parameter that measures CP violation in the kaon system is completely determined in terms of network parameters.

An equivalence between the $\mathrm{Schr\ddot{o}dinger}$ dynamics of a quantum system with a finite number of basis states and a classical dynamics is presented. The equivalence is an isomorphism that connects in univocal way both dynamical systems. We treat the particular case of neutral kaons and found a class of electric networks uniquely related to the kaon system finding the complete map between the matrix elements of the effective Hamiltonian of kaons and those elements of the classical dynamics of the networks. As a consequence, the relevant $\epsilon$ parameter that measures CP violation in the kaon system is completely determined in terms of network parameters.

A comparative analysis of the secondary particles output of the main hadronic interaction packages used in simulations of extensive air showers is presented. Special attention is given to the study of events with very energetic leading secondary particles, including diffractive interactions.

A comparative analysis of the secondary particles output of the main hadronic interaction packages used in simulations of extensive air showers is presented. Special attention is given to the study of events with very energetic leading secondary particles, including diffractive interactions.

We consider an infrared Lorentz violation in connection with recent results of PVLAS experiment. Our analysis is based in a relation that can be established, under certain conditions, between an axial-like-particle theory and electrodynamics with an infrared scale. In the PVLAS case, the conditions imply two dispersion relations such that the infrared scale $|\vec \theta|$, the inverse axion-photon coupling constant $M^{-1}$ and the external magnetic field ${\vec B}$ can be connected through the formula $|{\vec \theta}|= {|\vec B|}/M$. Our analysis, which only requires a non-dynamical (auxiliar) axial-like field leads to $|{\vec\theta}| \leq 5.4 \times 10^{-7}$ meV and $M^{-1} \sim 1.2 \times 10^{-3}$ GeV $^{-1}$., Comment: Revtex, 4pp

A model based on the local gauge group SU(3)_c x SU(3)_L x U(1)_X without particles with exotic electric charges is shown to be able to provide the quark mass spectrum and their mixing, by means of universal see-saw mechanisms, avoiding a hierarchy in the Yukawa coupling constants., Comment: 7 pages, 1 eps figure. Published in Europhysics Letters

A model based on the local gauge group SU(3)_c x SU(3)_L x U(1)_X without particles with exotic electric charges is shown to be able to provide the quark mass spectrum and their mixing, by means of universal see-saw mechanisms, avoiding a hierarchy in the Yukawa coupling constants., Comment: 7 pages, 1 eps figure. Published in Europhysics Letters

Monthly averages of the sunspot number visible on the sun, observed from 1749, Zurich Observatory, and from 1848 other observatories, have been analyzed. This time signal presents a frequency power spectra with a clear $1/f^\alpha$ behavior with $\alpha\simeq 0.8 \pm 0.2$. The well known cycle of approximately 11 years, clearly present in the spectrum, does not produce a sensible distortion of that behavior. The eventual characterization of the sunspot time series as a fractal is analyzed by means of the detrended fluctuation analysis. The jump size distribution of the signal is also studied., Comment: To appear in "Fractals"