Accelerator Driven Nuclear Energy: The Thorium Option
Raja, Rajendran
2018-01-05
Conventional nuclear reactors use enriched Uranium as fuel and produce nuclear waste which needs to be stored away for over 10,000 years.  At the current rate of use, existing sources of Uranium will last for 50-100 years. We describe a solution to the problem that uses particle accelerators to produce fast neutrons that can be used to burn existing nuclear waste and produce energy. Such systems, initially proposed by Carlo Rubbia and collaborators in the 1990's, are being seriously considered by many countries as a possible solution to the green energy problem. Accelerator driven reactors operate in a sub-critical regime and, thus, are safer and can obtain energy from plentiful elements such as Thorium-232 and Uranium-238. What is missing is the high intensity (10MW) accelerator that produces 1 GeV protons. We will describe scenarios which if implemented will make such systems a reality. Â
Terahertz-driven linear electron acceleration
Nanni, Emilio A.; Huang, Wenqian R.; Hong, Kyung-Han; Ravi, Koustuban; Fallahi, Arya; Moriena, Gustavo; Dwayne Miller, R. J.; Kärtner, Franz X.
2015-01-01
The cost, size and availability of electron accelerators are dominated by the achievable accelerating gradient. Conventional high-brightness radio-frequency accelerating structures operate with 30–50 MeV m−1 gradients. Electron accelerators driven with optical or infrared sources have demonstrated accelerating gradients orders of magnitude above that achievable with conventional radio-frequency structures. However, laser-driven wakefield accelerators require intense femtosecond sources and direct laser-driven accelerators suffer from low bunch charge, sub-micron tolerances and sub-femtosecond timing requirements due to the short wavelength of operation. Here we demonstrate linear acceleration of electrons with keV energy gain using optically generated terahertz pulses. Terahertz-driven accelerating structures enable high-gradient electron/proton accelerators with simple accelerating structures, high repetition rates and significant charge per bunch. These ultra-compact terahertz accelerators with extremely short electron bunches hold great potential to have a transformative impact for free electron lasers, linear colliders, ultrafast electron diffraction, X-ray science and medical therapy with X-rays and electron beams. PMID:26439410
Terahertz-driven linear electron acceleration
Nanni, Emilio A.; Huang, Wenqian R.; Hong, Kyung-Han; ...
2015-10-06
The cost, size and availability of electron accelerators are dominated by the achievable accelerating gradient. Conventional high-brightness radio-frequency accelerating structures operate with 30–50 MeVm -1 gradients. Electron accelerators driven with optical or infrared sources have demonstrated accelerating gradients orders of magnitude above that achievable with conventional radio-frequency structures. However, laser-driven wakefield accelerators require intense femtosecond sources and direct laser-driven accelerators suffer from low bunch charge, sub-micron tolerances and sub-femtosecond timing requirements due to the short wavelength of operation. Here we demonstrate linear acceleration of electrons with keV energy gain using optically generated terahertz pulses. Terahertz-driven accelerating structures enable high-gradient electron/protonmore » accelerators with simple accelerating structures, high repetition rates and significant charge per bunch. As a result, these ultra-compact terahertz accelerators with extremely short electron bunches hold great potential to have a transformative impact for free electron lasers, linear colliders, ultrafast electron diffraction, X-ray science and medical therapy with X-rays and electron beams.« less
Coulomb-driven energy boost of heavy ions for laser-plasma acceleration.
Braenzel, J; Andreev, A A; Platonov, K; Klingsporn, M; Ehrentraut, L; Sandner, W; Schnürer, M
2015-03-27
An unprecedented increase of kinetic energy of laser accelerated heavy ions is demonstrated. Ultrathin gold foils have been irradiated by an ultrashort laser pulse at a peak intensity of 8×10^{19} W/ cm^{2}. Highly charged gold ions with kinetic energies up to >200 MeV and a bandwidth limited energy distribution have been reached by using 1.3 J laser energy on target. 1D and 2D particle in cell simulations show how a spatial dependence on the ion's ionization leads to an enhancement of the accelerating electrical field. Our theoretical model considers a spatial distribution of the ionization inside the thin target, leading to a field enhancement for the heavy ions by Coulomb explosion. It is capable of explaining the energy boost of highly charged ions, enabling a higher efficiency for the laser-driven heavy ion acceleration.
9 GeV energy gain in a beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Litos, M.; Adli, E.; Allen, J. M.
2016-02-15
An electron beam has gained a maximum energy of 9 GeV per particle in a 1.3 m-long electron beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator. The amount of charge accelerated in the spectral peak was 28.3 pC, and the root-mean-square energy spread was 5.0%. The mean accelerated charge and energy gain per particle of the 215 shot data set was 115 pC and 5.3 GeV, respectively, corresponding to an acceleration gradient of 4.0 GeV m -1 at the spectral peak. Moreover, the mean energy spread of the data set was 5.1%. Our results are consistent with the extrapolation of the previously reported energymore » gain results using a shorter, 36 cm-long plasma source to within 10%, evincing a non-evolving wake structure that can propagate distances of over a meter in length. Wake-loading effects were evident in the data through strong dependencies observed between various spectral properties and the amount of accelerated charge.« less
Energy Production and Transmutation of Nuclear Waste by Accelerator Driven Systems
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhivkov, P. K.
2018-05-01
There is a significant amount of highly radiotoxic long-life nuclear waste (NW) produced by NPP (Nuclear Power Plants). Transmutation is a process which transforms NW into less radiotoxic nuclides with a shorter period of half-life by spallation neutrons or radiative capture of neutrons produced by ADS (Accelerator Driven System). In the processes of transmutation new radioactive nuclides are produced. ADS is big energy consumer equipment. It is a method for production of a high-flux and high-energy neutron field. All these processes occur in ADS simultaneously. ADS is able to transmute actinides and produce energy simultaneously. The article considers the energy production problems in ADS. Several ideas are developed regarding the solution of the global energy supply.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kelly, A. J.; Jahn, R. G.; Choueiri, E. Y.
1990-01-01
The dominant unstable electrostatic wave modes of an electromagnetically accelerated plasma are investigated. The study is the first part of a three-phase program aimed at characterizing the current-driven turbulent dissipation degrading the efficiency of Lorentz force plasma accelerators such as the MPD thruster. The analysis uses a kinetic theory that includes magnetic and thermal effects as well as those of an electron current transverse to the magnetic field and collisions, thus combining all the features of previous models. Analytical and numerical solutions allow a detailed description of threshold criteria, finite growth behavior, destabilization mechanisms and maximized-growth characteristics of the dominant unstable modes. The lower hybrid current-driven instability is implicated as dominant and was found to preserve its character in the collisional plasma regime.
Arc-driven rail accelerator research
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ray, Pradosh K.
1987-01-01
Arc-driven rail accelerator research is analyzed by considering wall ablation and viscous drag in the plasma. Plasma characteristics are evaluated through a simple fluid-mechanical analysis considering only wall ablation. By equating the energy dissipated in the plasma with the radiation heat loss, the average properties of the plasma are determined as a function of time and rate of ablation. Locations of two simultaneously accelerating arcs were determined by optical and magnetic probes and fron streak camera photographs. All three measurements provide consistent results.
Laser-driven ion acceleration at BELLA
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bin, Jianhui; Steinke, Sven; Ji, Qing; Nakamura, Kei; Treffert, Franziska; Bulanov, Stepan; Roth, Markus; Toth, Csaba; Schroeder, Carl; Esarey, Eric; Schenkel, Thomas; Leemans, Wim
2017-10-01
BELLA is a high repetiton rate PW laser and we used it for high intensity laser plasma acceleration experiments. The BELLA-i program is focused on relativistic laser plasma interaction such as laser driven ion acceleration, aiming at establishing an unique collaborative research facility providing beam time to selected external groups for fundamental physics and advanced applications. Here we present our first parameter study of ion acceleration driven by the BELLA-PW laser with truly high repetition rate. The laser repetition rate of 1Hz allows for scanning the laser pulse duration, relative focus location and target thickness for the first time at laser peak powers of above 1 PW. Furthermore, the long focal length geometry of the experiment (f ∖65) and hence, large focus size provided ion beams of reduced divergence and unprecedented charge density. This work was supported by the Director, Office of Science, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.
Nakatsutsumi, M; Sentoku, Y; Korzhimanov, A; Chen, S N; Buffechoux, S; Kon, A; Atherton, B; Audebert, P; Geissel, M; Hurd, L; Kimmel, M; Rambo, P; Schollmeier, M; Schwarz, J; Starodubtsev, M; Gremillet, L; Kodama, R; Fuchs, J
2018-01-18
High-intensity lasers interacting with solid foils produce copious numbers of relativistic electrons, which in turn create strong sheath electric fields around the target. The proton beams accelerated in such fields have remarkable properties, enabling ultrafast radiography of plasma phenomena or isochoric heating of dense materials. In view of longer-term multidisciplinary purposes (e.g., spallation neutron sources or cancer therapy), the current challenge is to achieve proton energies well in excess of 100 MeV, which is commonly thought to be possible by raising the on-target laser intensity. Here we present experimental and numerical results demonstrating that magnetostatic fields self-generated on the target surface may pose a fundamental limit to sheath-driven ion acceleration for high enough laser intensities. Those fields can be strong enough (~10 5 T at laser intensities ~10 21 W cm -2 ) to magnetize the sheath electrons and deflect protons off the accelerating region, hence degrading the maximum energy the latter can acquire.
Nakatsutsumi, M.; Sentoku, Y.; Korzhimanov, A.; ...
2018-01-18
High-intensity lasers interacting with solid foils produce copious numbers of relativistic electrons, which in turn create strong sheath electric fields around the target. The proton beams accelerated in such fields have remarkable properties, enabling ultrafast radiography of plasma phenomena or isochoric heating of dense materials. In view of longer-term multidisciplinary purposes (e.g., spallation neutron sources or cancer therapy), the current challenge is to achieve proton energies well in excess of 100 MeV, which is commonly thought to be possible by raising the on-target laser intensity. Here we present experimental and numerical results demonstrating that magnetostatic fields self-generated on the targetmore » surface may pose a fundamental limit to sheath-driven ion acceleration for high enough laser intensities. Those fields can be strong enough (~10 5 T at laser intensities ~10 21 W cm –2) to magnetize the sheath electrons and deflect protons off the accelerating region, hence degrading the maximum energy the latter can acquire.« less
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Nakatsutsumi, M.; Sentoku, Y.; Korzhimanov, A.
High-intensity lasers interacting with solid foils produce copious numbers of relativistic electrons, which in turn create strong sheath electric fields around the target. The proton beams accelerated in such fields have remarkable properties, enabling ultrafast radiography of plasma phenomena or isochoric heating of dense materials. In view of longer-term multidisciplinary purposes (e.g., spallation neutron sources or cancer therapy), the current challenge is to achieve proton energies well in excess of 100 MeV, which is commonly thought to be possible by raising the on-target laser intensity. Here we present experimental and numerical results demonstrating that magnetostatic fields self-generated on the targetmore » surface may pose a fundamental limit to sheath-driven ion acceleration for high enough laser intensities. Those fields can be strong enough (~10 5 T at laser intensities ~10 21 W cm –2) to magnetize the sheath electrons and deflect protons off the accelerating region, hence degrading the maximum energy the latter can acquire.« less
Beam-driven acceleration in ultra-dense plasma media
Shin, Young-Min
2014-09-15
Accelerating parameters of beam-driven wakefield acceleration in an extremely dense plasma column has been analyzed with the dynamic framed particle-in-cell plasma simulator, and compared with analytic calculations. In the model, a witness beam undergoes a TeV/m scale alternating potential gradient excited by a micro-bunched drive beam in a 10 25 m -3 and 1.6 x 10 28 m -3 plasma column. The acceleration gradient, energy gain, and transformer ratio have been extensively studied in quasi-linear, linear-, and blowout-regimes. The simulation analysis indicated that in the beam-driven acceleration system a hollow plasma channel offers 20 % higher acceleration gradient by enlargingmore » the channel radius (r) from 0.2 Ap to 0.6 .Ap in a blowout regime. This paper suggests a feasibility of TeV/m scale acceleration with a hollow crystalline structure (e.g. nanotubes) of high electron plasma density.« less
Laser-driven ion acceleration: methods, challenges and prospects
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Badziak, J.
2018-01-01
The recent development of laser technology has resulted in the construction of short-pulse lasers capable of generating fs light pulses with PW powers and intensities exceeding 1021 W/cm2, and has laid the basis for the multi-PW lasers, just being built in Europe, that will produce fs pulses of ultra-relativistic intensities ~ 1023 - 1024 W/cm2. The interaction of such an intense laser pulse with a dense target can result in the generation of collimated beams of ions of multi-MeV to GeV energies of sub-ps time durations and of extremely high beam intensities and ion fluencies, barely attainable with conventional RF-driven accelerators. Ion beams with such unique features have the potential for application in various fields of scientific research as well as in medical and technological developments. This paper provides a brief review of state-of-the art in laser-driven ion acceleration, with a focus on basic ion acceleration mechanisms and the production of ultra-intense ion beams. The challenges facing laser-driven ion acceleration studies, in particular those connected with potential applications of laser-accelerated ion beams, are also discussed.
Laser-driven dielectric electron accelerator for radiobiology researches
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Koyama, Kazuyoshi; Matsumura, Yosuke; Uesaka, Mitsuru; Yoshida, Mitsuhiro; Natsui, Takuya; Aimierding, Aimidula
2013-05-01
In order to estimate the health risk associated with a low dose radiation, the fundamental process of the radiation effects in a living cell must be understood. It is desired that an electron bunch or photon pulse precisely knock a cell nucleus and DNA. The required electron energy and electronic charge of the bunch are several tens keV to 1 MeV and 0.1 fC to 1 fC, respectively. The smaller beam size than micron is better for the precise observation. Since the laser-driven dielectric electron accelerator seems to suite for the compact micro-beam source, a phase-modulation-masked-type laser-driven dielectric accelerator was studied. Although the preliminary analysis made a conclusion that a grating period and an electron speed must satisfy the matching condition of LG/λ = v/c, a deformation of a wavefront in a pillar of the grating relaxed the matching condition and enabled the slow electron to be accelerated. The simulation results by using the free FDTD code, Meep, showed that the low energy electron of 20 keV felt the acceleration field strength of 20 MV/m and gradually felt higher field as the speed was increased. Finally the ultra relativistic electron felt the field strength of 600 MV/m. The Meep code also showed that a length of the accelerator to get energy of 1 MeV was 3.8 mm, the required laser power and energy were 11 GW and 350 mJ, respectively. Restrictions on the laser was eased by adopting sequential laser pulses. If the accelerator is illuminated by sequential N pulses, the pulse power, pulse width and the pulse energy are reduced to 1/N, 1/N and 1/N2, respectively. The required laser power per pulse is estimated to be 2.2 GW when ten pairs of sequential laser pulse is irradiated.
Guided post-acceleration of laser-driven ions by a miniature modular structure
Kar, Satyabrata; Ahmed, Hamad; Prasad, Rajendra; Cerchez, Mirela; Brauckmann, Stephanie; Aurand, Bastian; Cantono, Giada; Hadjisolomou, Prokopis; Lewis, Ciaran L. S.; Macchi, Andrea; Nersisyan, Gagik; Robinson, Alexander P. L.; Schroer, Anna M.; Swantusch, Marco; Zepf, Matt; Willi, Oswald; Borghesi, Marco
2016-01-01
All-optical approaches to particle acceleration are currently attracting a significant research effort internationally. Although characterized by exceptional transverse and longitudinal emittance, laser-driven ion beams currently have limitations in terms of peak ion energy, bandwidth of the energy spectrum and beam divergence. Here we introduce the concept of a versatile, miniature linear accelerating module, which, by employing laser-excited electromagnetic pulses directed along a helical path surrounding the laser-accelerated ion beams, addresses these shortcomings simultaneously. In a proof-of-principle experiment on a university-scale system, we demonstrate post-acceleration of laser-driven protons from a flat foil at a rate of 0.5 GeV m−1, already beyond what can be sustained by conventional accelerator technologies, with dynamic beam collimation and energy selection. These results open up new opportunities for the development of extremely compact and cost-effective ion accelerators for both established and innovative applications. PMID:27089200
Studying astrophysical particle acceleration with laser-driven plasmas
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fiuza, Frederico
2016-10-01
The acceleration of non-thermal particles in plasmas is critical for our understanding of explosive astrophysical phenomena, from solar flares to gamma ray bursts. Particle acceleration is thought to be mediated by collisionless shocks and magnetic reconnection. The microphysics underlying these processes and their ability to efficiently convert flow and magnetic energy into non-thermal particles, however, is not yet fully understood. By performing for the first time ab initio 3D particle-in-cell simulations of the interaction of both magnetized and unmagnetized laser-driven plasmas, it is now possible to identify the optimal parameters for the study of particle acceleration in the laboratory relevant to astrophysical scenarios. It is predicted for the Omega and NIF laser conditions that significant non-thermal acceleration can occur during magnetic reconnection of laser-driven magnetized plasmas. Electrons are accelerated by the electric field near the X-points and trapped in contracting magnetic islands. This leads to a power-law tail extending to nearly a hundred times the thermal energy of the plasma and that contains a large fraction of the magnetic energy. The study of unmagnetized interpenetrating plasmas also reveals the possibility of forming collisionless shocks mediated by the Weibel instability on NIF. Under such conditions, both electrons and ions can be energized by scattering out of the Weibel-mediated turbulence. This also leads to power-law spectra that can be detected experimentally. The resulting experimental requirements to probe the microphysics of plasma particle acceleration will be discussed, paving the way for the first experiments of these important processes in the laboratory. As a result of these simulations and theoretical analysis, there are new experiments being planned on the Omega, NIF, and LCLS laser facilities to test these theoretical predictions. This work was supported by the SLAC LDRD program and DOE Office of Science, Fusion
First-order particle acceleration in magnetically driven flows
Beresnyak, Andrey; Li, Hui
2016-03-02
In this study, we demonstrate that particles are regularly accelerated while experiencing curvature drift in flows driven by magnetic tension. Some examples of such flows include spontaneous turbulent reconnection and decaying magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, where a magnetic field relaxes to a lower-energy configuration and transfers part of its energy to kinetic motions of the fluid. We show that this energy transfer, which normally causes turbulent cascade and heating of the fluid, also results in a first-order acceleration of non-thermal particles. Since it is generic, this acceleration mechanism is likely to play a role in the production of non-thermal particle distribution inmore » magnetically dominant environments such as the solar chromosphere, pulsar magnetospheres, jets from supermassive black holes, and γ-ray bursts.« less
Particle acceleration in laser-driven magnetic reconnection
Totorica, S. R.; Abel, T.; Fiuza, F.
2017-04-03
Particle acceleration induced by magnetic reconnection is thought to be a promising candidate for producing the nonthermal emissions associated with explosive phenomena such as solar flares, pulsar wind nebulae, and jets from active galactic nuclei. Laboratory experiments can play an important role in the study of the detailed microphysics of magnetic reconnection and the dominant particle acceleration mechanisms. We have used two- and three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations to study particle acceleration in high Lundquist number reconnection regimes associated with laser-driven plasma experiments. For current experimental conditions, we show that nonthermal electrons can be accelerated to energies more than an order ofmore » magnitude larger than the initial thermal energy. The nonthermal electrons gain their energy mainly from the reconnection electric field near the X points, and particle injection into the reconnection layer and escape from the finite system establish a distribution of energies that resembles a power-law spectrum. Energetic electrons can also become trapped inside the plasmoids that form in the current layer and gain additional energy from the electric field arising from the motion of the plasmoid. We compare simulations for finite and infinite periodic systems to demonstrate the importance of particle escape on the shape of the spectrum. Based on our findings, we provide an analytical estimate of the maximum electron energy and threshold condition for observing suprathermal electron acceleration in terms of experimentally tunable parameters. We also discuss experimental signatures, including the angular distribution of the accelerated particles, and construct synthetic detector spectra. Finally, these results open the way for novel experimental studies of particle acceleration induced by reconnection.« less
Investigations into dual-grating THz-driven accelerators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wei, Y.; Ischebeck, R.; Dehler, M.; Ferrari, E.; Hiller, N.; Jamison, S.; Xia, G.; Hanahoe, K.; Li, Y.; Smith, J. D. A.; Welsch, C. P.
2018-01-01
Advanced acceleration technologies are receiving considerable interest in order to miniaturize future particle accelerators. One such technology is the dual-grating dielectric structures, which can support accelerating fields one to two orders of magnitude higher than the metal RF cavities in conventional accelerators. This opens up the possibility of enabling high accelerating gradients of up to several GV/m. This paper investigates numerically a quartz dual-grating structure which is driven by THz pulses to accelerate electrons. Geometry optimizations are carried out to achieve the trade-offs between accelerating gradient and vacuum channel gap. A realistic electron bunch available from the future Compact Linear Accelerator for Research and Applications (CLARA) is loaded into an optimized 100-period dual-grating structure for a detailed wakefield study. A THz pulse is then employed to interact with this CLARA bunch in the optimized structure. The computed beam quality is analyzed in terms of emittance, energy spread and loaded accelerating gradient. The simulations show that an accelerating gradient of 348 ± 12 MV/m with an emittance growth of 3.0% can be obtained.
High-quality electron beam generation in a proton-driven hollow plasma wakefield accelerator
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Li, Y.; Xia, G.; Lotov, K. V.; Sosedkin, A. P.; Hanahoe, K.; Mete-Apsimon, O.
2017-10-01
Simulations of proton-driven plasma wakefield accelerators have demonstrated substantially higher accelerating gradients compared to conventional accelerators and the viability of accelerating electrons to the energy frontier in a single plasma stage. However, due to the strong intrinsic transverse fields varying both radially and in time, the witness beam quality is still far from suitable for practical application in future colliders. Here we demonstrate the efficient acceleration of electrons in proton-driven wakefields in a hollow plasma channel. In this regime, the witness bunch is positioned in the region with a strong accelerating field, free from plasma electrons and ions. We show that the electron beam carrying the charge of about 10% of 1 TeV proton driver charge can be accelerated to 0.6 TeV with a preserved normalized emittance in a single channel of 700 m. This high-quality and high-charge beam may pave the way for the development of future plasma-based energy frontier colliders.
Plasmon-driven acceleration in a photo-excited nanotube
Shin, Young -Min
2017-02-21
A plasmon-assisted channeling acceleration can be realized with a large channel, possibly at the nanometer scale. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are the most typical example of nano-channels that can confine a large number of channeled particles in a photon-plasmon coupling condition. This paper presents a theoretical and numerical study on the concept of high-field charge acceleration driven by photo-excited Luttinger-liquid plasmons in a nanotube. An analytic description of the plasmon-assisted laser acceleration is detailed with practical acceleration parameters, in particular, with the specifications of a typical tabletop femtosecond laser system. Lastly, the maximally achievable acceleration gradients and energy gains within dephasingmore » lengths and CNT lengths are discussed with respect to laser-incident angles and CNT-filling ratios.« less
Controlling laser driven protons acceleration using a deformable mirror at a high repetition rate
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Noaman-ul-Haq, M.; Sokollik, T.; Ahmed, H.; Braenzel, J.; Ehrentraut, L.; Mirzaie, M.; Yu, L.-L.; Sheng, Z. M.; Chen, L. M.; Schnürer, M.; Zhang, J.
2018-03-01
We present results from a proof-of-principle experiment to optimize laser driven protons acceleration by directly feeding back its spectral information to a deformable mirror (DM) controlled by evolutionary algorithms (EAs). By irradiating a stable high-repetition rate tape driven target with ultra-intense pulses of intensities ∼1020 W/ cm2, we optimize the maximum energy of the accelerated protons with a stability of less than ∼5% fluctuations near optimum value. Moreover, due to spatio-temporal development of the sheath field, modulations in the spectrum are also observed. Particularly, a prominent narrow peak is observed with a spread of ∼15% (FWHM) at low energy part of the spectrum. These results are helpful to develop high repetition rate optimization techniques required for laser-driven ion accelerators.
Laser-driven electron beam acceleration and future application to compact light sources
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hafz, N.; Jeong, T. M.; Lee, S. K.; Pae, K. H.; Sung, J. H.; Choi, I. W.; Yu, T. J.; Jeong, Y. U.; Lee, J.
2009-07-01
Laser-driven plasma accelerators are gaining much attention by the advanced accelerator community due to the potential these accelerators hold in miniaturizing future high-energy and medium-energy machines. In the laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA), the ponderomotive force of an ultrashort high intensity laser pulse excites a longitudinal plasma wave or bubble. Due to huge charge separation, electric fields created in the plasma bubble can be several orders of magnitude higher than those available in conventional microwave and RF-based accelerator facilities which are limited (up to ˜100 MV/m) by material breakdown. Therefore, if an electron bunch is injected into the bubble in phase with its field, it will gain relativistic energies within an extremely short distance. Here, in the LWFA we show the generation of high-quality and high-energy electron beams up to the GeV-class within a few millimeters of gas-jet plasmas irradiated by tens of terawatt ultrashort laser pulses. Thus we realize approximately four orders of magnitude acceleration gradients higher than available by conventional technology. As a practical application of the stable high-energy electron beam generation, we are planning on injecting the electron beams into a few-meters long conventional undulator in order to realize compact X-ray synchrotron (immediate) and FEL (future) light sources. Stable laser-driven electron beam and radiation devices will surely open a new era in science, medicine and technology and will benefit a larger number of users in those fields.
Neutrino Physics with Accelerator Driven Subcritical Reactors
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ciuffoli, Emilio
2017-09-01
Accelerator Driven Subcritical System (ADS) reactors are being developed around the world, to produce energy and, at the same time, to provide an efficient way to dispose of and to recycle nuclear waste. Used nuclear fuel, by itself, cannot sustain a chain reaction; however in ADS reactors the additional neutrons which are required will be supplied by a high-intensity accelerator. This accelerator will produce, as a by-product, a large quantity of {\\bar{ν }}μ via muon Decay At Rest (µDAR). Using liquid scintillators, it will be possible to to measure the CP-violating phase δCP and to look for experimental signs of the presence of sterile neutrinos in the appearance channel, testing the LSND and MiniBooNE anomalies. Even in the first stage of the project, when the beam energy will be lower, it will be possible to produce {\\bar{ν }}e via Isotope Decay At Rest (IsoDAR), which can be used to provide competitive bounds on sterile neutrinos in the disappearance channel. I will consider several experimental setups in which the antineutrinos are created using accelerators that will be constructed as part of the China-ADS program.
Accelerator-Reactor Coupling for Energy Production in Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Heidet, Florent; Brown, Nicholas R.; Haj Tahar, Malek
This article is a review of several accelerator-reactor interface issues and nuclear fuel cycle applications of accelerator-driven subcritical systems. The systems considered here have the primary goal of energy production, but that goal is accomplished via a specific application in various proposed nuclear fuel cycles, such as breed-and-burn of fertile material or burning of transuranic material. Several basic principles are reviewed, starting from the proton beam window including the target, blanket, reactor core, and up to the fuel cycle. We focus on issues of interest, such as the impact of the energy required to run the accelerator and associated systems on the potential electricity delivered to the grid. Accelerator-driven systems feature many of the constraints and issues associated with critical reactors, with the added challenges of subcritical operation and coupling to an accelerator. Reliable accelerator operation and avoidance of beam trips are critically important. One interesting challenge is measurement of blanket subcriticality level during operation. We also review the potential benefits of accelerator-driven systems in various nuclear fuel cycle applications. Ultimately, accelerator-driven subcritical systems with the goal of transmutation of transuranic material have lower 100,000-year radioactivity than a critical fast reactor with recycling of uranium and plutonium.
Laser-driven proton acceleration with nanostructured targets
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Vallières, Simon; Morabito, Antonia; Veltri, Simona; Scisciò, Massimiliano; Barberio, Marianna; Antici, Patrizio
2017-05-01
Laser-driven particle acceleration has become a growing field of research, in particular for its numerous interesting applications. One of the most common proton acceleration mechanism that is obtained on typically available multi-hundred TW laser systems is based on the irradiation of thin solid metal foils by the intense laser, generating the proton acceleration on its rear target surface. The efficiency of this acceleration scheme strongly depends on the type of target used. Improving the acceleration mechanism, i.e. enhancing parameters such as maximum proton energy, laminarity, efficiency, monocromaticy, and number of accelerated particles, is heavily depending on the laser-to-target absorption, where obviously cheap and easy to implement targets are best candidates. In this work, we present nanostructured targets that are able to increase the absorption of light compared to what can be achieved with a classical solid (non-nanostructured) target and are produced with a method that is much simpler and cheaper than conventional lithographic processes. Several layers of gold nanoparticles were deposited on solid targets (aluminum, Mylar and multiwalled carbon nanotube buckypaper) and allow for an increased photon absorption. This ultimately permits to increase the laser-to-particle energy transfer, and thus to enhance the yield in proton production. Experimental characterization results on the nanostructured films are presented (UV-Vis spectroscopy and AFM), along with preliminary experimental proton spectra obtained at the JLF-TITAN laser facility at LLNL.
Modeling Particle Acceleration and Transport at a 2-D CME-Driven Shock
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hu, Junxiang; Li, Gang; Ao, Xianzhi; Zank, Gary P.; Verkhoglyadova, Olga
2017-11-01
We extend our earlier Particle Acceleration and Transport in the Heliosphere (PATH) model to study particle acceleration and transport at a coronal mass ejection (CME)-driven shock. We model the propagation of a CME-driven shock in the ecliptic plane using the ZEUS-3D code from 20 solar radii to 2 AU. As in the previous PATH model, the initiation of the CME-driven shock is simplified and modeled as a disturbance at the inner boundary. Different from the earlier PATH model, the disturbance is now longitudinally dependent. Particles are accelerated at the 2-D shock via the diffusive shock acceleration mechanism. The acceleration depends on both the parallel and perpendicular diffusion coefficients κ|| and κ⊥ and is therefore shock-obliquity dependent. Following the procedure used in Li, Shalchi, et al. (k href="#jgra53857-bib-0045"/>), we obtain the particle injection energy, the maximum energy, and the accelerated particle spectra at the shock front. Once accelerated, particles diffuse and convect in the shock complex. The diffusion and convection of these particles are treated using a refined 2-D shell model in an approach similar to Zank et al. (k href="#jgra53857-bib-0089"/>). When particles escape from the shock, they propagate along and across the interplanetary magnetic field. The propagation is modeled using a focused transport equation with the addition of perpendicular diffusion. We solve the transport equation using a backward stochastic differential equation method where adiabatic cooling, focusing, pitch angle scattering, and cross-field diffusion effects are all included. Time intensity profiles and instantaneous particle spectra as well as particle pitch angle distributions are shown for two example CME shocks.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Zhang, W. L.; Qiao, B., E-mail: bqiao@pku.edu.cn; Huang, T. W.
2016-07-15
Ion acceleration in near-critical plasmas driven by intense laser pulses is investigated theoretically and numerically. A theoretical model has been given for clarification of the ion acceleration dynamics in relation to different laser and target parameters. Two distinct regimes have been identified, where ions are accelerated by, respectively, the laser-induced shock wave in the weakly driven regime (comparatively low laser intensity) and the nonlinear solitary wave in the strongly driven regime (comparatively high laser intensity). Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that quasi-monoenergetic proton beams with a peak energy of 94.6 MeV and an energy spread 15.8% are obtained by intense laser pulsesmore » at intensity I{sub 0} = 3 × 10{sup 20 }W/cm{sup 2} and pulse duration τ = 0.5 ps in the strongly driven regime, which is more advantageous than that got in the weakly driven regime. In addition, 233 MeV proton beams with narrow spread can be produced by extending τ to 1.0 ps in the strongly driven regime.« less
Radiation reaction effect on laser driven auto-resonant particle acceleration
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Sagar, Vikram; Sengupta, Sudip; Kaw, P. K.
2015-12-15
The effects of radiation reaction force on laser driven auto-resonant particle acceleration scheme are studied using Landau-Lifshitz equation of motion. These studies are carried out for both linear and circularly polarized laser fields in the presence of static axial magnetic field. From the parametric study, a radiation reaction dominated region has been identified in which the particle dynamics is greatly effected by this force. In the radiation reaction dominated region, the two significant effects on particle dynamics are seen, viz., (1) saturation in energy gain by the initially resonant particle and (2) net energy gain by an initially non-resonant particlemore » which is caused due to resonance broadening. It has been further shown that with the relaxation of resonance condition and with optimum choice of parameters, this scheme may become competitive with the other present-day laser driven particle acceleration schemes. The quantum corrections to the Landau-Lifshitz equation of motion have also been taken into account. The difference in the energy gain estimates of the particle by the quantum corrected and classical Landau-Lifshitz equation is found to be insignificant for the present day as well as upcoming laser facilities.« less
Laser-driven acceleration of electrons in a partially ionized plasma channel.
Rowlands-Rees, T P; Kamperidis, C; Kneip, S; Gonsalves, A J; Mangles, S P D; Gallacher, J G; Brunetti, E; Ibbotson, T; Murphy, C D; Foster, P S; Streeter, M J V; Budde, F; Norreys, P A; Jaroszynski, D A; Krushelnick, K; Najmudin, Z; Hooker, S M
2008-03-14
The generation of quasimonoenergetic electron beams, with energies up to 200 MeV, by a laser-plasma accelerator driven in a hydrogen-filled capillary discharge waveguide is investigated. Injection and acceleration of electrons is found to depend sensitively on the delay between the onset of the discharge current and the arrival of the laser pulse. A comparison of spectroscopic and interferometric measurements suggests that injection is assisted by laser ionization of atoms or ions within the channel.
Novel target design for enhanced laser driven proton acceleration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dalui, Malay; Kundu, M.; Tata, Sheroy; Lad, Amit D.; Jha, J.; Ray, Krishanu; Krishnamurthy, M.
2017-09-01
We demonstrate a simple method of preparing structured target for enhanced laser-driven proton acceleration under target-normal-sheath-acceleration scheme. A few layers of genetically modified, clinically grown micron sized E. Coli bacteria cell coated on a thin metal foil has resulted in an increase in the maximum proton energy by about 1.5 times and the total proton yield is enhanced by approximately 25 times compared to an unstructured reference foil at a laser intensity of 1019 W/cm2. Particle-in-cell simulations on the system shows that the structures on the target-foil facilitates anharmonic resonance, contributing to enhanced hot electron production which leads to stronger accelerating field. The effect is observed to grow as the number of structures is increased in the focal area of the laser pulse.
Poole, P. L.; Obst, L.; Cochran, G. E.; ...
2018-01-11
Here we present an experimental study investigating laser-driven proton acceleration via target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) over a target thickness range spanning the typical TNSA-dominant regime (~1 μm) down to below the onset of relativistic laser-transparency (<40 nm). This is done with a single target material in the form of freely adjustable films of liquid crystals along with high contrast (via plasma mirror) laser interaction (~2.65 J, 30 fs, I>1 x 10 21 W cm -2). Thickness dependent maximum proton energies scale well with TNSA models down to the thinnest targets, while those under ~40 nm indicate the influence ofmore » relativistic transparency on TNSA, observed via differences in light transmission, maximum proton energy, and proton beam spatial profile. Oblique laser incidence (45°) allowed the fielding of numerous diagnostics to determine the interaction quality and details: ion energy and spatial distribution was measured along the laser axis and both front and rear target normal directions; these along with reflected and transmitted light measurements on-shot verify TNSA as dominant during high contrast interaction, even for ultra-thin targets. Additionally, 3D particle-in-cell simulations qualitatively support the experimental observations of target-normal-directed proton acceleration from ultra-thin films.« less
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Poole, P. L.; Obst, L.; Cochran, G. E.
Here we present an experimental study investigating laser-driven proton acceleration via target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) over a target thickness range spanning the typical TNSA-dominant regime (~1 μm) down to below the onset of relativistic laser-transparency (<40 nm). This is done with a single target material in the form of freely adjustable films of liquid crystals along with high contrast (via plasma mirror) laser interaction (~2.65 J, 30 fs, I>1 x 10 21 W cm -2). Thickness dependent maximum proton energies scale well with TNSA models down to the thinnest targets, while those under ~40 nm indicate the influence ofmore » relativistic transparency on TNSA, observed via differences in light transmission, maximum proton energy, and proton beam spatial profile. Oblique laser incidence (45°) allowed the fielding of numerous diagnostics to determine the interaction quality and details: ion energy and spatial distribution was measured along the laser axis and both front and rear target normal directions; these along with reflected and transmitted light measurements on-shot verify TNSA as dominant during high contrast interaction, even for ultra-thin targets. Additionally, 3D particle-in-cell simulations qualitatively support the experimental observations of target-normal-directed proton acceleration from ultra-thin films.« less
Accelerator Reactor Coupling for Energy Production in Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles
Brown, Nicholas R.; Heidet, Florent; Haj Tahar, Malek
2016-01-01
This article is a review of several accelerator–reactor interface issues and nuclear fuel cycle applications of acceleratordriven subcritical systems. The systems considered here have the primary goal of energy production, but that goal is accomplished via a specific application in various proposed nuclear fuel cycles, such as breed-and-burn of fertile material or burning of transuranic material. Several basic principles are reviewed, starting from the proton beam window including the target, blanket, reactor core, and up to the fuel cycle. We focus on issues of interest, such as the impact of the energy required to run the accelerator and associated systemsmore » on the potential electricity delivered to the grid. Accelerator-driven systems feature many of the constraints and issues associated with critical reactors, with the added challenges of subcritical operation and coupling to an accelerator. Reliable accelerator operation and avoidance of beam trips are critically important. One interesting challenge is measurement of blanket subcriticality level during operation. We also review the potential benefits of accelerator-driven systems in various nuclear fuel cycle applications. Ultimately, accelerator-driven subcritical systems with the goal of transmutation of transuranic material have lower 100,000-year radioactivity than a critical fast reactor with recycling of uranium and plutonium.« less
Tajima, Toshiki
2006-04-18
A system and method of accelerating ions in an accelerator to optimize the energy produced by a light source. Several parameters may be controlled in constructing a target used in the accelerator system to adjust performance of the accelerator system. These parameters include the material, thickness, geometry and surface of the target.
Energy research: accelerator builders eager to aid fusion work.
Metz, W D
1976-10-15
Useful fusion energy may be generated by means of heavy ion accelerator driven implosions if the contraints dictated by the physics and economics of thermonuclear targets and reactors can be satisfied.
A New Type of Plasma Wakefield Accelerator Driven By Magnetowaves
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Chen, Pisin; /KIPAC, Menlo Park /Taiwan, Natl. Taiwan U.; Chang, Feng-Yin
2011-09-12
We present a new concept for a plasma wakefield accelerator driven by magnetowaves (MPWA). This concept was originally proposed as a viable mechanism for the 'cosmic accelerator' that would accelerate cosmic particles to ultra-high energies in the astrophysical setting. Unlike the more familiar plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA) and the laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA) where the drivers, the charged-particle beam and the laser, are independently existing entities, MPWA invokes the high-frequency and high-speed whistler mode as the driver, which is a medium wave that cannot exist outside of the plasma. Aside from the difference in drivers, the underlying mechanism that excitesmore » the plasma wakefield via the ponderomotive potential is common. Our computer simulations show that under appropriate conditions, the plasma wakefield maintains very high coherence and can sustain high-gradient acceleration over many plasma wavelengths. We suggest that in addition to its celestial application, the MPWA concept can also be of terrestrial utility. A proof-of-principle experiment on MPWA would benefit both terrestrial and celestial accelerator concepts.« less
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Plettner, T.; Byer, R.L.; Smith, T.I.
2006-02-17
We have observed acceleration of relativistic electrons in vacuum driven by a linearly polarized visible laser beam incident on a thin gold-coated reflective boundary. The observed energy modulation effect follows all the characteristics expected for linear acceleration caused by a longitudinal electric field. As predicted by the Lawson-Woodward theorem the laser driven modulation only appears in the presence of the boundary. It shows a linear dependence with the strength of the electric field of the laser beam and also it is critically dependent on the laser polarization. Finally, it appears to follow the expected angular dependence of the inverse transitionmore » radiation process. experiment as the Laser Electron Accelerator Project (LEAP).« less
Lee, Patrick; Maynard, G.; Audet, T. L.; ...
2016-11-16
The dynamics of electron acceleration driven by laser wakefield is studied in detail using the particle-in-cell code WARP with the objective to generate high-quality electron bunches with narrow energy spread and small emittance, relevant for the electron injector of a multistage accelerator. Simulation results, using experimentally achievable parameters, show that electron bunches with an energy spread of ~11% can be obtained by using an ionization-induced injection mechanism in a mm-scale length plasma. By controlling the focusing of a moderate laser power and tailoring the longitudinal plasma density profile, the electron injection beginning and end positions can be adjusted, while themore » electron energy can be finely tuned in the last acceleration section.« less
Andreani, C.; Anderson, I. S.; Carpenter, J. M.; ...
2014-12-24
In 2005 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna published a report [1] on ‘Development Opportunities of Small and Medium Scale Accelerator Driven Neutron Sources’ which summarized the prospect of smaller sources in supporting the large spallation neutron sources for materials characterization and instrumentation, a theme advocated by Bauer, Clausen, Mank, and Mulhauser in previous publications [2-4]. In 2010 the Union for Compact Accelerator-driven Neutron Sources (UCANS) was established [5], galvanizing cross-disciplinary collaborations on new source and neutronics development and expanded applications based on both slow-neutron scattering and other neutron-matter interactions of neutron energies ranging from 10⁻⁶ to 10²more » MeV [6]. Here, we first cover the recent development of ongoing and prospective projects of compact accelerator-driven neutron sources (CANS) but concentrate on prospective accelerators currently proposed in Italy. Two active R&D topics, irradiation effects on electronics and cultural heritage studies, are chosen to illustrate the impact of state-of-the-art CANS on these programs with respect to the characteristics and complementarity of the accelerator and neutronics systems as well as instrumentation development.« less
Evaluation of laser-driven ion energies for fusion fast-ignition research
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tosaki, S.; Yogo, A.; Koga, K.; Okamoto, K.; Shokita, S.; Morace, A.; Arikawa, Y.; Fujioka, S.; Nakai, M.; Shiraga, H.; Azechi, H.; Nishimura, H.
2017-10-01
We investigate laser-driven ion acceleration using kJ-class picosecond (ps) laser pulses as a fundamental study for ion-assisted fusion fast ignition, using a newly developed Thomson-parabola ion spectrometer (TPIS). The TPIS has a space- and weight-saving design, considering its use in an laser-irradiation chamber in which 12 beams of fuel implosion laser are incident, and, at the same time, demonstrates sufficient performance with its detectable range and resolution of the ion energy required for fast-ignition research. As a fundamental study on laser-ion acceleration using a ps pulse laser, we show proton acceleration up to 40 MeV at 1 × 10^{19} W cm^{-2}. The energy conversion efficiency from the incident laser into protons higher than 6 MeV is 4.6%, which encourages the realization of fusion fast ignition by laser-driven ions.
Editorial: Focus on Laser- and Beam-Driven Plasma Accelerators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Joshi, Chan; Malka, Victor
2010-04-01
The ability of short but intense laser pulses to generate high-energy electrons and ions from gaseous and solid targets has been well known since the early days of the laser fusion program. However, during the past decade there has been an explosion of experimental and theoretical activity in this area of laser-matter interaction, driven by the prospect of realizing table-top plasma accelerators for research, medical and industrial uses, and also relatively small and inexpensive plasma accelerators for high-energy physics at the frontier of particle physics. In this focus issue on laser- and beam-driven plasma accelerators, the latest advances in this field are described. Focus on Laser- and Beam-Driven Plasma Accelerators Contents Slow wave plasma structures for direct electron acceleration B D Layer, J P Palastro, A G York, T M Antonsen and H M Milchberg Cold injection for electron wakefield acceleration X Davoine, A Beck, A Lifschitz, V Malka and E Lefebvre Enhanced proton flux in the MeV range by defocused laser irradiation J S Green, D C Carroll, C Brenner, B Dromey, P S Foster, S Kar, Y T Li, K Markey, P McKenna, D Neely, A P L Robinson, M J V Streeter, M Tolley, C-G Wahlström, M H Xu and M Zepf Dose-dependent biological damage of tumour cells by laser-accelerated proton beams S D Kraft, C Richter, K Zeil, M Baumann, E Beyreuther, S Bock, M Bussmann, T E Cowan, Y Dammene, W Enghardt, U Helbig, L Karsch, T Kluge, L Laschinsky, E Lessmann, J Metzkes, D Naumburger, R Sauerbrey, M. Scḧrer, M Sobiella, J Woithe, U Schramm and J Pawelke The optimum plasma density for plasma wakefield excitation in the blowout regime W Lu, W An, M Zhou, C Joshi, C Huang and W B Mori Plasma wakefield acceleration experiments at FACET M J Hogan, T O Raubenheimer, A Seryi, P Muggli, T Katsouleas, C Huang, W Lu, W An, K A Marsh, W B Mori, C E Clayton and C Joshi Electron trapping and acceleration on a downward density ramp: a two-stage approach R M G M Trines, R Bingham, Z Najmudin
Accelerator-driven Transmutation of Waste
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Venneri, Francesco
1998-04-01
Nuclear waste from commercial power plants contains large quantities of plutonium, other fissionable actinides, and long-lived fission products that are potential proliferation concerns and create challenges for the long-term storage. Different strategies for dealing with nuclear waste are being followed by various countries because of their geologic situations and their views on nuclear energy, reprocessing and non-proliferation. The current United States policy is to store unprocessed spent reactor fuel in a geologic repository. Other countries are opting for treatment of nuclear waste, including partial utilization of the fissile material contained in the spent fuel, prior to geologic storage. Long-term uncertainties are hampering the acceptability and eventual licensing of a geologic repository for nuclear spent fuel in the US, and driving up its cost. The greatest concerns are with the potential for radiation release and exposure from the spent fuel for tens of thousands of years and the possible diversion and use of the actinides contained in the waste for weapons construction. Taking advantage of the recent breakthroughs in accelerator technology and of the natural flexibility of subcritical systems, the Accelerator-driven Transmutation of Waste (ATW) concept offers the United States and other countries the possibility to greatly reduce plutonium, higher actinides and environmentally hazardous fission products from the waste stream destined for permanent storage. ATW does not eliminate the need for, but instead enhances the viability of permanent waste repositories. Far from being limited to waste destruction, the ATW concept also brings to the table new technologies that could be relevant for next-generation power producing reactors. In the ATW concept, spent fuel would be shipped to the ATW site where the plutonium, transuranics and selected long-lived fission products would be destroyed by fission or transmutation in their first and only pass through the
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kemah, Elif; Akkaya, Recep; Tokgöz, Seyit Rıza
2017-02-01
In recent years, the accelerator driven subcritical reactors have taken great interest worldwide. The Accelerator Driven System (ADS) has been used to produce neutron in subcritical state by the external proton beam source. These reactors, which are hybrid systems, are important in production of clean and safe energy and conversion of radioactive waste. The ADS with the selection of reliability and robust target materials have been the new generation of fission reactors. In addition, in the ADS Reactors the problems of long-lived radioactive fission products and waste actinides encountered in the fission process of the reactor during incineration can be solved, and ADS has come to the forefront of thorium as fuel for the reactors.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bin, J. H.; Yeung, M.; Gong, Z.; Wang, H. Y.; Kreuzer, C.; Zhou, M. L.; Streeter, M. J. V.; Foster, P. S.; Cousens, S.; Dromey, B.; Meyer-ter-Vehn, J.; Zepf, M.; Schreiber, J.
2018-02-01
We report on the experimental studies of laser driven ion acceleration from a double-layer target where a near-critical density target with a few-micron thickness is coated in front of a nanometer-thin diamondlike carbon foil. A significant enhancement of proton maximum energies from 12 to ˜30 MeV is observed when a relativistic laser pulse impinges on the double-layer target under linear polarization. We attributed the enhanced acceleration to superponderomotive electrons that were simultaneously measured in the experiments with energies far beyond the free-electron ponderomotive limit. Our interpretation is supported by two-dimensional simulation results.
Hashimoto, Y; Hiraga, F; Kiyanagi, Y
2015-12-01
We evaluated the accelerator beam power and the neutron-induced radioactivity of (9)Be(p, n) boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) neutron sources having a MgF2, CaF2, or AlF3 moderator and driven by protons with energy from 8 MeV to 30 MeV. The optimal moderator materials were found to be MgF2 for proton energies less than 10 MeV because of lower required accelerator beam power and CaF2 for higher proton energies because of lower photon dose rate at the treatment position after neutron irradiation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Experimental evidence of space charge driven resonances in high intensity linear accelerators
Jeon, Dong -O
2016-01-12
In the construction of high intensity accelerators, it is the utmost goal to minimize the beam loss by avoiding or minimizing contributions of various halo formation mechanisms. As a halo formation mechanism, space charge driven resonances are well known for circular accelerators. However, the recent finding showed that even in linear accelerators the space charge potential can excite the 4σ = 360° fourth order resonance [D. Jeon et al., Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 12, 054204 (2009)]. This study increased the interests in space charge driven resonances of linear accelerators. Experimental studies of the space charge driven resonances of highmore » intensity linear accelerators are rare as opposed to the multitude of simulation studies. This paper presents an experimental evidence of the space charge driven 4σ ¼ 360° resonance and the 2σ x(y) – 2σ z = 0 resonance of a high intensity linear accelerator through beam profile measurements from multiple wire-scanners. Moreover, measured beam profiles agree well with the characteristics of the space charge driven 4σ = 360° resonance and the 2σ x(y) – 2σ z = 0 resonance that are predicted by the simulation.« less
The Strongest 40 keV Electron Acceleration By ICME-driven Shocks At 1 AU
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yang, L.; Wang, L.; Li, G.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.; He, J.; Tu, C. Y.; Bale, S. D.
2017-12-01
Here we present a comprehensive case study of the in situ electron acceleration at the two ICME-driven shocks observed by WIND/3DP on February 11, 2000 and July 22, 2004. For the 11 February 2000 shock (the 22 July 2004 shock), the shocked electrons in the downstream show significant flux enhancements over the ambient solar wind electrons at energies up to 40 keV (66 keV) with a 6.0 times (1.9 times) ehancment at 40 keV, the strongest among all the quasi-perpendicular (quasi-parallel) ICME-driven shocks observed by the WIND spacecraft at 1 AU from 1995 through 2014. We find that in both shocks, the shocked electron fluxes at 0.5-40 keV fit well to a double power-law spectrum, J ˜ E-β, bending up at ˜2 keV. In the downstream, these shocked electrons show stronger fluxes in the anti-sunward direction, but their enhancement over the ambient fluxes peaks near 90° pitch angle (PA). For the 11 February 2000 shock, the electron spectral index, β, appears to not vary with the electron PA, while for the 22 July 2004 shock, β roughly decreases from the anti-sunward PA direction to the sunward PA direction. All of these spectral indexes are strongly larger than the theoretical prediction of diffusive shock acceleration. At energies above (below) 2 keV, however, the shocked electron β is similar to the solar wind superhalo (halo) electrons observed at quiet times. These results suggest that the electron acceleration at the ICME-driven shocks at 1 AU may favor the shock drift acceleration, and the superthermal electrons accelerated by the interplanetary shocks may contribute to the formation of the halo and superhalo electron populations in the solar wind.
Yu, David U. L.
1990-01-01
A compact high gradient accelerator driven by a relativistic klystron is utilized to inject high energy electrons into an X-ray synchrotron radiation ring. The high gradients provided by the relativistic klystron enables accelerator structure to be much shorter (typically 3 meters) than conventional injectors. This in turn enables manufacturers which utilize high energy, high intensity X-rays to produce various devices, such as computer chips, to do so on a cost effective basis.
Time of Flight based diagnostics for high energy laser driven ion beams
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Scuderi, V.; Milluzzo, G.; Alejo, A.; Amico, A. G.; Booth, N.; Cirrone, G. A. P.; Doria, D.; Green, J.; Kar, S.; Larosa, G.; Leanza, R.; Margarone, D.; McKenna, P.; Padda, H.; Petringa, G.; Pipek, J.; Romagnani, L.; Romano, F.; Schillaci, F.; Borghesi, M.; Cuttone, G.; Korn, G.
2017-03-01
Nowadays the innovative high power laser-based ion acceleration technique is one of the most interesting challenges in particle acceleration field, showing attractive characteristics for future multidisciplinary applications, including medical ones. Nevertheless, peculiarities of optically accelerated ion beams make mandatory the development of proper transport, selection and diagnostics devices in order to deliver stable and controlled ion beams for multidisciplinary applications. This is the main purpose of the ELIMAIA (ELI Multidisciplinary Applications of laser-Ion Acceleration) beamline that will be realized and installed within 2018 at the ELI-Beamlines research center in the Czech Republic, where laser driven high energy ions, up to 60 MeV/n, will be available for users. In particular, a crucial role will be played by the on-line diagnostics system, recently developed in collaboration with INFN-LNS (Italy), consisting of TOF detectors, placed along the beamline (at different detection distances) to provide online monitoring of key characteristics of delivered beams, such as energy, fluence and ion species. In this contribution an overview on the ELIMAIA available ion diagnostics will be briefly given along with the preliminary results obtained during a test performed with high energy laser-driven proton beams accelerated at the VULCAN PW-laser available at RAL facility (U.K.).
Plasma Radiation and Acceleration Effectiveness of CME-driven Shocks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gopalswamy, N.; Schmidt, J. M.
2008-05-01
CME-driven shocks are effective radio radiation generators and accelerators for Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs). We present simulated 3 D time-dependent radio maps of second order plasma radiation generated by CME- driven shocks. The CME with its shock is simulated with the 3 D BATS-R-US CME model developed at the University of Michigan. The radiation is simulated using a kinetic plasma model that includes shock drift acceleration of electrons and stochastic growth theory of Langmuir waves. We find that in a realistic 3 D environment of magnetic field and solar wind outflow of the Sun the CME-driven shock shows a detailed spatial structure of the density, which is responsible for the fine structure of type II radio bursts. We also show realistic 3 D reconstructions of the magnetic cloud field of the CME, which is accelerated outward by magnetic buoyancy forces in the diverging magnetic field of the Sun. The CME-driven shock is reconstructed by tomography using the maximum jump in the gradient of the entropy. In the vicinity of the shock we determine the Alfven speed of the plasma. This speed profile controls how steep the shock can grow and how stable the shock remains while propagating away from the Sun. Only a steep shock can provide for an effective particle acceleration.
Plasma radiation and acceleration effectiveness of CME-driven shocks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schmidt, Joachim
CME-driven shocks are effective radio radiation generators and accelerators for Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs). We present simulated 3 D time-dependent radio maps of second order plasma radiation generated by CME-driven shocks. The CME with its shock is simulated with the 3 D BATS-R-US CME model developed at the University of Michigan. The radiation is simulated using a kinetic plasma model that includes shock drift acceleration of electrons and stochastic growth theory of Langmuir waves. We find that in a realistic 3 D environment of magnetic field and solar wind outflow of the Sun the CME-driven shock shows a detailed spatial structure of the density, which is responsible for the fine structure of type II radio bursts. We also show realistic 3 D reconstructions of the magnetic cloud field of the CME, which is accelerated outward by magnetic buoyancy forces in the diverging magnetic field of the Sun. The CME-driven shock is reconstructed by tomography using the maximum jump in the gradient of the entropy. In the vicinity of the shock we determine the Alfven speed of the plasma. This speed profile controls how steep the shock can grow and how stable the shock remains while propagating away from the Sun. Only a steep shock can provide for an effective particle acceleration.
The Strongest Acceleration of >40 keV Electrons by ICME-driven Shocks at 1 au
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yang, Liu; Wang, Linghua; Li, Gang; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert F.; He, Jiansen; Tu, Chuanyi; Tian, Hui; Bale, Stuart D.
2018-01-01
We present two case studies of the in-situ electron acceleration during the 2000 February 11 shock and the 2004 July 22 shock, with the strongest electron flux enhancement at 40 keV across the shock, among all the quasi-perpendicular and quasi-parallel ICME-driven shocks observed by the WIND 3DP instrument from 1995 through 2014 at 1 au. We find that for this quasi-perpendicular (quasi-parallel) shock on 2000 February 11 (2004 July 22), the shocked electron differential fluxes at ∼0.4–50 keV in the downstream generally fit well to a double-power-law spectrum, J ∼ E ‑β , with an index of β ∼ 3.15 (4.0) at energies below a break at ∼3 keV (∼1 keV) and β ∼ 2.65 (2.6) at energies above. For both shock events, the downstream electron spectral indices appear to be similar for all pitch angles, which are significantly larger than the index prediction by diffusive shock acceleration. In addition, the downstream electron pitch-angle distributions show the anisotropic beams in the anti-sunward-traveling direction, while the ratio of the downstream over ambient fluxes appears to peak near 90° pitch angles, at all energies of ∼0.4–50 keV. These results suggest that in both shocks, shock drift acceleration likely plays an important role in accelerating electrons in situ at 1 au. Such ICME-driven shocks could contribute to the formation of solar wind halo electrons at energies ≲2 keV, as well as the production of solar wind superhalo electrons at energies ≳2 keV in interplanetary space.
Simulations of laser-driven ion acceleration from a thin CH target
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Park, Jaehong; Bulanov, Stepan; Ji, Qing; Steinke, Sven; Treffert, Franziska; Vay, Jean-Luc; Schenkel, Thomas; Esarey, Eric; Leemans, Wim; Vincenti, Henri
2017-10-01
2D and 3D computer simulations of laser driven ion acceleration from a thin CH foil using code WARP were performed. As the foil thickness varies from a few nm to μm, the simulations confirm that the acceleration mechanism transitions from the RPA (radiation pressure acceleration) to the TNSA (target normal sheath acceleration). In the TNSA regime, with the CH target thickness of 1 μ m and a pre-plasma ahead of the target, the simulations show the production of the collimated proton beam with the maximum energy of about 10 MeV. This agrees with the experimental results obtained at the BELLA laser facility (I 5 × 18 W / cm2 , λ = 800 nm). Furthermore, the maximum proton energy dependence on different setups of the initialization, i.e., different angles of the laser incidence from the target normal axis, different gradient scales and distributions of the pre-plasma, was explored. This work was supported by LDRD funding from LBNL, provided by the U.S. DOE under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231, and used resources of the NERSC, a DOE office of Science User Facility supported by the U.S. DOE under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.
The physics design of accelerator-driven transmutation systems
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Venneri, F.
1995-10-01
Nuclear systems under study in the Los Alamos Accelerator-Driven Transmutation Technology program (ADTT) will allow the destruction of nuclear spent fuel and weapons-return plutonium, as well as the production of nuclear energy from the thorium cycle, without a long-lived radioactive waste stream. The subcritical systems proposed represent a radical departure from traditional nuclear concepts (reactors), yet the actual implementation of ADTT systems is based on modest extrapolations of existing technology. These systems strive to keep the best that the nuclear technology has developed over the years, within a sensible conservative design envelope and eventually manage to offer a safe, lessmore » expensive and more environmentally sound approach to nuclear power.« less
Efficient laser-driven proton acceleration from cylindrical and planar cryogenic hydrogen jets
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Obst, Lieselotte; Gode, Sebastian; Rehwald, Martin
We report on recent experimental results deploying a continuous cryogenic hydrogen jet as a debris-free, renewable laser-driven source of pure proton beams generated at the 150 TW ultrashort pulse laser Draco. Efficient proton acceleration reaching cut-off energies of up to 20 MeV with particle numbers exceeding 109 particles per MeV per steradian is demonstrated, showing for the first time that the acceleration performance is comparable to solid foil targets with thicknesses in the micrometer range. Two different target geometries are presented and their proton beam deliverance characterized: cylindrical (Ø 5 μm) and planar (20 μm × 2 μm). In bothmore » cases typical Target Normal Sheath Acceleration emission patterns with exponential proton energy spectra are detected. Significantly higher proton numbers in laser-forward direction are observed when deploying the planar jet as compared to the cylindrical jet case. As a result, this is confirmed by two-dimensional Particle-in-Cell (2D3V PIC) simulations, which demonstrate that the planar jet proves favorable as its geometry leads to more optimized acceleration conditions.« less
Efficient laser-driven proton acceleration from cylindrical and planar cryogenic hydrogen jets
Obst, Lieselotte; Gode, Sebastian; Rehwald, Martin; ...
2017-08-31
We report on recent experimental results deploying a continuous cryogenic hydrogen jet as a debris-free, renewable laser-driven source of pure proton beams generated at the 150 TW ultrashort pulse laser Draco. Efficient proton acceleration reaching cut-off energies of up to 20 MeV with particle numbers exceeding 109 particles per MeV per steradian is demonstrated, showing for the first time that the acceleration performance is comparable to solid foil targets with thicknesses in the micrometer range. Two different target geometries are presented and their proton beam deliverance characterized: cylindrical (Ø 5 μm) and planar (20 μm × 2 μm). In bothmore » cases typical Target Normal Sheath Acceleration emission patterns with exponential proton energy spectra are detected. Significantly higher proton numbers in laser-forward direction are observed when deploying the planar jet as compared to the cylindrical jet case. As a result, this is confirmed by two-dimensional Particle-in-Cell (2D3V PIC) simulations, which demonstrate that the planar jet proves favorable as its geometry leads to more optimized acceleration conditions.« less
Solid hydrogen target for laser driven proton acceleration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Perin, J. P.; Garcia, S.; Chatain, D.; Margarone, D.
2015-05-01
The development of very high power lasers opens up new horizons in various fields, such as laser plasma acceleration in Physics and innovative approaches for proton therapy in Medicine. Laser driven proton acceleration is commonly based on the so-called Target Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA) mechanisms: a high power laser is focused onto a solid target (thin metallic or plastic foil) and interact with matter at very high intensity, thus generating a plasma; as a consequence "hot" electrons are produced and move into the forward direction through the target. Protons are generated at the target rear side, electrons try to escape from the target and an ultra-strong quasi-electrostatic field (~1TV/m) is generated. Such a field can accelerate protons with a wide energy spectrum (1-200 MeV) in a few tens of micrometers. The proton beam characteristics depend on the laser parameters and on the target geometry and nature. This technique has been validated experimentally in several high power laser facilities by accelerating protons coming from hydrogenated contaminant (mainly water) at the rear of metallic target, however, several research groups are investigating the possibility to perform experiments by using "pure" hydrogen targets. In this context, the low temperature laboratory at CEA-Grenoble has developed a cryostat able to continuously produce a thin hydrogen ribbon (from 40 to 100 microns thick). A new extrusion concept, without any moving part has been carried out, using only the thermodynamic properties of the fluid. First results and perspectives are presented in this paper.
Feasibility of an XUV FEL Oscillator Driven by a SCRF Linear Accelerator
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Lumpkin, A. H.; Freund, H. P.; Reinsch, M.
The Advanced Superconducting Test Accelerator (ASTA) facility is currently under construction at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Using a1-ms-long macropulse composed of up to 3000 micropulses, and with beam energies projected from 45 to 800 MeV, the possibility for an extreme ultraviolet (XUV) free-electron laser oscillator (FELO) with the higher energy is evaluated. We have used both GINGER with an oscillator module and the MEDUSA/OPC code to assess FELO saturation prospects at 120 nm, 40 nm, and 13.4 nm. The results support saturation at all of these wavelengths which are also shorter than the demonstrated shortest wavelength record of 176 nmmore » from a storage-ring-based FELO. This indicates linac-driven FELOs can be extended into this XUV wavelength regime previously only reached with single-pass FEL configurations.« less
Microwave Driven Magnetic Plasma Accelerator Studies (CYCLOPS)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Crimi, G. F.; Eckert, A. C.; Miller, D. B.
1967-01-01
A microwave-driven cyclotron resonance plasma acceleration device was investigated using argon, krypton, xenon, and mercury as propellants. Limited ranges of propellant flow rate, input power, and magnetic field strength were used. Over-all efficiencies (including the 65% efficiency of the input polarizer) less than 10% were obtained for specific impulse values between 500 and 1500 sec. Power transfer efficiencies, however, approached 100% of the input power available in the right-hand component of the incident circularly polarized radiation. Beam diagnostics using Langmuir probes, cold gas mapping, r-f mapping and ion energy analyses were performed in conjunction with an engine operating in a pulsed mode. Measurements of transverse electron energies at the position of cyclotron resonant absorption yielded energy values more than an order of magnitude lower than anticipated. The measured electron energies were, however, consistent with the low values of average ion energy measured by retarding potential techniques. The low values of average ion energy were also consistent with the measured thrust values. It is hypothesized that ionization and radiation limit the electron kinetic energy to low-values thus limiting the energy which is finally transferred to the ion. Thermalization by electron-electron collision was also identified as an additional loss mechanism. The use of light alkali metals, which have relatively few low lying energy levels to excite, with the input power to mass ratio selected so as to limit the electron energies to less than the second ionization potential, is suggested. It is concluded, however, that the over-all efficiency for such propellants would be less than 40 per cent.
Dalui, Malay; Wang, W.-M.; Trivikram, T. Madhu; Sarkar, Subhrangshu; Tata, Sheroy; Jha, J.; Ayyub, P.; Sheng, Z. M.; Krishnamurthy, M.
2015-01-01
High-intensity ultrashort laser pulses focused on metal targets readily generate hot dense plasmas which accelerate ions efficiently and can pave way to compact table-top accelerators. Laser-driven ion acceleration studies predominantly focus on protons, which experience the maximum acceleration owing to their highest charge-to-mass ratio. The possibility of tailoring such schemes for the preferential acceleration of a particular ion species is very much desired but has hardly been explored. Here, we present an experimental demonstration of how the nanostructuring of a copper target can be optimized for enhanced carbon ion acceleration over protons or Cu-ions. Specifically, a thin (≈0.25 μm) layer of 25–30 nm diameter Cu nanoparticles, sputter-deposited on a polished Cu-substrate, enhances the carbon ion energy by about 10-fold at a laser intensity of 1.2×1018 W/cm2. However, particles smaller than 20 nm have an adverse effect on the ion acceleration. Particle-in-cell simulations provide definite pointers regarding the size of nanoparticles necessary for maximizing the ion acceleration. The inherent contrast of the laser pulse is found to play an important role in the species selective ion acceleration. PMID:26153048
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhang, W. L.; Qiao, B.; Shen, X. F.; You, W. Y.; Huang, T. W.; Yan, X. Q.; Wu, S. Z.; Zhou, C. T.; He, X. T.
2016-09-01
Laser-driven ion acceleration potentially offers a compact, cost-effective alternative to conventional accelerators for scientific, technological, and health-care applications. A novel scheme for heavy ion acceleration in near-critical plasmas via staged shock waves driven by intense laser pulses is proposed, where, in front of the heavy ion target, a light ion layer is used for launching a high-speed electrostatic shock wave. This shock is enhanced at the interface before it is transmitted into the heavy ion plasmas. Monoenergetic heavy ion beam with much higher energy can be generated by the transmitted shock, comparing to the shock wave acceleration in pure heavy ion target. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that quasi-monoenergetic {{{C}}}6+ ion beams with peak energy 168 MeV and considerable particle number 2.1 × {10}11 are obtained by laser pulses at intensity of 1.66 × {10}20 {{W}} {{cm}}-2 in such staged shock wave acceleration scheme. Similarly a high-quality {{Al}}10+ ion beam with a well-defined peak with energy 250 MeV and spread δ E/{E}0=30 % can also be obtained in this scheme.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Robinson, I. M.; Simnett, G. M.
2005-07-01
We examine the solar energetic particle event following solar activity from 14, 15 April 2001 which includes a "bump-on-the-tail" in the proton energy spectra at 0.99 AU from the Sun. We find this population was generated by a CME-driven shock which arrived at 0.99 AU around midnight 18 April. As such this population represents an excellent opportunity to study in isolation, the effects of proton acceleration by the shock. The peak energy of the bump-on-the-tail evolves to progressively lower energies as the shock approaches the observing spacecraft at the inner Lagrange point. Focusing on the evolution of this peak energy we demonstrate a technique which transforms these in-situ spectral observations into a frame of reference co-moving with the shock whilst making allowance for the effects of pitch angle scattering and focusing. The results of this transform suggest the bump-on-the-tail population was not driven by the 15 April activity but was generated or at least modulated by a CME-driven shock which left the Sun on 14 April. The existence of a bump-on-the-tail population is predicted by models in Rice et al. (2003) and Li et al. (2003) which we compare with observations and the results of our analysis in the context of both the 14 April and 15 April CMEs. We find an origin of the bump-on-the-tail at the 14 April CME-driven shock provides better agreement with these modelled predictions although some discrepancy exists as to the shock's ability to accelerate 100 MeV protons. Keywords. Solar physics, astrophysics and astronomy (Energetic particles; Flares and mass ejections) Space plasma physics (Transport processes)
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Becker, Peter A.; Das, Santabrata; Le, Truong, E-mail: pbecker@gmu.edu, E-mail: sbdas@iitg.ernet.in, E-mail: truong.le@nhrec.org
2011-12-10
The acceleration of relativistic particles in a viscous accretion disk containing a standing shock is investigated as a possible explanation for the energetic outflows observed around radio-loud black holes. The energy/space distribution of the accelerated particles is computed by solving a transport equation that includes the effects of first-order Fermi acceleration, bulk advection, spatial diffusion, and particle escape. The velocity profile of the accreting gas is described using a model for shocked viscous disks recently developed by the authors, and the corresponding Green's function distribution for the accelerated particles in the disk and the outflow is obtained using a classicalmore » method based on eigenfunction analysis. The accretion-driven, diffusive shock acceleration scenario explored here is conceptually similar to the standard model for the acceleration of cosmic rays at supernova-driven shocks. However, in the disk application, the distribution of the accelerated particles is much harder than would be expected for a plane-parallel shock with the same compression ratio. Hence the disk environment plays a key role in enhancing the efficiency of the shock acceleration process. The presence of the shock helps to stabilize the disk by reducing the Bernoulli parameter, while channeling the excess binding energy into the escaping relativistic particles. In applications to M87 and Sgr A*, we find that the kinetic power in the jet is {approx}0.01 M-dot c{sup 2}, and the outflowing relativistic particles have a mean energy {approx}300 times larger than that of the thermal gas in the disk at the shock radius. Our results suggest that a standing shock may be an essential ingredient in accretion onto underfed black holes, helping to resolve the long-standing problem of the stability of advection-dominated accretion disks.« less
Development of High-Gradient Dielectric Laser-Driven Particle Accelerator Structures
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Byer, Robert L.
2013-11-07
The thrust of Stanford's program is to conduct research on high-gradient dielectric accelerator structures driven with high repetition-rate, tabletop infrared lasers. The close collaboration between Stanford and SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) is critical to the success of this project, because it provides a unique environment where prototype dielectric accelerator structures can be rapidly fabricated and tested with a relativistic electron beam.
Study of an External Neutron Source for an Accelerator-Driven System using the PHITS Code
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Sugawara, Takanori; Iwasaki, Tomohiko; Chiba, Takashi
A code system for the Accelerator Driven System (ADS) has been under development for analyzing dynamic behaviors of a subcritical core coupled with an accelerator. This code system named DSE (Dynamics calculation code system for a Subcritical system with an External neutron source) consists of an accelerator part and a reactor part. The accelerator part employs a database, which is calculated by using PHITS, for investigating the effect related to the accelerator such as the changes of beam energy, beam diameter, void generation, and target level. This analysis method using the database may introduce some errors into dynamics calculations sincemore » the neutron source data derived from the database has some errors in fitting or interpolating procedures. In this study, the effects of various events are investigated to confirm that the method based on the database is appropriate.« less
High Energy Density Physics and Exotic Acceleration Schemes
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Cowan, T.; /General Atomics, San Diego; Colby, E.
2005-09-27
The High Energy Density and Exotic Acceleration working group took as our goal to reach beyond the community of plasma accelerator research with its applications to high energy physics, to promote exchange with other disciplines which are challenged by related and demanding beam physics issues. The scope of the group was to cover particle acceleration and beam transport that, unlike other groups at AAC, are not mediated by plasmas or by electromagnetic structures. At this Workshop, we saw an impressive advancement from years past in the area of Vacuum Acceleration, for example with the LEAP experiment at Stanford. And wemore » saw an influx of exciting new beam physics topics involving particle propagation inside of solid-density plasmas or at extremely high charge density, particularly in the areas of laser acceleration of ions, and extreme beams for fusion energy research, including Heavy-ion Inertial Fusion beam physics. One example of the importance and extreme nature of beam physics in HED research is the requirement in the Fast Ignitor scheme of inertial fusion to heat a compressed DT fusion pellet to keV temperatures by injection of laser-driven electron or ion beams of giga-Amp current. Even in modest experiments presently being performed on the laser-acceleration of ions from solids, mega-amp currents of MeV electrons must be transported through solid foils, requiring almost complete return current neutralization, and giving rise to a wide variety of beam-plasma instabilities. As keynote talks our group promoted Ion Acceleration (plenary talk by A. MacKinnon), which historically has grown out of inertial fusion research, and HIF Accelerator Research (invited talk by A. Friedman), which will require impressive advancements in space-charge-limited ion beam physics and in understanding the generation and transport of neutralized ion beams. A unifying aspect of High Energy Density applications was the physics of particle beams inside of solids, which is
Accelerator driven sub-critical core
McIntyre, Peter M; Sattarov, Akhdiyor
2015-03-17
Systems and methods for operating an accelerator driven sub-critical core. In one embodiment, a fission power generator includes a sub-critical core and a plurality of proton beam generators. Each of the proton beam generators is configured to concurrently provide a proton beam into a different area of the sub-critical core. Each proton beam scatters neutrons within the sub-critical core. The plurality of proton beam generators provides aggregate power to the sub-critical core, via the proton beams, to scatter neutrons sufficient to initiate fission in the sub-critical core.
Convectively driven decadal zonal accelerations in Earth's fluid core
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
More, Colin; Dumberry, Mathieu
2018-04-01
Azimuthal accelerations of cylindrical surfaces co-axial with the rotation axis have been inferred to exist in Earth's fluid core on the basis of magnetic field observations and changes in the length-of-day. These accelerations have a typical timescale of decades. However, the physical mechanism causing the accelerations is not well understood. Scaling arguments suggest that the leading order torque averaged over cylindrical surfaces should arise from the Lorentz force. Decadal fluctuations in the magnetic field inside the core, driven by convective flows, could then force decadal changes in the Lorentz torque and generate zonal accelerations. We test this hypothesis by constructing a quasi-geostrophic model of magnetoconvection, with thermally driven flows perturbing a steady, imposed background magnetic field. We show that when the Alfvén number in our model is similar to that in Earth's fluid core, temporal fluctuations in the torque balance are dominated by the Lorentz torque, with the latter generating mean zonal accelerations. Our model reproduces both fast, free Alfvén waves and slow, forced accelerations, with ratios of relative strength and relative timescale similar to those inferred for the Earth's core. The temporal changes in the magnetic field which drive the time-varying Lorentz torque are produced by the underlying convective flows, shearing and advecting the magnetic field on a timescale associated with convective eddies. Our results support the hypothesis that temporal changes in the magnetic field deep inside Earth's fluid core drive the observed decadal zonal accelerations of cylindrical surfaces through the Lorentz torque.
Compact beam transport system for free-electron lasers driven by a laser plasma accelerator
Liu, Tao; Zhang, Tong; Wang, Dong; ...
2017-02-01
Utilizing laser-driven plasma accelerators (LPAs) as a high-quality electron beam source is a promising approach to significantly downsize the x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) facility. A multi-GeV LPA beam can be generated in several-centimeter acceleration distance, with a high peak current and a low transverse emittance, which will considerably benefit a compact FEL design. However, the large initial angular divergence and energy spread make it challenging to transport the beam and realize FEL radiation. In this paper, a novel design of beam transport system is proposed to maintain the superior features of the LPA beam and a transverse gradient undulator (TGU)more » is also adopted as an effective energy spread compensator to generate high-brilliance FEL radiation. As a result, theoretical analysis and numerical simulations are presented based on a demonstration experiment with an electron energy of 380 MeV and a radiation wavelength of 30 nm.« less
Martinez de la Ossa, A; Grebenyuk, J; Mehrling, T; Schaper, L; Osterhoff, J
2013-12-13
We propose a new and simple strategy for controlled ionization-induced trapping of electrons in a beam-driven plasma accelerator. The presented method directly exploits electric wakefields to ionize electrons from a dopant gas and capture them into a well-defined volume of the accelerating and focusing wake phase, leading to high-quality witness bunches. This injection principle is explained by example of three-dimensional particle-in-cell calculations using the code OSIRIS. In these simulations a high-current-density electron-beam driver excites plasma waves in the blowout regime inside a fully ionized hydrogen plasma of density 5×10(17)cm-3. Within an embedded 100 μm long plasma column contaminated with neutral helium gas, the wakefields trigger ionization, trapping of a defined fraction of the released electrons, and subsequent acceleration. The hereby generated electron beam features a 1.5 kA peak current, 1.5 μm transverse normalized emittance, an uncorrelated energy spread of 0.3% on a GeV-energy scale, and few femtosecond bunch length.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sooby, Elizabeth; Adams, Marvin; Baty, Austin; Gerity, James; McIntyre, Peter; Melconian, Karie; Phongikaroon, Supathorn; Pogue, Nathaniel; Sattarov, Akhdiyor; Simpson, Michael; Tripathy, Prabhat; Tsevkov, Pavel
2013-04-01
The host salt selection, molecular modeling, physical chemistry, and processing chemistry are presented here for an accelerator-driven subcritical fission in a molten salt core (ADSMS). The core is fueled solely with the transuranics (TRU) and long-lived fission products (LFP) from used nuclear fuel. The neutronics and salt composition are optimized to destroy the transuranics by fission and the long-lived fission products by transmutation. The cores are driven by proton beams from a strong-focusing cyclotron stack. One such ADSMS system can destroy the transuranics in the used nuclear fuel produced by a 1GWe conventional reactor. It uniquely provides a method to close the nuclear fuel cycle for green nuclear energy.
Bulanov, S. S.; Esarey, E.; Schroeder, C. B.; ...
2015-03-13
Radiation Pressure Acceleration is a highly efficient mechanism of laser driven ion acceleration, with the laser energy almost totally transferrable to the ions in the relativistic regime. There is a fundamental limit on the maximum attainable ion energy, which is determined by the group velocity of the laser. In the case of a tightly focused laser pulses, which are utilized to get the highest intensity, another factor limiting the maximum ion energy comes into play, the transverse expansion of the target. Transverse expansion makes the target transparent for radiation, thus reducing the effectiveness of acceleration. Utilization of an external guidingmore » structure for the accelerating laser pulse may provide a way of compensating for the group velocity and transverse expansion effects.« less
Current driven instabilities of an electromagnetically accelerated plasma
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Chouetri, E. Y.; Kelly, A. J.; Jahn, R. G.
1988-01-01
A plasma instability that strongly influences the efficiency and lifetime of electromagnetic plasma accelerators was quantitatively measured. Experimental measurements of dispersion relations (wave phase velocities), spatial growth rates, and stability boundaries are reported. The measured critical wave parameters are in excellent agreement with theoretical instability boundary predictions. The instability is current driven and affects a wide spectrum of longitudinal (electrostatic) oscillations. Current driven instabilities, which are intrinsic to the high-current-carrying magnetized plasma of the magnetoplasmadynmic (MPD) accelerator, were investigated with a kinetic theoretical model based on first principles. Analytical limits of the appropriate dispersion relation yield unstable ion acoustic waves for T(i)/T(e) much less than 1 and electron acoustic waves for T(i)/T(e) much greater than 1. The resulting set of nonlinear equations for the case of T(i)/T(e) = 1, of most interest to the MPD thruster Plasma Wave Experiment, was numerically solved to yield a multiparameter set of stability boundaries. Under certain conditions, marginally stable waves traveling almost perpendicular to the magnetic field would travel at a velocity equal to that of the electron current. Such waves were termed current waves. Unstable current waves near the upper stability boundary were observed experimentally and are in accordance with theoretical predictions. This provides unambiguous proof of the existence of such instabilites in electromagnetic plasma accelerators.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Liu, Bin; Meyer-Ter-Vehn, Juergen; Ruhl, Hartmut
2017-10-01
We introduce an alternative approach for laser driven self-injected high quality ion acceleration. We call it ion wave breaking acceleration. It operates in relativistic self-transparent plasma for ultra-intense ultra-short laser pulses. Laser propagating in a transparent plasma excites an electron wave as well as an ion wave. When the ion wave breaks, a fraction of ions is self-injected into the positive part of the laser driven wake. This leads to a superior ion pulse with peaked energy spectra; in particular in realistic three-dimensional geometry, the injection occurs localized close to the laser axis producing highly directed bunches. A theory is developed to investigate the ion wave breaking dynamics. Three dimensional Particle-in-Cell simulations with pure-gaussian laser pulses and pre-expanded near-critical density plasma targets have been done to verify the theoretical results. It is shown that hundreds of MeV, easily controllable and manipulable, micron-scale size, highly collimated and quasi-mono-energetic ion beams can be produced by using ultra-intense ultra-short laser pulses with total laser energies less than 10 Joules. Such ion beams may find important applications in tumour therapy. B. Liu acknowledges support from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. B. Liu and H. Ruhl acknowledge supports from the Gauss Centre for Supercomputing (GCS), and the Cluster-of-Excellence Munich Centre for Advanced Photonics (MAP).
Lemery, F.; Piot, P.
2015-08-03
Collinear high-gradient O(GV/m) beam-driven wakefield methods for charged-particle acceleration could be critical to the realization of compact, cost-efficient, accelerators, e.g., in support of TeV-scale lepton colliders or multiple-user free-electron laser facilities. To make these options viable, the high accelerating fields need to be complemented with large transformer ratios >2, a parameter characterizing the efficiency of the energy transfer between a wakefield-exciting “drive” bunch to an accelerated “witness” bunch. While several potential current distributions have been discussed, their practical realization appears challenging due to their often discontinuous nature. In this paper we propose several alternative continuously differentiable (smooth) current profiles whichmore » support enhanced transformer ratios. We especially demonstrate that one of the devised shapes can be implemented in a photo-emission electron source by properly shaping the photocathode-laser pulse. We finally discuss a possible superconducting linear-accelerator concept that could produce shaped drive bunches at high-repetition rates to drive a dielectric-wakefield accelerator with accelerating fields on the order of ~60 MV/m and a transformer ratio ~5 consistent with a recently proposed multiuser free-electron laser facility.« less
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Lemery, F.; Piot, P.
Collinear high-gradient O(GV/m) beam-driven wakefield methods for charged-particle acceleration could be critical to the realization of compact, cost-efficient, accelerators, e.g., in support of TeV-scale lepton colliders or multiple-user free-electron laser facilities. To make these options viable, the high accelerating fields need to be complemented with large transformer ratios >2, a parameter characterizing the efficiency of the energy transfer between a wakefield-exciting “drive” bunch to an accelerated “witness” bunch. While several potential current distributions have been discussed, their practical realization appears challenging due to their often discontinuous nature. In this paper we propose several alternative continuously differentiable (smooth) current profiles whichmore » support enhanced transformer ratios. We especially demonstrate that one of the devised shapes can be implemented in a photo-emission electron source by properly shaping the photocathode-laser pulse. We finally discuss a possible superconducting linear-accelerator concept that could produce shaped drive bunches at high-repetition rates to drive a dielectric-wakefield accelerator with accelerating fields on the order of ~60 MV/m and a transformer ratio ~5 consistent with a recently proposed multiuser free-electron laser facility.« less
Application of Plasma Waveguides to High Energy Accelerators
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Milchberg, Howard M
2013-03-30
The eventual success of laser-plasma based acceleration schemes for high-energy particle physics will require the focusing and stable guiding of short intense laser pulses in reproducible plasma channels. For this goal to be realized, many scientific issues need to be addressed. These issues include an understanding of the basic physics of, and an exploration of various schemes for, plasma channel formation. In addition, the coupling of intense laser pulses to these channels and the stable propagation of pulses in the channels require study. Finally, new theoretical and computational tools need to be developed to aid in the design and analysismore » of experiments and future accelerators. Here we propose a 3-year renewal of our combined theoretical and experimental program on the applications of plasma waveguides to high-energy accelerators. During the past grant period we have made a number of significant advances in the science of laser-plasma based acceleration. We pioneered the development of clustered gases as a new highly efficient medium for plasma channel formation. Our contributions here include theoretical and experimental studies of the physics of cluster ionization, heating, explosion, and channel formation. We have demonstrated for the first time the generation of and guiding in a corrugated plasma waveguide. The fine structure demonstrated in these guides is only possible with cluster jet heating by lasers. The corrugated guide is a slow wave structure operable at arbitrarily high laser intensities, allowing direct laser acceleration, a process we have explored in detail with simulations. The development of these guides opens the possibility of direct laser acceleration, a true miniature analogue of the SLAC RF-based accelerator. Our theoretical studies during this period have also contributed to the further development of the simulation codes, Wake and QuickPIC, which can be used for both laser driven and beam driven plasma based acceleration
Bacterial cells enhance laser driven ion acceleration
Dalui, Malay; Kundu, M.; Trivikram, T. Madhu; Rajeev, R.; Ray, Krishanu; Krishnamurthy, M.
2014-01-01
Intense laser produced plasmas generate hot electrons which in turn leads to ion acceleration. Ability to generate faster ions or hotter electrons using the same laser parameters is one of the main outstanding paradigms in the intense laser-plasma physics. Here, we present a simple, albeit, unconventional target that succeeds in generating 700 keV carbon ions where conventional targets for the same laser parameters generate at most 40 keV. A few layers of micron sized bacteria coating on a polished surface increases the laser energy coupling and generates a hotter plasma which is more effective for the ion acceleration compared to the conventional polished targets. Particle-in-cell simulations show that micro-particle coated target are much more effective in ion acceleration as seen in the experiment. We envisage that the accelerated, high-energy carbon ions can be used as a source for multiple applications. PMID:25102948
Disk-accreting magnetic neutron stars as high-energy particle accelerators
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hamilton, Russell J.; Lamb, Frederick K.; Miller, M. Coleman
1994-01-01
Interaction of an accretion disk with the magnetic field of a neutron star produces large electromotive forces, which drive large conduction currents in the disk-magnetosphere-star circuit. Here we argue that such large conduction currents will cause microscopic and macroscopic instabilities in the magnetosphere. If the minimum plasma density in the magnetosphere is relatively low is less than or aproximately 10(exp 9)/cu cm, current-driven micro-instabilities may cause relativistic double layers to form, producing voltage differences in excess of 10(exp 12) V and accelerating charged particles to very high energies. If instead the plasma density is higher (is greater than or approximately = 10(exp 9)/cu cm, twisting of the stellar magnetic field is likely to cause magnetic field reconnection. This reconnection will be relativistic, accelerating plasma in the magnetosphere to relativistic speeds and a small fraction of particles to very high energies. Interaction of these high-energy particles with X-rays, gamma-rays, and accreting plasma may produce detectable high-energy radiation.
Bulanov, Stepan S.; Brantov, Andrei; Bychenkov, Valery Yu.; Chvykov, Vladimir; Kalinchenko, Galina; Matsuoka, Takeshi; Rousseau, Pascal; Reed, Stephen; Yanovsky, Victor; Krushelnick, Karl; Litzenberg, Dale William; Maksimchuk, Anatoly
2008-01-01
Proton acceleration by high-intensity laser pulses from ultrathin foils for hadron therapy is discussed. With the improvement of the laser intensity contrast ratio to 10−11 achieved on the Hercules laser at the University of Michigan, it became possible to attain laser-solid interactions at intensities up to 1022 W∕cm2 that allows an efficient regime of laser-driven ion acceleration from submicron foils. Particle-in-cell (PIC) computer simulations of proton acceleration in the directed Coulomb explosion regime from ultrathin double-layer (heavy ions∕light ions) foils of different thicknesses were performed under the anticipated experimental conditions for the Hercules laser with pulse energies from 3 to 15 J, pulse duration of 30 fs at full width half maximum (FWHM), focused to a spot size of 0.8 μm (FWHM). In this regime heavy ions expand predominantly in the direction of laser pulse propagation enhancing the longitudinal charge separation electric field that accelerates light ions. The dependence of the maximum proton energy on the foil thickness has been found and the laser pulse characteristics have been matched with the thickness of the target to ensure the most efficient acceleration. Moreover, the proton spectrum demonstrates a peaked structure at high energies, which is required for radiation therapy. Two-dimensional PIC simulations show that a 150–500 TW laser pulse is able to accelerate protons up to 100–220 MeV energies. PMID:18561651
On the maximum energy achievable in the first order Fermi acceleration at shocks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Grozny, I.; Diamond, P.; Malkov, M.
2002-11-01
Astrophysical shocks are considered as the sites of cosmic ray (CR) production. The primary mechanism is the diffusive shock (Fermi) acceleration which operates via multiple shock recrossing by a particle. Its efficiency, the rate of energy gain, and the maximum energy are thus determined by the transport mechanisms (confinement to the shock) of these particles in a turbulent shock environment. The turbulence is believed to be generated by accelerated particles themselves. Moreover, in the most interesting case of efficient acceleration the entire MHD shock structure is dominated by their pressure. This makes this problem one of the challenging strongly nonlinear problems of astrophysics. We suggest a physical model that describes particle acceleration, shock structure and the CR driven turbulence on an equal footing. The key new element in this scheme is nonlinear cascading of the MHD turbulence on self-excited (via modulational and Drury instability) sound-like perturbations which gives rise to a significant enrichment of the long wave part of the MHD spectrum. This is critical for the calculation of the maximum energy.
Radiation pressure acceleration: The factors limiting maximum attainable ion energy
Bulanov, S. S.; Esarey, E.; Schroeder, C. B.; ...
2016-04-15
Radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) is a highly efficient mechanism of laser-driven ion acceleration, with near complete transfer of the laser energy to the ions in the relativistic regime. However, there is a fundamental limit on the maximum attainable ion energy, which is determined by the group velocity of the laser. The tightly focused laser pulses have group velocities smaller than the vacuum light speed, and, since they offer the high intensity needed for the RPA regime, it is plausible that group velocity effects would manifest themselves in the experiments involving tightly focused pulses and thin foils. However, in this case,more » finite spot size effects are important, and another limiting factor, the transverse expansion of the target, may dominate over the group velocity effect. As the laser pulse diffracts after passing the focus, the target expands accordingly due to the transverse intensity profile of the laser. Due to this expansion, the areal density of the target decreases, making it transparent for radiation and effectively terminating the acceleration. The off-normal incidence of the laser on the target, due either to the experimental setup, or to the deformation of the target, will also lead to establishing a limit on maximum ion energy.« less
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stankovskiy, Alexey; Çelik, Yurdunaz; Eynde, Gert Van den
2017-09-01
Perturbation of external neutron source can cause significant local power changes transformed into undesired safety-related events in an accelerator driven system. Therefore for the accurate design of MYRRHA sub-critical core it is important to evaluate the uncertainty of power responses caused by the uncertainties in nuclear reaction models describing the particle transport from primary proton energy down to the evaluated nuclear data table range. The calculations with a set of models resulted in quite low uncertainty on the local power caused by significant perturbation of primary neutron yield from proton interactions with lead and bismuth isotopes. The considered accidental event of prescribed proton beam shape loss causes drastic increase in local power but does not practically change the total core thermal power making this effect difficult to detect. In the same time the results demonstrate a correlation between perturbed local power responses in normal operation and misaligned beam conditions indicating that generation of covariance data for proton and neutron induced neutron multiplicities for lead and bismuth isotopes is needed to obtain reliable uncertainties for local power responses.
Laser-ablation-based ion source characterization and manipulation for laser-driven ion acceleration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sommer, P.; Metzkes-Ng, J.; Brack, F.-E.; Cowan, T. E.; Kraft, S. D.; Obst, L.; Rehwald, M.; Schlenvoigt, H.-P.; Schramm, U.; Zeil, K.
2018-05-01
For laser-driven ion acceleration from thin foils (∼10 μm–100 nm) in the target normal sheath acceleration regime, the hydro-carbon contaminant layer at the target surface generally serves as the ion source and hence determines the accelerated ion species, i.e. mainly protons, carbon and oxygen ions. The specific characteristics of the source layer—thickness and relevant lateral extent—as well as its manipulation have both been investigated since the first experiments on laser-driven ion acceleration using a variety of techniques from direct source imaging to knife-edge or mesh imaging. In this publication, we present an experimental study in which laser ablation in two fluence regimes (low: F ∼ 0.6 J cm‑2, high: F ∼ 4 J cm‑2) was applied to characterize and manipulate the hydro-carbon source layer. The high-fluence ablation in combination with a timed laser pulse for particle acceleration allowed for an estimation of the relevant source layer thickness for proton acceleration. Moreover, from these data and independently from the low-fluence regime, the lateral extent of the ion source layer became accessible.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Bulanov, Stepan S.; Brantov, Andrei; Bychenkov, Valery Yu.
2008-05-15
Proton acceleration by high-intensity laser pulses from ultrathin foils for hadron therapy is discussed. With the improvement of the laser intensity contrast ratio to 10{sup -11} achieved on the Hercules laser at the University of Michigan, it became possible to attain laser-solid interactions at intensities up to 10{sup 22} W/cm{sup 2} that allows an efficient regime of laser-driven ion acceleration from submicron foils. Particle-in-cell (PIC) computer simulations of proton acceleration in the directed Coulomb explosion regime from ultrathin double-layer (heavy ions/light ions) foils of different thicknesses were performed under the anticipated experimental conditions for the Hercules laser with pulse energiesmore » from 3 to 15 J, pulse duration of 30 fs at full width half maximum (FWHM), focused to a spot size of 0.8 {mu}m (FWHM). In this regime heavy ions expand predominantly in the direction of laser pulse propagation enhancing the longitudinal charge separation electric field that accelerates light ions. The dependence of the maximum proton energy on the foil thickness has been found and the laser pulse characteristics have been matched with the thickness of the target to ensure the most efficient acceleration. Moreover, the proton spectrum demonstrates a peaked structure at high energies, which is required for radiation therapy. Two-dimensional PIC simulations show that a 150-500 TW laser pulse is able to accelerate protons up to 100-220 MeV energies.« less
Overview of Accelerator Applications in Energy
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Garnett, Robert W.; Sheffield, Richard L.
An overview of the application of accelerators and accelerator technology in energy is presented. Applications span a broad range of cost, size, and complexity and include large-scale systems requiring high-power or high-energy accelerators to drive subcritical reactors for energy production or waste transmutation, as well as small-scale industrial systems used to improve oil and gas exploration and production. The enabling accelerator technologies will also be reviewed and future directions discussed.
CANCELLED Microwave Ion Source and Beam Injection for anAccelerator-Driven Neut ron Source
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Vainionpaa, J.H.; Gough, R.; Hoff, M.
2007-02-27
An over-dense microwave driven ion source capable of producing deuterium (or hydrogen) beams at 100-200 mA/cm{sup 2} and with atomic fraction > 90% was designed and tested with an electrostatic low energy beam transport section (LEBT). This ion source was incorporated into the design of an Accelerator Driven Neutron Source (ADNS). The other key components in the ADNS include a 6 MeV RFQ accelerator, a beam bending and scanning system, and a deuterium gas target. In this design a 40 mA D{sup +} beam is produced from a 6 mm diameter aperture using a 60 kV extraction voltage. The LEBTmore » section consists of 5 electrodes arranged to form 2 Einzel lenses that focus the beam into the RFQ entrance. To create the ECR condition, 2 induction coils are used to create {approx} 875 Gauss on axis inside the source chamber. To prevent HV breakdown in the LEBT a magnetic field clamp is necessary to minimize the field in this region. Matching of the microwave power from the waveguide to the plasma is done by an autotuner. They observed significant improvement of the beam quality after installing a boron nitride liner inside the ion source. The measured emittance data are compared with PBGUNS simulations.« less
Observation of Gigawatt-Class THz Pulses from a Compact Laser-Driven Particle Accelerator
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gopal, A.; Herzer, S.; Schmidt, A.; Singh, P.; Reinhard, A.; Ziegler, W.; Brömmel, D.; Karmakar, A.; Gibbon, P.; Dillner, U.; May, T.; Meyer, H.-G.; Paulus, G. G.
2013-08-01
We report the observation of subpicosecond terahertz (T-ray) pulses with energies ≥460μJ from a laser-driven ion accelerator, thus rendering the peak power of the source higher even than that of state-of-the-art synchrotrons. Experiments were performed with intense laser pulses (up to 5×1019W/cm2) to irradiate thin metal foil targets. Ion spectra measured simultaneously showed a square law dependence of the T-ray yield on particle number. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show the presence of transient currents at the target rear surface which could be responsible for the strong T-ray emission.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Wootton, K. P.; Wu, Z.; Cowan, B. M.
Acceleration of electrons using laser-driven dielectric microstructures is a promising technology for the miniaturization of particle accelerators. In this work, experimental results are presented of relativistic electron acceleration with 690±100 MVm -1 gradient. This is a record-high accelerating gradient for a dielectric microstructure accelerator, nearly doubling the previous record gradient. To reach higher acceleration gradients the present experiment employs 90 fs duration laser pulses.
Direct numerical simulation of incompressible acceleration-driven variable-density turbulence
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gat, Ilana; Matheou, Georgios; Chung, Daniel; Dimotakis, Paul
2015-11-01
Fully developed turbulence in variable-density flow driven by an externally imposed acceleration field, e.g., gravity, is fundamental in many applications, such as inertial confinement fusion, geophysics, and astrophysics. Aspects of this turbulence regime are poorly understood and are of interest to fluid modeling. We investigate incompressible acceleration-driven variable-density turbulence by a series of direct numerical simulations of high-density fluid in-between slabs of low-density fluid, in a triply-periodic domain. A pseudo-spectral numerical method with a Helmholtz-Hodge decomposition of the pressure field, which ensures mass conservation, is employed, as documented in Chung & Pullin (2010). A uniform dynamic viscosity and local Schmidt number of unity are assumed. This configuration encapsulates a combination of flow phenomena in a temporally evolving variable-density shear flow. Density ratios up to 10 and Reynolds numbers in the fully developed turbulent regime are investigated. The temporal evolution of the vertical velocity difference across the shear layer, shear-layer growth, mean density, and Reynolds number are discussed. Statistics of Lagrangian accelerations of fluid elements and of vorticity as a function of the density ratio are also presented. This material is based upon work supported by the AFOSR, the DOE, the NSF GRFP, and Caltech.
Ultraviolet radiation accelerates BRAF-driven melanomagenesis by targeting TP53
Rae, Joel; Hogan, Kate; Ejiama, Sarah; Girotti, Maria Romina; Cook, Martin; Dhomen, Nathalie; Marais, Richard
2014-01-01
Cutaneous melanoma is epidemiologically linked to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), but the molecular mechanisms by which UVR drives melanomagenesis remain unclear1,2. The most common somatic mutation in melanoma is a V600E substitution in BRAF, which is an early event3. To investigate how UVR accelerates oncogenic BRAF-driven melanomagenesis, we used a V600EBRAF mouse model. In mice expressing V600EBRAF in their melanocytes, a single dose of UVR that mimicked mild sunburn in humans induced clonal expansion of the melanocytes, and repeated doses of UVR increased melanoma burden. We show that sunscreen (UVA superior: UVB SPF50) delayed the onset of UVR-driven melanoma, but only provided partial protection. The UVR-exposed tumours presented increased numbers of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and we observed mutations (H39Y, S124F, R245C, R270C, C272G) in the Trp53 tumour suppressor in ~40% of cases. TP53 is an accepted UVR target in non-melanoma skin cancer, but is not thought to play a major role in melanoma4. However, we show that mutant Trp53 accelerated V600EBRAF-driven melanomagenesis and that TP53 mutations are linked to evidence of UVR-induced DNA damage in human melanoma. Thus, we provide mechanistic insight into epidemiological data linking UVR to acquired naevi in humans5. We identify TP53/Trp53 as a UVR-target gene that cooperates with V600EBRAF to induce melanoma, providing molecular insight into how UVR accelerates melanomagenesis. Our study validates public health campaigns that promote sunscreen protection for individuals at risk of melanoma. PMID:24919155
A Stable High-Energy Electron Source from Laser Wakefield Acceleration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhang, Ping; Zhao, Baozhen; Liu, Cheng; Yan, Wenchao; Golovin, Grigory; Banerjee, Sudeep; Chen, Shouyuan; Haden, Daniel; Fruhling, Colton; Umstadter, Donald
2016-10-01
The stability of the electron source from laser wake-field acceleration (LWFA) is essential for applications, such as novel x-ray sources and fundamental experiments in high field physics. To obtain such a stable source, we used an optimal laser pulse and a novel gas nozzle. The high-power laser pulse on target was focused to a diffraction-limited spot by the use of adaptive wavefront correction and the pulse duration was transform limited by the use of spectral feedback control. An innovative design for the nozzle led to a stable, flat-top profile with diameters of 4 mm and 8 mm with a high Mach-number ( 6). In experiments to generate high-energy electron beams by LWFA, we were able to obtain reproducible results with beam energy of 800 MeV and charge >10 pC. Higher charge but broader energy spectrum resulted when the plasma density was increased. These developments have resulted in a laser-driven wakefield accelerator that is stable and robust. With this device, we show that narrowband high-energy x-rays beams can be generated by the inverse-Compton scattering process. This accelerator has also been used in recent experiments to study nonlinear effects in the interaction of high-energy electron beams with ultraintense laser pulses. This material is based upon work supported by NSF No. PHY-153700; US DOE, Office of Science, BES, # DE-FG02-05ER15663; AFOSR # FA9550-11-1-0157; and DHS DNDO # HSHQDC-13-C-B0036.
Laser-Driven Ion Acceleration from Plasma Micro-Channel Targets
Zou, D. B.; Pukhov, A.; Yi, L. Q.; Zhou, H. B.; Yu, T. P.; Yin, Y.; Shao, F. Q.
2017-01-01
Efficient energy boost of the laser-accelerated ions is critical for their applications in biomedical and hadron research. Achiev-able energies continue to rise, with currently highest energies, allowing access to medical therapy energy windows. Here, a new regime of simultaneous acceleration of ~100 MeV protons and multi-100 MeV carbon-ions from plasma micro-channel targets is proposed by using a ~1020 W/cm2 modest intensity laser pulse. It is found that two trains of overdense electron bunches are dragged out from the micro-channel and effectively accelerated by the longitudinal electric-field excited in the plasma channel. With the optimized channel size, these “superponderomotive” energetic electrons can be focused on the front surface of the attached plastic substrate. The much intense sheath electric-field is formed on the rear side, leading to up to ~10-fold ionic energy increase compared to the simple planar geometry. The analytical prediction of the optimal channel size and ion maximum energies is derived, which shows good agreement with the particle-in-cell simulations. PMID:28218247
Laser-Driven Ion Acceleration from Plasma Micro-Channel Targets
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zou, D. B.; Pukhov, A.; Yi, L. Q.; Zhou, H. B.; Yu, T. P.; Yin, Y.; Shao, F. Q.
2017-02-01
Efficient energy boost of the laser-accelerated ions is critical for their applications in biomedical and hadron research. Achiev-able energies continue to rise, with currently highest energies, allowing access to medical therapy energy windows. Here, a new regime of simultaneous acceleration of ~100 MeV protons and multi-100 MeV carbon-ions from plasma micro-channel targets is proposed by using a ~1020 W/cm2 modest intensity laser pulse. It is found that two trains of overdense electron bunches are dragged out from the micro-channel and effectively accelerated by the longitudinal electric-field excited in the plasma channel. With the optimized channel size, these “superponderomotive” energetic electrons can be focused on the front surface of the attached plastic substrate. The much intense sheath electric-field is formed on the rear side, leading to up to ~10-fold ionic energy increase compared to the simple planar geometry. The analytical prediction of the optimal channel size and ion maximum energies is derived, which shows good agreement with the particle-in-cell simulations.
MEMS-based, RF-driven, compact accelerators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Persaud, A.; Seidl, P. A.; Ji, Q.; Breinyn, I.; Waldron, W. L.; Schenkel, T.; Vinayakumar, K. B.; Ni, D.; Lal, A.
2017-10-01
Shrinking existing accelerators in size can reduce their cost by orders of magnitude. Furthermore, by using radio frequency (RF) technology and accelerating ions in several stages, the applied voltages can be kept low paving the way to new ion beam applications. We make use of the concept of a Multiple Electrostatic Quadrupole Array Linear Accelerator (MEQALAC) and have previously shown the implementation of its basic components using printed circuit boards, thereby reducing the size of earlier MEQALACs by an order of magnitude. We now demonstrate the combined integration of these components to form a basic accelerator structure, including an initial beam-matching section. In this presentation, we will discuss the results from the integrated multi-beam ion accelerator and also ion acceleration using RF voltages generated on-board. Furthermore, we will show results from Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) fabricated focusing wafers, which can shrink the dimension of the system to the sub-mm regime and lead to cheaper fabrication. Based on these proof-of-concept results we outline a scaling path to high beam power for applications in plasma heating in magnetized target fusion and in neutral beam injectors for future Tokamaks. This work was supported by the Office of Science of the US Department of Energy through the ARPA-e ALPHA program under contracts DE-AC02-05CH11231.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhao, Xue-Yan; Xie, Bai-Song; Wu, Hai-Cheng; Zhang, Shan; Hong, Xue-Ren; Aimidula, Aimierding
2012-03-01
An optimizing and alternative scheme for electron injection and acceleration in the wake bubble driven by an ultraintense laser pulse is presented. In this scheme, the dense-plasma wall with an inner diameter matching the expected bubble size is placed along laser propagation direction. Meanwhile, a dense-plasma block dense-plasma is adhered inward transversely at some certain position of the wall. Particle-in-cell simulations are performed, which demonstrate that the block plays an important role in the first electron injection and acceleration. The result shows that a collimated electron bunch with a total number of about 4.04×108μm-1 can be generated and accelerated stably to 1.61 GeV peak energy with 2.6% energy spread. The block contributes about 50% to the accelerated electron injection bunch by tracing and sorting statistically the source.
Optimizing laser-driven proton acceleration from overdense targets
Stockem Novo, A.; Kaluza, M. C.; Fonseca, R. A.; Silva, L. O.
2016-01-01
We demonstrate how to tune the main ion acceleration mechanism in laser-plasma interactions to collisionless shock acceleration, thus achieving control over the final ion beam properties (e. g. maximum energy, divergence, number of accelerated ions). We investigate this technique with three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations and illustrate a possible experimental realisation. The setup consists of an isolated solid density target, which is preheated by a first laser pulse to initiate target expansion, and a second one to trigger acceleration. The timing between the two laser pulses allows to access all ion acceleration regimes, ranging from target normal sheath acceleration, to hole boring and collisionless shock acceleration. We further demonstrate that the most energetic ions are produced by collisionless shock acceleration, if the target density is near-critical, ne ≈ 0.5 ncr. A scaling of the laser power shows that 100 MeV protons may be achieved in the PW range. PMID:27435449
Ion acceleration with a narrow energy spectrum by nanosecond laser-irradiation of solid target
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Altana, C.; Lanzalone, G.; Mascali, D.; Muoio, A.; Cirrone, G. A. P.; Schillaci, F.; Tudisco, S.
2016-02-01
In laser-driven plasma, ion acceleration of aluminum with the production of a quasi-monoenergetic beam has occurred. A useful device to analyze the ions is the Thomson parabolas spectrometer, a well-known diagnostic that is able to obtain information on charge-to-mass ratio and energy distribution of the charged particles. At the LENS (Laser Energy for Nuclear Science) laboratory of INFN-LNS in Catania, experimental measures were carried out; the features of LENS are: Q-switched Nd:YAG laser with 2 J laser energy, 1064 nm fundamental wavelengths, and 6 ns pulse duration.
Ion acceleration with a narrow energy spectrum by nanosecond laser-irradiation of solid target
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Altana, C., E-mail: altana@lns.infn.it; Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Catania, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania; Lanzalone, G.
2016-02-15
In laser-driven plasma, ion acceleration of aluminum with the production of a quasi-monoenergetic beam has occurred. A useful device to analyze the ions is the Thomson parabolas spectrometer, a well-known diagnostic that is able to obtain information on charge-to-mass ratio and energy distribution of the charged particles. At the LENS (Laser Energy for Nuclear Science) laboratory of INFN-LNS in Catania, experimental measures were carried out; the features of LENS are: Q-switched Nd:YAG laser with 2 J laser energy, 1064 nm fundamental wavelengths, and 6 ns pulse duration.
PW-class laser-driven super acceleration systems in underdense plasmas
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yano, Masahiro; Zhidkov, Alexei; Kodama, Ryosuke
2017-10-01
Probing laser driven super-acceleration systems can be important tool to understand physics related to vacuum, space time, and particle acceleration. We show two proposals to probe the systems through Hawking-like effect using PW class lasers and x-ray free electron lasers. For that we study the interaction of ultrahigh intense laser pulses with intensity 1022 -1024 W/cm2 and underdense plasmas including ion motion and plasma radiation for the first time. While the acceleration w a0ωp /ωL in a wake is not maximal, the pulse propagation is much stable. The effect is that a constantly accelerated detector with acceleration w sees a boson's thermal bath at temperature ℏw / 2 πkB c . We present two designs for x-ray scattering from highly accelerated electrons produced in the plasma irradiated by intense laser pulses for such detection. Properly chosen observation angles enable us to distinguish spectral broadening from Doppler shift with a reasonable photon number. Also, ion motion and radiation damping on the interaction are investigated via fully relativistic 3D particle-in-cell simulation. We observe high quality electron bunches under super-acceleration when transverse plasma waves are excited by ponderomotive force producing plasma channel.
Benchmarking shielding simulations for an accelerator-driven spallation neutron source
Cherkashyna, Nataliia; Di Julio, Douglas D.; Panzner, Tobias; ...
2015-08-09
The shielding at an accelerator-driven spallation neutron facility plays a critical role in the performance of the neutron scattering instruments, the overall safety, and the total cost of the facility. Accurate simulation of shielding components is thus key for the design of upcoming facilities, such as the European Spallation Source (ESS), currently in construction in Lund, Sweden. In this paper, we present a comparative study between the measured and the simulated neutron background at the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source (SINQ), at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Villigen, Switzerland. The measurements were carried out at several positions along the SINQ monolithmore » wall with the neutron dosimeter WENDI-2, which has a well-characterized response up to 5 GeV. The simulations were performed using the Monte-Carlo radiation transport code Geant4, and include a complete transport from the proton beam to the measurement locations in a single calculation. An agreement between measurements and simulations is about a factor of 2 for the points where the measured radiation dose is above the background level, which is a satisfactory result for such simulations spanning many energy regimes, different physics processes and transport through several meters of shielding materials. The neutrons contributing to the radiation field emanating from the monolith were confirmed to originate from neutrons with energies above 1 MeV in the target region. The current work validates Geant4 as being well suited for deep-shielding calculations at accelerator-based spallation sources. We also extrapolate what the simulated flux levels might imply for short (several tens of meters) instruments at ESS.« less
Laser acceleration of quasi-monoenergetic MeV ion beams.
Hegelich, B M; Albright, B J; Cobble, J; Flippo, K; Letzring, S; Paffett, M; Ruhl, H; Schreiber, J; Schulze, R K; Fernández, J C
2006-01-26
Acceleration of particles by intense laser-plasma interactions represents a rapidly evolving field of interest, as highlighted by the recent demonstration of laser-driven relativistic beams of monoenergetic electrons. Ultrahigh-intensity lasers can produce accelerating fields of 10 TV m(-1) (1 TV = 10(12) V), surpassing those in conventional accelerators by six orders of magnitude. Laser-driven ions with energies of several MeV per nucleon have also been produced. Such ion beams exhibit unprecedented characteristics--short pulse lengths, high currents and low transverse emittance--but their exponential energy spectra have almost 100% energy spread. This large energy spread, which is a consequence of the experimental conditions used to date, remains the biggest impediment to the wider use of this technology. Here we report the production of quasi-monoenergetic laser-driven C5+ ions with a vastly reduced energy spread of 17%. The ions have a mean energy of 3 MeV per nucleon (full-width at half-maximum approximately 0.5 MeV per nucleon) and a longitudinal emittance of less than 2 x 10(-6) eV s for pulse durations shorter than 1 ps. Such laser-driven, high-current, quasi-monoenergetic ion sources may enable significant advances in the development of compact MeV ion accelerators, new diagnostics, medical physics, inertial confinement fusion and fast ignition.
Particle Acceleration by Cme-driven Shock Waves
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Reames, Donald V.
1999-01-01
In the largest solar energetic particle (SEP) events, acceleration occurs at shock waves driven out from the Sun by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Peak particle intensities are a strong function of CME speed, although the intensities, spectra, and angular distributions of particles escaping the shock are highly modified by scattering on Alfven waves produced by the streaming particles themselves. Element abundances vary in complex ways because ions with different values of Q/A resonate with different parts of the wave spectrum, which varies with space and time. Just recently, we have begun to model these systematic variations theoretically and to explore other consequences of proton-generated waves.
Research opportunities with compact accelerator-driven neutron sources
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Anderson, I. S.; Andreani, C.; Carpenter, J. M.; Festa, G.; Gorini, G.; Loong, C.-K.; Senesi, R.
2016-10-01
Since the discovery of the neutron in 1932 neutron beams have been used in a very broad range of applications, As an aging fleet of nuclear reactor sources is retired the use of compact accelerator-driven neutron sources (CANS) is becoming more prevalent. CANS are playing a significant and expanding role in research and development in science and engineering, as well as in education and training. In the realm of multidisciplinary applications, CANS offer opportunities over a wide range of technical utilization, from interrogation of civil structures to medical therapy to cultural heritage study. This paper aims to provide the first comprehensive overview of the history, current status of operation, and ongoing development of CANS worldwide. The basic physics and engineering regarding neutron production by accelerators, target-moderator systems, and beam line instrumentation are introduced, followed by an extensive discussion of various evolving applications currently exploited at CANS.
Saclay Compact Accelerator-driven Neutron Sources (SCANS)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Marchix, A.; Letourneau, A.; Tran, HN; Chauvin, N.; Menelle, A.; Ott, F.; Schwindling, J.
2018-06-01
For next decade, the European neutron scattering community will face of important changes, as many facilities will close, strictly fission-based sources. This statement mainly concerns France with the planned closure of Orphee and ILL. At CEA-Saclay, the project SONATE has been launched in order to provide a high intensity neutron source in Saclay site, this project is based on Compact Accelerator-driven Neutron Sources technology coupled to high-intensity beams. The goal of SONATE is to develop a 50 kW target, aiming to produce at least a neutron yield of 1013 s-1 in pulse mode with a peak current of 100 mA. We have investigated in this document the best combinations of beam/target which would lead to this substantial neutron yields. Further investigations and tests have to be carry out, especially due to sparse data on thick target and such low-energy beams considered in this document. An intermediate step to the SONATE project is under test and development, called IPHI-NEUTRON, which would lead to provide a small-size neutron facility mainly devoted to neutron imagery for industry. This step is based on the existing 3 MeV proton beam, named IPHI. Best target candidates are Lithium and Beryllium, leading respectively to a neutron yield of about 2.1013 s-1 and 4.1012 s-1.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lemos, N.; Albert, F.; Shaw, J. L.; Papp, D.; Polanek, R.; King, P.; Milder, A. L.; Marsh, K. A.; Pak, A.; Pollock, B. B.; Hegelich, B. M.; Moody, J. D.; Park, J.; Tommasini, R.; Williams, G. J.; Chen, Hui; Joshi, C.
2018-05-01
An x-ray source generated by an electron beam produced using a Self-Modulated Laser Wakefield Accelerator (SM-LWFA) is explored for use in high energy density science facilities. By colliding the electron beam, with a maximum energy of 380 MeV, total charge of >10 nC and a divergence of 64 × 100 mrad, from a SM-LWFA driven by a 1 ps 120 J laser, into a high-Z foil, an x/gamma-ray source was generated. A broadband bremsstrahlung energy spectrum with temperatures ranging from 0.8 to 2 MeV was measured with an almost 2 orders of magnitude flux increase when compared with other schemes using LWFA. GEANT4 simulations were done to calculate the source size and divergence.
Variable energy constant current accelerator structure
Anderson, O.A.
1988-07-13
A variable energy, constant current ion beam accelerator structure is disclosed comprising an ion source capable of providing the desired ions, a pre-accelerator for establishing an initial energy level, a matching/pumping module having means for focusing means for maintaining the beam current, and at least one main accelerator module for continuing beam focus, with means capable of variably imparting acceleration to the beam so that a constant beam output current is maintained independent of the variable output energy. In a preferred embodiment, quadrupole electrodes are provided in both the matching/pumping module and the one or more accelerator modules, and are formed using four opposing cylinder electrodes which extend parallel to the beam axis and are spaced around the beam at 90/degree/ intervals with opposing electrodes maintained at the same potential. 12 figs., 3 tabs.
Small Ground-Level Enhancement of 6 January 2014: Acceleration by CME-Driven Shock?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Li, C.; Miroshnichenko, L. I.; Sdobnov, V. E.
2016-03-01
Available spectral data for solar energetic particles (SEPs) measured near the Earth's orbit (GOES-13) and on the terrestrial surface (polar neutron monitors) on 6 January 2014 are analyzed. A feature of this solar proton event (SPE) and weak ground-level enhancement (GLE) is that the source was located behind the limb. For the purpose of comparison, we also use the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) data on sub-relativistic electrons and GOES-13 measurements of a strong and extended proton event on 8 - 9 January 2014. It was found that the surface observations at energies {>} 433 MeV and GOES-13 data at {>} 30 - {>} 700 MeV may be satisfactorily reconciled by a power-law time-of-maximum (TOM) spectrum with a characteristic exponential tail (cutoff). Some methodological difficulties of spectrum determination are discussed. Assuming that the TOM spectrum near the Earth is a proxy of the spectrum of accelerated particles in the source, we critically consider the possibility of shock acceleration to relativistic energies in the solar corona. Finally, it is suggested to interpret the observational features of this GLE under the assumption that small GLEs may be produced by shocks driven by coronal mass ejections. However, the serious limitations of such an approach to the problem of the SCR spectrum prevent drawing firm conclusions in this controversial field.
Sharma, Ashutosh
2018-02-01
Relativistic electron rings hold the possibility of very high accelerating rates, and hopefully a relatively cheap and compact accelerator/collimator for ultrahigh energy proton source. In this work, we investigate the generation of helical shaped quasi-monoenergetic relativistic electron beam and high-energy proton beam from near critical density plasmas driven by petawatt-circularly polarized-short laser pulses. We numerically observe the efficient proton acceleration from magnetic vortex acceleration mechanism by using the three dimensional particle-in-cell simulations; proton beam with peak energy 350 MeV, charge ~10nC and conversion efficiency more than 6% (which implies 2.4 J proton beam out of the 40 J incident laser energy) is reported. We detailed the microphysics involved in the ion acceleration mechanism, which requires investigating the role of self-generated plasma electric and magnetic fields. The concept of efficient generation of quasi-monoenergetic electron and proton beam from near critical density gas targets may be verified experimentally at advanced high power - high repetition rate laser facilities e.g. ELI-ALPS. Such study should be an important step towards the development of high quality electron and proton beam.
A beamline systems model for Accelerator-Driven Transmutation Technology (ADTT) facilities
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Todd, A.M.M.; Paulson, C.C.; Peacock, M.A.
1995-10-01
A beamline systems code, that is being developed for Accelerator-Driven Transmutation Technology (ADTT) facility trade studies, is described. The overall program is a joint Grumman, G.H. Gillespie Associates (GHGA) and Los Alamos National Laboratory effort. The GHGA Accelerator Systems Model (ASM) has been adopted as the framework on which this effort is based. Relevant accelerator and beam transport models from earlier Grumman systems codes are being adapted to this framework. Preliminary physics and engineering models for each ADTT beamline component have been constructed. Examples noted include a Bridge Coupled Drift Tube Linac (BCDTL) and the accelerator thermal system. A decisionmore » has been made to confine the ASM framework principally to beamline modeling, while detailed target/blanket, balance-of-plant and facility costing analysis will be performed externally. An interfacing external balance-of-plant and facility costing model, which will permit the performance of iterative facility trade studies, is under separate development. An ABC (Accelerator Based Conversion) example is used to highlight the present models and capabilities.« less
A beamline systems model for Accelerator-Driven Transmutation Technology (ADTT) facilities
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Todd, Alan M. M.; Paulson, C. C.; Peacock, M. A.
1995-09-15
A beamline systems code, that is being developed for Accelerator-Driven Transmutation Technology (ADTT) facility trade studies, is described. The overall program is a joint Grumman, G. H. Gillespie Associates (GHGA) and Los Alamos National Laboratory effort. The GHGA Accelerator Systems Model (ASM) has been adopted as the framework on which this effort is based. Relevant accelerator and beam transport models from earlier Grumman systems codes are being adapted to this framework. Preliminary physics and engineering models for each ADTT beamline component have been constructed. Examples noted include a Bridge Coupled Drift Tube Linac (BCDTL) and the accelerator thermal system. Amore » decision has been made to confine the ASM framework principally to beamline modeling, while detailed target/blanket, balance-of-plant and facility costing analysis will be performed externally. An interfacing external balance-of-plant and facility costing model, which will permit the performance of iterative facility trade studies, is under separate development. An ABC (Accelerator Based Conversion) example is used to highlight the present models and capabilities.« less
Accelerator driven reactors and nuclear waste management projects in the Czech Republic
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Janouch, Frantisek; Mach, Rostislav; Institute of Nuclear Physics, Rez near Prague
1995-09-15
The Czech Republic is almost the only country in the central Europe which continues with the construction of nuclear power reactors. Its small territory and dense population causes public worries concerning the disposal of the spent nuclear fuel. The Czech nuclear scientists and the power companies and the nuclear industries are therefore looking for alterative solutions. The Los Alamos ATW project had received a positive response in the Czech mass-media and even in the industrial and governmental quarters. The recent scientific symposium ''Accelerator driven reactors and nuclear waste management'' convened at the Liblice castle near Prague, 27-29.6. 1994 and sponsoredmore » by the Czech Energy Company CEZ, reviewed the competencies and experimental basis in the Czech republic and made the first attempt to formulate the national approach and to establish international collaboration in this area.« less
Stochastic Acceleration of Ions Driven by Pc1 Wave Packets
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Khazanov, G. V.; Sibeck, D. G.; Tel'nikhin, A. A.; Kronberg, T. K.
2015-01-01
The stochastic motion of protons and He(sup +) ions driven by Pc1 wave packets is studied in the context of resonant particle heating. Resonant ion cyclotron heating typically occurs when wave powers exceed 10(exp -4) nT sq/Hz. Gyroresonance breaks the first adiabatic invariant and energizes keV ions. Cherenkov resonances with the electrostatic component of wave packets can also accelerate ions. The main effect of this interaction is to accelerate thermal protons to the local Alfven speed. The dependencies of observable quantities on the wave power and plasma parameters are determined, and estimates for the heating extent and rate of particle heating in these wave-particle interactions are shown to be in reasonable agreement with known empirical data.
Beyond Solar Fuels: Renewable Energy-Driven Chemistry.
Lanzafame, Paola; Abate, Salvatare; Ampelli, Claudio; Genovese, Chiara; Passalacqua, Rosalba; Centi, Gabriele; Perathoner, Siglinda
2017-11-23
The future feasibility of decarbonized industrial chemical production based on the substitution of fossil feedstocks (FFs) with renewable energy (RE) sources is discussed. Indeed, the use of FFs as an energy source has the greatest impact on the greenhouse gas emissions of chemical production. This future scenario is indicated as "solar-driven" or "RE-driven" chemistry. Its possible implementation requires to go beyond the concept of solar fuels, in particular to address two key aspects: i) the use of RE-driven processes for the production of base raw materials, such as olefins, methanol, and ammonia, and ii) the development of novel RE-driven routes that simultaneously realize process and energy intensification, particularly in the direction of a significant reduction of the number of the process steps. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Method and apparatus for varying accelerator beam output energy
Young, Lloyd M.
1998-01-01
A coupled cavity accelerator (CCA) accelerates a charged particle beam with rf energy from a rf source. An input accelerating cavity receives the charged particle beam and an output accelerating cavity outputs the charged particle beam at an increased energy. Intermediate accelerating cavities connect the input and the output accelerating cavities to accelerate the charged particle beam. A plurality of tunable coupling cavities are arranged so that each one of the tunable coupling cavities respectively connect an adjacent pair of the input, output, and intermediate accelerating cavities to transfer the rf energy along the accelerating cavities. An output tunable coupling cavity can be detuned to variably change the phase of the rf energy reflected from the output coupling cavity so that regions of the accelerator can be selectively turned off when one of the intermediate tunable coupling cavities is also detuned.
Operation and reactivity measurements of an accelerator driven subcritical TRIGA reactor
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
O'Kelly, David Sean
Experiments were performed at the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory (NETL) in 2005 and 2006 in which a 20 MeV linear electron accelerator operating as a photoneutron source was coupled to the TRIGA (Training, Research, Isotope production, General Atomics) Mark II research reactor at the University of Texas at Austin (UT) to simulate the operation and characteristics of a full-scale accelerator driven subcritical system (ADSS). The experimental program provided a relatively low-cost substitute for the higher power and complexity of internationally proposed systems utilizing proton accelerators and spallation neutron sources for an advanced ADSS that may be used for the burning of high-level radioactive waste. Various instrumentation methods that permitted ADSS neutron flux monitoring in high gamma radiation fields were successfully explored and the data was used to evaluate the Stochastic Pulsed Feynman method for reactivity monitoring.
Separated-orbit bisected energy-recovered linear accelerator
Douglas, David R.
2015-09-01
A separated-orbit bisected energy-recovered linear accelerator apparatus and method. The accelerator includes a first linac, a second linac, and a plurality of arcs of differing path lengths, including a plurality of up arcs, a plurality of downgoing arcs, and a full energy arc providing a path independent of the up arcs and downgoing arcs. The up arcs have a path length that is substantially a multiple of the RF wavelength and the full energy arc includes a path length that is substantially an odd half-integer multiple of the RF wavelength. Operation of the accelerator includes accelerating the beam utilizing the linacs and up arcs until the beam is at full energy, at full energy executing a full recirculation to the second linac using a path length that is substantially an odd half-integer of the RF wavelength, and then decelerating the beam using the linacs and downgoing arcs.
Design of an electron-accelerator-driven compact neutron source for non-destructive assay
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Murata, A.; Ikeda, S.; Hayashizaki, N.
2017-09-01
The threat of nuclear and radiological terrorism remains one of the greatest challenges to international security, and the threat is constantly evolving. In order to prevent nuclear terrorism, it is important to avoid unlawful import of nuclear materials, such as uranium and plutonium. Development of technologies for non-destructive measurement, detection and recognition of nuclear materials is essential for control at national borders. At Tokyo Institute of Technology, a compact neutron source system driven by an electron-accelerator has been designed for non-destructive assay (NDA). This system is composed of a combination of an S-band (2.856 GHz) RF-gun, a tungsten target to produce photons by bremsstrahlung, a beryllium target, which is suitable for use in generating neutrons because of the low threshold energy of photonuclear reactions, and a moderator to thermalize the fast neutrons. The advantage of this system can accelerate a short pulse beam with a pulse width less than 1 μs which is difficult to produce by neutron generators. The amounts of photons and neutron produced by electron beams were simulated using the Monte Carlo simulation code PHITS 2.82. When the RF-gun is operated with an average electron beam current of 0.1 mA, it is expected that the neutron intensities are 1.19 × 109 n/s and 9.94 × 109 n/s for incident electron beam energies of 5 MeV and 10 MeV, respectively.
Schell, S; Wilkens, J J
2012-03-07
Laser-driven particle acceleration is a potentially cost-efficient and compact new technology that might replace synchrotrons or cyclotrons for future proton or heavy-ion radiation therapy. Since the energy spectrum of laser-accelerated particles is rather wide, compared to the monoenergetic beams of conventional machines, studies have proposed the usage of broader spectra for the treatment of at least certain parts of the target volume to make the process more efficient. The thereby introduced additional uncertainty in the applied energy spectrum is analysed in this note. It is shown that the uncertainty can be categorized into a change of the total number of particles, and a change in the energy distribution of the particles. The former one can be monitored by a simple fluence detector and cancels for a high number of statistically fluctuating shots. The latter one, the redistribution of a fixed number of particles to different energy bins in the window of transmitted energies of the energy selection system, only introduces smaller changes to the resulting depth dose curve. Therefore, it might not be necessary to monitor this uncertainty for all applied shots. These findings might enable an easier uncertainty management for particle therapy with broad energy spectra.
Accelerator driven reactors and nuclear waste management projects in the Czech Republic
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Janouch, F.; Mach, R.
1995-10-01
The Czech Republic is almost the only country in the central Europe which continues with the construction of nuclear power reactors. Its small territory and dense population causes public worries concerning the disposal of the spent nuclear fuel. The Czech nuclear scientists and the power companies and the nuclear industries are therefore looking for alternative solutions. The Los Alamos ATW project had received a positive response in the Czech mass-media and even in the industrial and governmental quarters. The recent scientific symposium {open_quotes}Accelerator driven reactors and nuclear waste management{close_quotes} convened at the Liblice castle near Prague, 27-29. 6. 1994 andmore » sponsored by the Czech Energy Company CEZ, reviewed the competencies and experimental basis in the Czech republic and made the first attempt to formulate the national approach and to establish international collaboration in this area.« less
Variable energy constant current accelerator structure
Anderson, Oscar A.
1990-01-01
A variable energy, constant current ion beam accelerator structure is disclosed comprising an ion source capable of providing the desired ions, a pre-accelerator for establishing an initial energy level, a matching/pumping module having means for focusing means for maintaining the beam current, and at least one main accelerator module for continuing beam focus, with means capable of variably imparting acceleration to the beam so that a constant beam output current is maintained independent of the variable output energy. In a preferred embodiment, quadrupole electrodes are provided in both the matching/pumping module and the one or more accelerator modules, and are formed using four opposing cylinder electrodes which extend parallel to the beam axis and are spaced around the beam at 90.degree. intervals with opposing electrodes maintained at the same potential. Adjacent cylinder electrodes of the quadrupole structure are maintained at different potentials to thereby reshape the cross section of the charged particle beam to an ellipse in cross section at the mid point along each quadrupole electrode unit in the accelerator modules. The beam is maintained in focus by alternating the major axis of the ellipse along the x and y axis respectively at adjacent quadrupoles. In another embodiment, electrostatic ring electrodes may be utilized instead of the quadrupole electrodes.
Plasma Accelerators Race to 10 GeV and Beyond
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Katsouleas, Tom
2005-10-01
This paper reviews the concepts, recent progress and current challenges for realizing the tremendous electric fields in relativistic plasma waves for applications ranging from tabletop particle accelerators to high-energy physics. Experiments in the 90's on laser-driven plasma wakefield accelerators at several laboratories around the world demonstrated the potential for plasma wakefields to accelerate intense bunches of self-trapped particles at rates as high as 100 GeV/m in mm-scale gas jets. These early experiments offered impressive gradients but large energy spread (100%) and short interaction lengths. Major breakthroughs have recently occurred on both fronts. Three groups (LBL-US, LOA-France and RAL-UK) have now entered a new regime of laser wakefield acceleration resulting in 100 MeV mono-energetic beams with up to nanoCoulombs of charge and very small angular spread. Simulations suggest that current lasers are just entering this new regime, and the scaling to higher energies appears attractive. In parallel with the progress in laser-driven wakefields, particle-beam driven wakefield accelerators are making large strides. A series of experiments using the 30 GeV beam of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) has demonstrated high-gradient acceleration of electrons and positrons in meter-scale plasmas. The UCLA/USC/SLAC collaboration has accelerated electrons beyond 1 GeV and is aiming at 10 GeV in 30 cm as the next step toward a ``plasma afterburner,'' a concept for doubling the energy of a high-energy collider in a few tens of meters of plasma. In addition to wakefield acceleration, these and other experiments have demonstrated the rich physics bounty to be reaped from relativistic beam-plasma interactions. This includes plasma lenses capable of focusing particle beams to the highest density ever produced, collective radiation mechanisms capable of generating high-brightness x-ray beams, collective refraction of particles at a plasma interface, and
Electron acceleration in pulsed-power driven magnetic-reconnection experiments
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Halliday, Jonathan; Hare, Jack; Lebedev, Sergey; Suttle, Lee; Bland, Simon; Clayson, Thomas; Tubman, Eleanor; Pikuz, Sergei; Shelkovenko, Tanya
2017-10-01
We present recent results from pulsed-power driven magnetic reconnection experiments, fielded on the MAGPIE generator (1.2 MA, 250 ns). The setup used in these experiments produces plasma inflows which are intrinsically magnetised; persist for many hydrodynamic time-scales; and are supersonic. Previous work has focussed on characterising the dynamics of bulk plasma flows, using a suite of diagnostics including laser interferometry, (imaging) Faraday rotation, and Thompson scattering. Measurements show the formation of a well defined, long lasting reconnection layer and demonstrate a power balance between the power into and out of the reconnection region. The work presented here focuses on diagnosing non-thermal electron acceleration by the reconnecting electric field. To achieve this, metal foils were placed in the path of accelerated electrons. Atomic transitions in the foil were collisionally exited by the electron beam, producing a characteristic X-Ray spectrum. This X-Ray emission was diagnosed using spherically bent crystal X-Ray spectrometry, filtered X-Ray pinhole imaging, and X-Ray sensitive PIN diodes.
Driven Metadynamics: Reconstructing Equilibrium Free Energies from Driven Adaptive-Bias Simulations
2013-01-01
We present a novel free-energy calculation method that constructively integrates two distinct classes of nonequilibrium sampling techniques, namely, driven (e.g., steered molecular dynamics) and adaptive-bias (e.g., metadynamics) methods. By employing nonequilibrium work relations, we design a biasing protocol with an explicitly time- and history-dependent bias that uses on-the-fly work measurements to gradually flatten the free-energy surface. The asymptotic convergence of the method is discussed, and several relations are derived for free-energy reconstruction and error estimation. Isomerization reaction of an atomistic polyproline peptide model is used to numerically illustrate the superior efficiency and faster convergence of the method compared with its adaptive-bias and driven components in isolation. PMID:23795244
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chen, Zhan-Ming; Chen, G. Q.
2013-07-01
This study presents a network simulation of the global embodied energy flows in 2007 based on a multi-region input-output model. The world economy is portrayed as a 6384-node network and the energy interactions between any two nodes are calculated and analyzed. According to the results, about 70% of the world's direct energy input is invested in resource, heavy manufacture, and transportation sectors which provide only 30% of the embodied energy to satisfy final demand. By contrast, non-transportation services sectors contribute to 24% of the world's demand-driven energy requirement with only 6% of the direct energy input. Commodity trade is shown to be an important alternative to fuel trade in redistributing energy, as international commodity flows embody 1.74E + 20 J of energy in magnitude up to 89% of the traded fuels. China is the largest embodied energy exporter with a net export of 3.26E + 19 J, in contrast to the United States as the largest importer with a net import of 2.50E + 19 J. The recent economic fluctuations following the financial crisis accelerate the relative expansions of energy requirement by developing countries, as a consequence China will take over the place of the United States as the world's top demand-driven energy consumer in 2022 and India will become the third largest in 2015.
Transformer ratio saturation in a beam-driven wakefield accelerator
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Farmer, J. P.; Martorelli, R.; Pukhov, A.
We show that for beam-driven wakefield acceleration, the linearly ramped, equally spaced train of bunches typically considered to optimise the transformer ratio only works for flat-top bunches. Through theory and simulation, we explain that this behaviour is due to the unique properties of the plasma response to a flat-top density profile. Calculations of the optimal scaling for a train of Gaussian bunches show diminishing returns with increasing bunch number, tending towards saturation. For a periodic bunch train, a transformer ratio of 23 was achieved for 50 bunches, rising to 40 for a fully optimised beam.
Laser-driven electron beam and radiation sources for basic, medical and industrial sciences
NAKAJIMA, Kazuhisa
2015-01-01
To date active research on laser-driven plasma-based accelerators have achieved great progress on production of high-energy, high-quality electron and photon beams in a compact scale. Such laser plasma accelerators have been envisaged bringing a wide range of applications in basic, medical and industrial sciences. Here inheriting the groundbreaker’s review article on “Laser Acceleration and its future” [Toshiki Tajima, (2010)],1) we would like to review recent progress of producing such electron beams due to relativistic laser-plasma interactions followed by laser wakefield acceleration and lead to the scaling formulas that are useful to design laser plasma accelerators with controllability of beam energy and charge. Lastly specific examples of such laser-driven electron/photon beam sources are illustrated. PMID:26062737
Laser-driven electron beam and radiation sources for basic, medical and industrial sciences.
Nakajima, Kazuhisa
2015-01-01
To date active research on laser-driven plasma-based accelerators have achieved great progress on production of high-energy, high-quality electron and photon beams in a compact scale. Such laser plasma accelerators have been envisaged bringing a wide range of applications in basic, medical and industrial sciences. Here inheriting the groundbreaker's review article on "Laser Acceleration and its future" [Toshiki Tajima, (2010)],(1)) we would like to review recent progress of producing such electron beams due to relativistic laser-plasma interactions followed by laser wakefield acceleration and lead to the scaling formulas that are useful to design laser plasma accelerators with controllability of beam energy and charge. Lastly specific examples of such laser-driven electron/photon beam sources are illustrated.
Energy sweep compensation of induction accelerators
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Sampayan, S.E.; Caporaso, G.J.; Chen, Y-J
1990-09-12
The ETA-II linear induction accelerator (LIA) is designed to drive a microwave free electron laser (FEL). Beam energy sweep must be limited to {plus minus}1% for 50 ns to limit beam corkscrew motion and ensure high power FEL output over the full duration of the beam flattop. To achieve this energy sweep requirement, we have implemented a pulse distribution system and are planning implementation of a tapered pulse forming line (PFL) in the pulse generators driving acceleration gaps. The pulse distribution system assures proper phasing of the high voltage pulse to the electron beam. Additionally, cell-to-cell coupling of beam inducedmore » transients is reduced. The tapered PFL compensates for accelerator cell and loading nonlinearities. Circuit simulations show good agreement with preliminary data and predict the required energy sweep requirement can be met.« less
Particle acceleration on a chip: A laser-driven micro-accelerator for research and industry
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yoder, R. B.; Travish, G.
2013-03-01
Particle accelerators are conventionally built from radio-frequency metal cavities, but this technology limits the maximum energy available and prevents miniaturization. In the past decade, laser-powered acceleration has been intensively studied as an alternative technology promising much higher accelerating fields in a smaller footprint and taking advantage of recent advances in photonics. Among the more promising approaches are those based on dielectric field-shaping structures. These ``dielectric laser accelerators'' (DLAs) scale with the laser wavelength employed and can be many orders of magnitude smaller than conventional accelerators; DLAs may enable the production of high-intensity, ultra-short relativistic electron bunches in a chip-scale device. When combined with a high- Z target or an optical-period undulator, these systems could produce high-brilliance x-rays from a breadbox-sized device having multiple applications in imaging, medicine, and homeland security. In our research program we have developed one such DLA, the Micro-Accelerator Platform (MAP). We describe the fundamental physics, our fabrication and testing program, and experimental results to date, along with future prospects for MAP-based light-sources and some remaining challenges. Supported in part by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and National Nuclear Security Administration.
Quasi-monoenergetic laser-plasma acceleration of electrons to 2 GeV
Wang, Xiaoming; Zgadzaj, Rafal; Fazel, Neil; Li, Zhengyan; Yi, S. A.; Zhang, Xi; Henderson, Watson; Chang, Y.-Y.; Korzekwa, R.; Tsai, H.-E.; Pai, C.-H.; Quevedo, H.; Dyer, G.; Gaul, E.; Martinez, M.; Bernstein, A. C.; Borger, T.; Spinks, M.; Donovan, M.; Khudik, V.; Shvets, G.; Ditmire, T.; Downer, M. C.
2013-01-01
Laser-plasma accelerators of only a centimetre’s length have produced nearly monoenergetic electron bunches with energy as high as 1 GeV. Scaling these compact accelerators to multi-gigaelectronvolt energy would open the prospect of building X-ray free-electron lasers and linear colliders hundreds of times smaller than conventional facilities, but the 1 GeV barrier has so far proven insurmountable. Here, by applying new petawatt laser technology, we produce electron bunches with a spectrum prominently peaked at 2 GeV with only a few per cent energy spread and unprecedented sub-milliradian divergence. Petawatt pulses inject ambient plasma electrons into the laser-driven accelerator at much lower density than was previously possible, thereby overcoming the principal physical barriers to multi-gigaelectronvolt acceleration: dephasing between laser-driven wake and accelerating electrons and laser pulse erosion. Simulations indicate that with improvements in the laser-pulse focus quality, acceleration to nearly 10 GeV should be possible with the available pulse energy. PMID:23756359
Modeling laser-driven electron acceleration using WARP with Fourier decomposition
Lee, P.; Audet, T. L.; Lehe, R.; ...
2015-12-31
WARP is used with the recent implementation of the Fourier decomposition algorithm to model laser-driven electron acceleration in plasmas. Simulations were carried out to analyze the experimental results obtained on ionization-induced injection in a gas cell. The simulated results are in good agreement with the experimental ones, confirming the ability of the code to take into account the physics of electron injection and reduce calculation time. We present a detailed analysis of the laser propagation, the plasma wave generation and the electron beam dynamics.
Modeling laser-driven electron acceleration using WARP with Fourier decomposition
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Lee, P.; Audet, T. L.; Lehe, R.
WARP is used with the recent implementation of the Fourier decomposition algorithm to model laser-driven electron acceleration in plasmas. Simulations were carried out to analyze the experimental results obtained on ionization-induced injection in a gas cell. The simulated results are in good agreement with the experimental ones, confirming the ability of the code to take into account the physics of electron injection and reduce calculation time. We present a detailed analysis of the laser propagation, the plasma wave generation and the electron beam dynamics.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Badziak, J.; Rosiński, M.; Krousky, E.
2015-03-15
A novel, efficient method of generating ultra-high-pressure shocks is proposed and investigated. In this method, the shock is generated by collision of a fast plasma projectile (a macro-particle) driven by laser-induced cavity pressure acceleration (LICPA) with a solid target placed at the LICPA accelerator channel exit. Using the measurements performed at the kilojoule PALS laser facility and two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations, it is shown that the shock pressure ∼ Gbar can be produced with this method at the laser driver energy of only a few hundred joules, by an order of magnitude lower than the energy needed for production of suchmore » pressure with other laser-based methods known so far.« less
The LILIA (laser induced light ions acceleration) experiment at LNF
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Agosteo, S.; Anania, M. P.; Caresana, M.; Cirrone, G. A. P.; De Martinis, C.; Delle Side, D.; Fazzi, A.; Gatti, G.; Giove, D.; Giulietti, D.; Gizzi, L. A.; Labate, L.; Londrillo, P.; Maggiore, M.; Nassisi, V.; Sinigardi, S.; Tramontana, A.; Schillaci, F.; Scuderi, V.; Turchetti, G.; Varoli, V.; Velardi, L.
2014-07-01
Laser-matter interaction at relativistic intensities opens up new research fields in the particle acceleration and related secondary sources, with immediate applications in medical diagnostics, biophysics, material science, inertial confinement fusion, up to laboratory astrophysics. In particular laser-driven ion acceleration is very promising for hadron therapy once the ion energy will attain a few hundred MeV. The limited value of the energy up to now obtained for the accelerated ions is the drawback of such innovative technique to the real applications. LILIA (laser induced light ions acceleration) is an experiment now running at LNF (Frascati) with the goal of producing a real proton beam able to be driven for significant distances (50-75 cm) away from the interaction point and which will act as a source for further accelerating structure. In this paper the description of the experimental setup, the preliminary results of solid target irradiation and start to end simulation for a post-accelerated beam up to 60 MeV are given.
Post-acceleration of laser driven protons with a compact high field linac
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sinigardi, Stefano; Londrillo, Pasquale; Rossi, Francesco; Turchetti, Giorgio; Bolton, Paul R.
2013-05-01
We present a start-to-end 3D numerical simulation of a hybrid scheme for the acceleration of protons. The scheme is based on a first stage laser acceleration, followed by a transport line with a solenoid or a multiplet of quadrupoles, and then a post-acceleration section in a compact linac. Our simulations show that from a laser accelerated proton bunch with energy selection at ~ 30MeV, it is possible to obtain a high quality monochromatic beam of 60MeV with intensity at the threshold of interest for medical use. In the present day experiments using solid targets, the TNSA mechanism describes accelerated bunches with an exponential energy spectrum up to a cut-off value typically below ~ 60MeV and wide angular distribution. At the cut-off energy, the number of protons to be collimated and post-accelerated in a hybrid scheme are still too low. We investigate laser-plasma acceleration to improve the quality and number of the injected protons at ~ 30MeV in order to assure efficient post-acceleration in the hybrid scheme. The results are obtained with 3D PIC simulations using a code where optical acceleration with over-dense targets, transport and post-acceleration in a linac can all be investigated in an integrated framework. The high intensity experiments at Nara are taken as a reference benchmarks for our virtual laboratory. If experimentally confirmed, a hybrid scheme could be the core of a medium sized infrastructure for medical research, capable of producing protons for therapy and x-rays for diagnosis, which complements the development of all optical systems.
Mass entrainment and turbulence-driven acceleration of ultra-high energy cosmic rays in Centaurus A
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wykes, Sarka; Croston, Judith H.; Hardcastle, Martin J.; Eilek, Jean A.; Biermann, Peter L.; Achterberg, Abraham; Bray, Justin D.; Lazarian, Alex; Haverkorn, Marijke; Protheroe, Ray J.; Bromberg, Omer
2013-10-01
Observations of the FR I radio galaxy Centaurus A in radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray bands provide evidence for lepton acceleration up to several TeV and clues about hadron acceleration to tens of EeV. Synthesising the available observational constraints on the physical conditions and particle content in the jets, inner lobes and giant lobes of Centaurus A, we aim to evaluate its feasibility as an ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray source. We apply several methods of determining jet power and affirm the consistency of various power estimates of ~1 × 1043 erg s-1. Employing scaling relations based on previous results for 3C 31, we estimate particle number densities in the jets, encompassing available radio through X-ray observations. Our model is compatible with the jets ingesting ~3 × 1021 g s-1 of matter via external entrainment from hot gas and ~7 × 1022 g s-1 via internal entrainment from jet-contained stars. This leads to an imbalance between the internal lobe pressure available from radiating particles and magnetic field, and our derived external pressure. Based on knowledge of the external environments of other FR I sources, we estimate the thermal pressure in the giant lobes as 1.5 × 10-12 dyn cm-2, from which we deduce a lower limit to the temperature of ~1.6 × 108 K. Using dynamical and buoyancy arguments, we infer ~440-645 Myr and ~560 Myr as the sound-crossing and buoyancy ages of the giant lobes respectively, inconsistent with their spectral ages. We re-investigate the feasibility of particle acceleration via stochastic processes in the lobes, placing new constraints on the energetics and on turbulent input to the lobes. The same "very hot" temperatures that allow self-consistency between the entrainment calculations and the missing pressure also allow stochastic UHECR acceleration models to work.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Giulietti, Antonio
2017-05-01
Radiation therapy of tumors progresses continuously and so do devices, sharing a global market of about $ 4 billions, growing at an annual rate exceeding 5%. Most of the progress involves tumor targeting, multi-beam irradiation, reduction of damage on healthy tissues and critical organs, dose fractioning. This fast-evolving scenario is the moving benchmark for the progress of the laser-based accelerators towards clinical uses. As for electrons, both energy and dose requested by radiotherapy are available with plasma accelerators driven by lasers in the power range of tens of TW but several issues have still to be faced before getting a prototype device for clinical tests. They include capability of varying electron energy, stability of the process, reliability for medical users. On the other side hadron therapy, presently applied to a small fraction of cases but within an exponential growth, is a primary option for the future. With such a strong motivation, research on laser-based proton/ion acceleration has been supported in the last decade in order to get performances suitable to clinical standards. None of these performances has been achieved so far with laser techniques. In the meantime a rich crop of data have been obtained in radiobiological experiments performed with beams of particles produced with laser techniques. It is quite significant however that most of the experiments have been performed moving bio samples to laser labs, rather moving laser equipment to bio labs or clinical contexts. This give us the measure that laser community cannot so far provide practical devices usable by non-laser people.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Teng, J.; Gu, Y. Q.; Zhu, B.; Hong, W.; Zhao, Z. Q.; Zhou, W. M.; Cao, L. F.
2013-11-01
This paper presents a new method of laser produced proton beam collimation and spectrum compression using a combination of a solenoid field and a RF cavity. The solenoid collects laser-driven protons efficiently within an angle that is smaller than 12 degrees because it is mounted few millimeters from the target, and collimates protons with energies around 2.3 MeV. The collimated proton beam then passes through a RF cavity to allow compression of the spectrum. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations demonstrate the proton beam transport in the solenoid and RF electric fields. Excellent energy compression and collection efficiency of protons are presented. This method for proton beam optimization is suitable for high repetition-rate laser acceleration proton beams, which could be used as an injector for a conventional proton accelerator.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hung, R. J.; Pan, H. L.
1995-01-01
The dynamical behavior of spacecraft propellant affected by the asymmetric combined gravity gradient and jitter accelerations, in particular the effect of surface tension on partially-filled rotating fluids applicable to a full-scale Gravity Probe-B Spacecraft dewar tank has been investigated. Three different cases of orbital accelerations: (1) gravity gradient-dominated, (2) equally weighted between gravity gradient and jitter, and (3) gravity jitter-dominated accelerations are studied. The results of slosh wave excitation along the liquid-vapor interface induced by gravity gradient-dominated accelerations provide a torsional moment with tidal motion of bubble oscillations in the rotating dewar. The results are clearly seen from the twisting shape of the bubble oscillations driven by gravity gradient-dominated acceleration. The results of slosh wave excitation along the liquid-vapor interface induced by gravity jitter-dominated acceleration indicate the results of bubble motion in a manner of down-and-up and leftward-and-rightward movement of oscillation when the bubble is rotating with respect to rotating dewar axis. Fluctuations of angular momentum, fluid moment and bubble mass center caused by slosh wave excitations driven by gravity gradient acceleration or gravity jitter acceleration are also investigated.
Climate-change-driven accelerated sea-level rise detected in the altimeter era.
Nerem, R S; Beckley, B D; Fasullo, J T; Hamlington, B D; Masters, D; Mitchum, G T
2018-02-27
Using a 25-y time series of precision satellite altimeter data from TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, Jason-2, and Jason-3, we estimate the climate-change-driven acceleration of global mean sea level over the last 25 y to be 0.084 ± 0.025 mm/y 2 Coupled with the average climate-change-driven rate of sea level rise over these same 25 y of 2.9 mm/y, simple extrapolation of the quadratic implies global mean sea level could rise 65 ± 12 cm by 2100 compared with 2005, roughly in agreement with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report (AR5) model projections. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.
Wall-ablative laser-driven in-tube accelerator
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sasoh, Akihiro; Suzuki, Shingo; Matsuda, Atsushi
2008-05-01
The laser-driven in-tube accelerator in which the propellant is supplied from laser-ablated gas from the tube wall was developed. Proof-of concept demonstrations of vertical launch were successfully done. The device had a 25mm X 25mm square cross-section; two opposing walls were made of polyacetal and acted as the propellant, the other two acrylic window with guide grooves to the projectile. The upper end of the launch tube was connected to a vacuum chamber of an inner volume of 0.8 m2, in which the initial pressure was set to lower than 20 Pa. With plugging the bottom end of the launch tube, a momentum coupling coefficient exceeding 2.5 mN/W was obtained. Even with the bottom end connected to the same vacuum chamber through a different duct, the projectile was vertical launched successfully, obtaining 0.14 mN/W.
Review of laser-driven ion sources and their applications.
Daido, Hiroyuki; Nishiuchi, Mamiko; Pirozhkov, Alexander S
2012-05-01
For many years, laser-driven ion acceleration, mainly proton acceleration, has been proposed and a number of proof-of-principle experiments have been carried out with lasers whose pulse duration was in the nanosecond range. In the 1990s, ion acceleration in a relativistic plasma was demonstrated with ultra-short pulse lasers based on the chirped pulse amplification technique which can provide not only picosecond or femtosecond laser pulse duration, but simultaneously ultra-high peak power of terawatt to petawatt levels. Starting from the year 2000, several groups demonstrated low transverse emittance, tens of MeV proton beams with a conversion efficiency of up to several percent. The laser-accelerated particle beams have a duration of the order of a few picoseconds at the source, an ultra-high peak current and a broad energy spectrum, which make them suitable for many, including several unique, applications. This paper reviews, firstly, the historical background including the early laser-matter interaction studies on energetic ion acceleration relevant to inertial confinement fusion. Secondly, we describe several implemented and proposed mechanisms of proton and/or ion acceleration driven by ultra-short high-intensity lasers. We pay special attention to relatively simple models of several acceleration regimes. The models connect the laser, plasma and proton/ion beam parameters, predicting important features, such as energy spectral shape, optimum conditions and scalings under these conditions for maximum ion energy, conversion efficiency, etc. The models also suggest possible ways to manipulate the proton/ion beams by tailoring the target and irradiation conditions. Thirdly, we review experimental results on proton/ion acceleration, starting with the description of driving lasers. We list experimental results and show general trends of parameter dependences and compare them with the theoretical predictions and simulations. The fourth topic includes a review of
High power ring methods and accelerator driven subcritical reactor application
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Tahar, Malek Haj
2016-08-07
High power proton accelerators allow providing, by spallation reaction, the neutron fluxes necessary in the synthesis of fissile material, starting from Uranium 238 or Thorium 232. This is the basis of the concept of sub-critical operation of a reactor, for energy production or nuclear waste transmutation, with the objective of achieving cleaner, safer and more efficient process than today’s technologies allow. Designing, building and operating a proton accelerator in the 500-1000 MeV energy range, CW regime, MW power class still remains a challenge nowadays. There is a limited number of installations at present achieving beam characteristics in that class, e.g.,more » PSI in Villigen, 590 MeV CW beam from a cyclotron, SNS in Oakland, 1 GeV pulsed beam from a linear accelerator, in addition to projects as the ESS in Europe, a 5 MW beam from a linear accelerator. Furthermore, coupling an accelerator to a sub-critical nuclear reactor is a challenging proposition: some of the key issues/requirements are the design of a spallation target to withstand high power densities as well as ensure the safety of the installation. These two domains are the grounds of the PhD work: the focus is on the high power ring methods in the frame of the KURRI FFAG collaboration in Japan: upgrade of the installation towards high intensity is crucial to demonstrate the high beam power capability of FFAG. Thus, modeling of the beam dynamics and benchmarking of different codes was undertaken to validate the simulation results. Experimental results revealed some major losses that need to be understood and eventually overcome. By developing analytical models that account for the field defects, one identified major sources of imperfection in the design of scaling FFAG that explain the important tune variations resulting in the crossing of several betatron resonances. A new formula is derived to compute the tunes and properties established that characterize the effect of the field
Laser Wakefield Acceleration: Structural and Dynamic Studies. Final Technical Report ER40954
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Downer, Michael C.
2014-04-30
is 10-15 seconds) in duration and 150 Joules in energy (equivalent to the muzzle energy of a small pistol bullet). This duration was well matched to the natural electron density oscillation period of plasma of 1/100 atmospheric density, enabling efficient excitation of a plasma wake, while this energy was sufficient to drive a high-amplitude wake of the right shape to produce an energetic, collimated electron beam. Continuing research is aimed at increasing electron energy even further, increasing the number of electrons captured and accelerated, and developing applications of the compact, multi-GeV accelerator as a coherent, hard x-ray source for materials science, biomedical imaging and homeland security applications. The second major advance under this project was to develop new methods of visualizing the laser-driven plasma wake structures that underlie laser-plasma accelerators. Visualizing these structures is essential to understanding, optimizing and scaling laser-plasma accelerators. Yet prior to work under this project, computer simulations based on estimated initial conditions were the sole source of detailed knowledge of the complex, evolving internal structure of laser-driven plasma wakes. In this project we developed and demonstrated a suite of optical visualization methods based on well-known methods such as holography, streak cameras, and coherence tomography, but adapted to the ultrafast, light-speed, microscopic world of laser-driven plasma wakes. Our methods output images of laser-driven plasma structures in a single laser shot. We first reported snapshots of low-amplitude laser wakes in Nature Physics in 2006. We subsequently reported images of high-amplitude laser-driven plasma “bubbles”, which are important for producing electron beams with low energy spread, in Physical Review Letters in 2010. More recently, we have figured out how to image laser-driven structures that change shape while propagating in a single laser shot. The latter
The effect of stochastic re-acceleration on the energy spectrum of shock-accelerated protons
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Afanasiev, Alexandr; Vainio, Rami; Kocharov, Leon
2014-07-20
The energy spectra of particles in gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) events do not always have a power-law form attributed to the diffusive shock acceleration mechanism. In particular, the observed spectra in major SEP events can take the form of a broken (double) power law. In this paper, we study the effect of a process that can modify the power-law spectral form produced by the diffusive shock acceleration: the stochastic re-acceleration of energetic protons by enhanced Alfvénic turbulence in the downstream region of a shock wave. There are arguments suggesting that this process can be important when the shock propagatesmore » in the corona. We consider a coronal magnetic loop traversed by a shock and perform Monte Carlo simulations of interactions of shock-accelerated protons with Alfvén waves in the loop. The wave-particle interactions are treated self-consistently, so the finiteness of the available turbulent energy is taken into account. The initial energy spectrum of particles is taken to be a power law. The simulations reveal that the stochastic re-acceleration leads either to the formation of a spectrum that is described in a wide energy range by a power law (although the resulting power-law index is different from the initial one) or to a broken power-law spectrum. The resulting spectral form is determined by the ratio of the energy density of shock-accelerated protons to the wave energy density in the shock's downstream region.« less
Recent Progress in Energy-Driven Water Splitting.
Tee, Si Yin; Win, Khin Yin; Teo, Wee Siang; Koh, Leng-Duei; Liu, Shuhua; Teng, Choon Peng; Han, Ming-Yong
2017-05-01
Hydrogen is readily obtained from renewable and non-renewable resources via water splitting by using thermal, electrical, photonic and biochemical energy. The major hydrogen production is generated from thermal energy through steam reforming/gasification of fossil fuel. As the commonly used non-renewable resources will be depleted in the long run, there is great demand to utilize renewable energy resources for hydrogen production. Most of the renewable resources may be used to produce electricity for driving water splitting while challenges remain to improve cost-effectiveness. As the most abundant energy resource, the direct conversion of solar energy to hydrogen is considered the most sustainable energy production method without causing pollutions to the environment. In overall, this review briefly summarizes thermolytic, electrolytic, photolytic and biolytic water splitting. It highlights photonic and electrical driven water splitting together with photovoltaic-integrated solar-driven water electrolysis.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gai, E. V.; Ignatyuk, A. V.; Lunev, V. P.; Shubin, Yu. N.
2001-11-01
General problems arising in development of intense neutron sources as a part of accelerator-driven systems and first experience accumulated in IPPE during last several years are briefly discussed. The calculation and analysis of nuclear-physical properties of the targets, such as the accumulation of spallation reaction products, activity and heat release for various versions of heavy liquid metal targets were performed in IPPE. The sensitivity of the results of calculations to the various sets of nuclear data was considered. The main radiology characteristics of the lead-bismuth target, which is now under construction in the frame of ISTC Project # 559, are briefly described. The production of short-lived nuclides was estimated, the total activity and volatile nuclide accumulation, residual heat release, the energies of various decay modes were analysed.
Neveu, Emilie; Ritchie, David W; Popov, Petr; Grudinin, Sergei
2016-09-01
Docking prediction algorithms aim to find the native conformation of a complex of proteins from knowledge of their unbound structures. They rely on a combination of sampling and scoring methods, adapted to different scales. Polynomial Expansion of Protein Structures and Interactions for Docking (PEPSI-Dock) improves the accuracy of the first stage of the docking pipeline, which will sharpen up the final predictions. Indeed, PEPSI-Dock benefits from the precision of a very detailed data-driven model of the binding free energy used with a global and exhaustive rigid-body search space. As well as being accurate, our computations are among the fastest by virtue of the sparse representation of the pre-computed potentials and FFT-accelerated sampling techniques. Overall, this is the first demonstration of a FFT-accelerated docking method coupled with an arbitrary-shaped distance-dependent interaction potential. First, we present a novel learning process to compute data-driven distant-dependent pairwise potentials, adapted from our previous method used for rescoring of putative protein-protein binding poses. The potential coefficients are learned by combining machine-learning techniques with physically interpretable descriptors. Then, we describe the integration of the deduced potentials into a FFT-accelerated spherical sampling provided by the Hex library. Overall, on a training set of 163 heterodimers, PEPSI-Dock achieves a success rate of 91% mid-quality predictions in the top-10 solutions. On a subset of the protein docking benchmark v5, it achieves 44.4% mid-quality predictions in the top-10 solutions when starting from bound structures and 20.5% when starting from unbound structures. The method runs in 5-15 min on a modern laptop and can easily be extended to other types of interactions. https://team.inria.fr/nano-d/software/PEPSI-Dock sergei.grudinin@inria.fr. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e
Measuring Energy Scaling of Laser Driven Magnetic Fields
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Williams, Jackson; Goyon, Clement; Mariscal, Derek; Pollock, Brad; Patankar, Siddharth; Moody, John
2016-10-01
Laser-driven magnetic fields are of interest in particle confinement, fast ignition, and ICF platforms as an alternative to pulsed power systems to achieve many times higher fields. A comprehensive model describing the mechanism responsible for creating and maintaining magnetic fields from laser-driven coils has not yet been established. Understanding the scaling of key experimental parameters such as spatial and temporal uniformity and duration are necessary to implement coil targets in practical applications yet these measurements prove difficult due to the highly transient nature of the fields. We report on direct voltage measurements of laser-driven coil targets in which the laser energy spans more than four orders of magnitude. Results suggest that at low energies, laser-driven coils can be modeled as an electric circuit; however, at higher energies plasma effects dominate and a simple circuit treatment is insufficient to describe all observed phenomenon. The favorable scaling with laser power and pulse duration, observed in the present study and others at kilojoule energies, has positive implications for sustained, large magnetic fields for applications on the NIF. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.
77 FR 54777 - Accelerating Investment in Industrial Energy Efficiency
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-09-05
...--Accelerating Investment in Industrial Energy Efficiency Executive Order 13625--Improving Access to Mental... Accelerating Investment in Industrial Energy Efficiency By the authority vested in me as President by the... helping to facilitate investments in energy efficiency at industrial facilities, it is hereby ordered as...
Helium-3 and helium-4 acceleration by high power laser pulses for hadron therapy
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Bulanov, S. S.; Esarey, E.; Schroeder, C. B.
The laser driven acceleration of ions is considered a promising candidate for an ion source for hadron therapy of oncological diseases. Though proton and carbon ion sources are conventionally used for therapy, other light ions can also be utilized. Whereas carbon ions require 400 MeV per nucleon to reach the same penetration depth as 250 MeV protons, helium ions require only 250 MeV per nucleon, which is the lowest energy per nucleon among the light ions (heavier than protons). This fact along with the larger biological damage to cancer cells achieved by helium ions, than that by protons, makes thismore » species an interesting candidate for the laser driven ion source. Two mechanisms (magnetic vortex acceleration and hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration) of PW-class laser driven ion acceleration from liquid and gaseous helium targets are studied with the goal of producing 250 MeV per nucleon helium ion beams that meet the hadron therapy requirements. We show that He3 ions, having almost the same penetration depth as He4 with the same energy per nucleon, require less laser power to be accelerated to the required energy for the hadron therapy.« less
Helium-3 and helium-4 acceleration by high power laser pulses for hadron therapy
Bulanov, S. S.; Esarey, E.; Schroeder, C. B.; ...
2015-06-24
The laser driven acceleration of ions is considered a promising candidate for an ion source for hadron therapy of oncological diseases. Though proton and carbon ion sources are conventionally used for therapy, other light ions can also be utilized. Whereas carbon ions require 400 MeV per nucleon to reach the same penetration depth as 250 MeV protons, helium ions require only 250 MeV per nucleon, which is the lowest energy per nucleon among the light ions (heavier than protons). This fact along with the larger biological damage to cancer cells achieved by helium ions, than that by protons, makes thismore » species an interesting candidate for the laser driven ion source. Two mechanisms (magnetic vortex acceleration and hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration) of PW-class laser driven ion acceleration from liquid and gaseous helium targets are studied with the goal of producing 250 MeV per nucleon helium ion beams that meet the hadron therapy requirements. We show that He3 ions, having almost the same penetration depth as He4 with the same energy per nucleon, require less laser power to be accelerated to the required energy for the hadron therapy.« less
High quality proton beams from hybrid integrated laser-driven ion acceleration systems
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sinigardi, Stefano; Turchetti, Giorgio; Rossi, Francesco; Londrillo, Pasquale; Giove, Dario; De Martinis, Carlo; Bolton, Paul R.
2014-03-01
We consider a hybrid acceleration scheme for protons where the laser generated beam is selected in energy and angle and injected into a compact linac, which raises the energy from 30 to 60 MeV. The laser acceleration regime is TNSA and the energy spectrum is determined by the cutoff energy and proton temperature. The dependence of the spectrum on the target properties and the incidence angle is investigated with 2D PIC simulations. We base our work on widely available technologies and on laser with a short pulse, having in mind a facility whose cost is approximately 15 M €. Using a recent experiment as the reference, we choose the laser pulse and target so that the energy spectrum obtained from the 3D PIC simulation is close to the one observed, whose cutoff energy was estimated to be over 50 MeV. Laser accelerated protons in the TNSA regime have wide energy spectrum and broad divergence. In this paper we compare three transport lines, designed to perform energy selection and beam collimation. They are based on a solenoid, a quadruplet of permanent magnetic quadrupoles and a chicane. To increase the maximum available energy, which is actually seen as an upper limit due to laser properties and available targets, we propose to inject protons into a small linac for post-acceleration. The number of selected and injected protons is the highest with the solenoid and lower by one and two orders of magnitude with the quadrupoles and the chicane respectively. Even though only the solenoid enables achieving to reach a final intensity at the threshold required for therapy with the highest beam quality, the other systems will be very likely used in the first experiments. Realistic start-to-end simulations, as the ones reported here, are relevant for the design of such experiments.
Applications of High Intensity Proton Accelerators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Raja, Rajendran; Mishra, Shekhar
2010-06-01
Superconducting radiofrequency linac development at Fermilab / S. D. Holmes -- Rare muon decay experiments / Y. Kuno -- Rare kaon decays / D. Bryman -- Muon collider / R. B. Palmer -- Neutrino factories / S. Geer -- ADS and its potential / J.-P. Revol -- ADS history in the USA / R. L. Sheffield and E. J. Pitcher -- Accelerator driven transmutation of waste: high power accelerator for the European ADS demonstrator / J. L. Biarrotte and T. Junquera -- Myrrha, technology development for the realisation of ADS in EU: current status & prospects for realisation / R. Fernandez ... [et al.] -- High intensity proton beam production with cyclotrons / J. Grillenberger and M. Seidel -- FFAG for high intensity proton accelerator / Y. Mori -- Kaon yields for 2 to 8 GeV proton beams / K. K. Gudima, N. V. Mokhov and S. I. Striganov -- Pion yield studies for proton driver beams of 2-8 GeV kinetic energy for stopped muon and low-energy muon decay experiments / S. I. Striganov -- J-Parc accelerator status and future plans / H. Kobayashi -- Simulation and verification of DPA in materials / N. V. Mokhov, I. L. Rakhno and S. I. Striganov -- Performance and operational experience of the CNGS facility / E. Gschwendtner -- Particle physics enabled with super-conducting RF technology - summary of working group 1 / D. Jaffe and R. Tschirhart -- Proton beam requirements for a neutrino factory and muon collider / M. S. Zisman -- Proton bunching options / R. B. Palmer -- CW SRF H linac as a proton driver for muon colliders and neutrino factories / M. Popovic, C. M. Ankenbrandt and R. P. Johnson -- Rapid cycling synchrotron option for Project X / W. Chou -- Linac-based proton driver for a neutrino factory / R. Garoby ... [et al.] -- Pion production for neutrino factories and muon colliders / N. V. Mokhov ... [et al.] -- Proton bunch compression strategies / V. Lebedev -- Accelerator test facility for muon collider and neutrino factory R&D / V. Shiltsev -- The superconducting RF linac for muon
Stellar winds driven by Alfven waves
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Belcher, J. W.; Olbert, S.
1973-01-01
Models of stellar winds were considered in which the dynamic expansion of a corona is driven by Alfven waves propagating outward along radial magnetic field lines. In the presence of Alfven waves, a coronal expansion can exist for a broad range of reference conditions which would, in the absence of waves, lead to static configurations. Wind models in which the acceleration mechanism is due to Alfven waves alone and exhibit lower mass fluxes and higher energies per particle are compared to wind models in which the acceleration is due to thermal processes. For example, winds driven by Alfven waves exhibit streaming velocities at infinity which may vary between the escape velocity at the coronal base and the geometrical mean of the escape velocity and the speed of light. Upper and lower limits were derived for the allowed energy fluxes and mass fluxes associated with these winds.
Optimized operation of dielectric laser accelerators: Multibunch
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hanuka, Adi; Schächter, Levi
2018-06-01
We present a self-consistent analysis to determine the optimal charge, gradient, and efficiency for laser driven accelerators operating with a train of microbunches. Specifically, we account for the beam loading reduction on the material occurring at the dielectric-vacuum interface. In the case of a train of microbunches, such beam loading effect could be detrimental due to energy spread, however this may be compensated by a tapered laser pulse. We ultimately propose an optimization procedure with an analytical solution for group velocity which equals to half the speed of light. This optimization results in a maximum efficiency 20% lower than the single bunch case, and a total accelerated charge of 1 06 electrons in the train. The approach holds promise for improving operations of dielectric laser accelerators and may have an impact on emerging laser accelerators driven by high-power optical lasers.
Variable-energy drift-tube linear accelerator
Swenson, Donald A.; Boyd, Jr., Thomas J.; Potter, James M.; Stovall, James E.
1984-01-01
A linear accelerator system includes a plurality of post-coupled drift-tubes wherein each post coupler is bistably positionable to either of two positions which result in different field distributions. With binary control over a plurality of post couplers, a significant accumlative effect in the resulting field distribution is achieved yielding a variable-energy drift-tube linear accelerator.
Variable-energy drift-tube linear accelerator
Swenson, D.A.; Boyd, T.J. Jr.; Potter, J.M.; Stovall, J.E.
A linear accelerator system includes a plurality of post-coupled drift-tubes wherein each post coupler is bistably positionable to either of two positions which result in different field distributions. With binary control over a plurality of post couplers, a significant accumlative effect in the resulting field distribution is achieved yielding a variable-energy drift-tube linear accelerator.
Effect of polarization and focusing on laser pulse driven auto-resonant particle acceleration
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Sagar, Vikram; Sengupta, Sudip; Kaw, Predhiman
2014-04-15
The effect of laser polarization and focusing is theoretically studied on the final energy gain of a particle in the Auto-resonant acceleration scheme using a finite duration laser pulse with Gaussian shaped temporal envelope. The exact expressions for dynamical variables viz. position, momentum, and energy are obtained by analytically solving the relativistic equation of motion describing particle dynamics in the combined field of an elliptically polarized finite duration pulse and homogeneous static axial magnetic field. From the solutions, it is shown that for a given set of laser parameters viz. intensity and pulse length along with static magnetic field, themore » energy gain by a positively charged particle is maximum for a right circularly polarized laser pulse. Further, a new scheme is proposed for particle acceleration by subjecting it to the combined field of a focused finite duration laser pulse and static axial magnetic field. In this scheme, the particle is initially accelerated by the focused laser field, which drives the non-resonant particle to second stage of acceleration by cyclotron Auto-resonance. The new scheme is found to be efficient over two individual schemes, i.e., auto-resonant acceleration and direct acceleration by focused laser field, as significant particle acceleration can be achieved at one order lesser values of static axial magnetic field and laser intensity.« less
FLARE VERSUS SHOCK ACCELERATION OF HIGH-ENERGY PROTONS IN SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE EVENTS
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Cliver, E. W.
2016-12-01
Recent studies have presented evidence for a significant to dominant role for a flare-resident acceleration process for high-energy protons in large (“gradual”) solar energetic particle (SEP) events, contrary to the more generally held view that such protons are primarily accelerated at shock waves driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The new support for this flare-centric view is provided by correlations between the sizes of X-ray and/or microwave bursts and associated SEP events. For one such study that considered >100 MeV proton events, we present evidence based on CME speeds and widths, shock associations, and electron-to-proton ratios that indicates that eventsmore » omitted from that investigation’s analysis should have been included. Inclusion of these outlying events reverses the study’s qualitative result and supports shock acceleration of >100 MeV protons. Examination of the ratios of 0.5 MeV electron intensities to >100 MeV proton intensities for the Grechnev et al. event sample provides additional support for shock acceleration of high-energy protons. Simply scaling up a classic “impulsive” SEP event to produce a large >100 MeV proton event implies the existence of prompt 0.5 MeV electron events that are approximately two orders of magnitude larger than are observed. While classic “impulsive” SEP events attributed to flares have high electron-to-proton ratios (≳5 × 10{sup 5}) due to a near absence of >100 MeV protons, large poorly connected (≥W120) gradual SEP events, attributed to widespread shock acceleration, have electron-to-proton ratios of ∼2 × 10{sup 3}, similar to those of comparably sized well-connected (W20–W90) SEP events.« less
Flare vs. Shock Acceleration of High-energy Protons in Solar Energetic Particle Events
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cliver, E. W.
2016-12-01
Recent studies have presented evidence for a significant to dominant role for a flare-resident acceleration process for high-energy protons in large (“gradual”) solar energetic particle (SEP) events, contrary to the more generally held view that such protons are primarily accelerated at shock waves driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The new support for this flare-centric view is provided by correlations between the sizes of X-ray and/or microwave bursts and associated SEP events. For one such study that considered >100 MeV proton events, we present evidence based on CME speeds and widths, shock associations, and electron-to-proton ratios that indicates that events omitted from that investigation’s analysis should have been included. Inclusion of these outlying events reverses the study’s qualitative result and supports shock acceleration of >100 MeV protons. Examination of the ratios of 0.5 MeV electron intensities to >100 MeV proton intensities for the Grechnev et al. event sample provides additional support for shock acceleration of high-energy protons. Simply scaling up a classic “impulsive” SEP event to produce a large >100 MeV proton event implies the existence of prompt 0.5 MeV electron events that are approximately two orders of magnitude larger than are observed. While classic “impulsive” SEP events attributed to flares have high electron-to-proton ratios (≳5 × 105) due to a near absence of >100 MeV protons, large poorly connected (≥W120) gradual SEP events, attributed to widespread shock acceleration, have electron-to-proton ratios of ˜2 × 103, similar to those of comparably sized well-connected (W20-W90) SEP events.
Mid-infrared lasers for energy frontier plasma accelerators
Pogorelsky, I. V.; Polyanskiy, M. N.; Kimura, W. D.
2016-09-12
Plasma wake field accelerators driven with solid-state near-IR lasers have been considered as an alternative to conventional rf accelerators for next-generation TeV-class lepton colliders. Here, we extend this study to the mid-IR spectral domain covered by CO 2 lasers. We conclude that the increase in the laser driver wavelength favors the regime of laser wake field acceleration with a low plasma density and high electric charge. This regime is the most beneficial for gamma colliders to be converted from lepton colliders via inverse Compton scattering. Selecting a laser wavelength to drive a Compton gamma source is essential for the designmore » of such a machine. In conclusion, the revealed benefits from spectral diversification of laser drivers for future colliders and off-spring applications validate ongoing efforts in advancing the ultrafast CO 2 laser technology.« less
Particle Acceleration in Two Converging Shocks
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Wang, Xin; Wang, Na; Shan, Hao
2017-06-20
Observations by spacecraft such as ACE , STEREO , and others show that there are proton spectral “breaks” with energy E {sub br} at 1–10 MeV in some large CME-driven shocks. Generally, a single shock with the diffusive acceleration mechanism would not predict the “broken” energy spectrum. The present paper focuses on two converging shocks to identify this energy spectral feature. In this case, the converging shocks comprise one forward CME-driven shock on 2006 December 13 and another backward Earth bow shock. We simulate the detailed particle acceleration processes in the region of the converging shocks using the Monte Carlomore » method. As a result, we not only obtain an extended energy spectrum with an energy “tail” up to a few 10 MeV higher than that in previous single shock model, but also we find an energy spectral “break” occurring on ∼5.5 MeV. The predicted energy spectral shape is consistent with observations from multiple spacecraft. The spectral “break,” then, in this case is caused by the interaction between the CME shock and Earth’s bow shock, and otherwise would not be present if Earth were not in the path of the CME.« less
Laser-driven three-stage heavy-ion acceleration from relativistic laser-plasma interaction.
Wang, H Y; Lin, C; Liu, B; Sheng, Z M; Lu, H Y; Ma, W J; Bin, J H; Schreiber, J; He, X T; Chen, J E; Zepf, M; Yan, X Q
2014-01-01
A three-stage heavy ion acceleration scheme for generation of high-energy quasimonoenergetic heavy ion beams is investigated using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation and analytical modeling. The scheme is based on the interaction of an intense linearly polarized laser pulse with a compound two-layer target (a front heavy ion layer + a second light ion layer). We identify that, under appropriate conditions, the heavy ions preaccelerated by a two-stage acceleration process in the front layer can be injected into the light ion shock wave in the second layer for a further third-stage acceleration. These injected heavy ions are not influenced by the screening effect from the light ions, and an isolated high-energy heavy ion beam with relatively low-energy spread is thus formed. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that ∼100MeV/u quasimonoenergetic Fe24+ beams can be obtained by linearly polarized laser pulses at intensities of 1.1×1021W/cm2.
Quantifying Behavior Driven Energy Savings for Hotels
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Dong, Bing; Wang, Na; Hooks, Edward
2016-08-12
Hotel facilities present abundant opportunities for energy savings. In the United States, there are around 25,000 hotels that spend on an average of $2,196 on energy costs per room each year. This amounts to about 6% of the total annual hotel operating cost. However, unlike offices, there are limited studies on establishing appropriate baselines and quantifying hotel energy savings given the variety of services and amenities, unpredictable customer behaviors, and the around-the-clock operation hours. In this study, we investigate behavior driven energy savings for three medium-size (around 90,000 sf2) hotels that offer similar services in different climate zones. We firstmore » used Department of Energy Asset Scoring Tool to establish baseline models. We then conducted energy saving analysis in EnergyPlus based on a behavior model that defines the upper bound and lower bound of customer and hotel staff behavior. Lastly, we presented a probabilistic energy savings outlook for each hotel. The analysis shows behavior driven energy savings up to 25%. We believe this is the first study to incorporate behavioral factors into energy analysis for hotels. It also demonstrates a procedure to quickly create tailored baselines and identify improvement opportunities for hotels.« less
Accelerator Science: Luminosity vs. Energy
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Lincoln, Don
In the world of high energy physics there are several parameters that are important when one constructs a particle accelerator. Two crucial ones are the energy of the beam and the luminosity, which is another word for the number of particles in the beam. In this video, Fermilab’s Dr. Don Lincoln explains the differences and the pros and cons. He even works in an unexpected sporting event.
Accelerator Science: Luminosity vs. Energy
Lincoln, Don
2018-06-12
In the world of high energy physics there are several parameters that are important when one constructs a particle accelerator. Two crucial ones are the energy of the beam and the luminosity, which is another word for the number of particles in the beam. In this video, Fermilabâs Dr. Don Lincoln explains the differences and the pros and cons. He even works in an unexpected sporting event.
EDITORIAL: Laser and plasma accelerators Laser and plasma accelerators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bingham, Robert
2009-02-01
This special issue on laser and plasma accelerators illustrates the rapid advancement and diverse applications of laser and plasma accelerators. Plasma is an attractive medium for particle acceleration because of the high electric field it can sustain, with studies of acceleration processes remaining one of the most important areas of research in both laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. The rapid advance in laser and accelerator technology has led to the development of terawatt and petawatt laser systems with ultra-high intensities and short sub-picosecond pulses, which are used to generate wakefields in plasma. Recent successes include the demonstration by several groups in 2004 of quasi-monoenergetic electron beams by wakefields in the bubble regime with the GeV energy barrier being reached in 2006, and the energy doubling of the SLAC high-energy electron beam from 42 to 85 GeV. The electron beams generated by the laser plasma driven wakefields have good spatial quality with energies ranging from MeV to GeV. A unique feature is that they are ultra-short bunches with simulations showing that they can be as short as a few femtoseconds with low-energy spread, making these beams ideal for a variety of applications ranging from novel high-brightness radiation sources for medicine, material science and ultrafast time-resolved radiobiology or chemistry. Laser driven ion acceleration experiments have also made significant advances over the last few years with applications in laser fusion, nuclear physics and medicine. Attention is focused on the possibility of producing quasi-mono-energetic ions with energies ranging from hundreds of MeV to GeV per nucleon. New acceleration mechanisms are being studied, including ion acceleration from ultra-thin foils and direct laser acceleration. The application of wakefields or beat waves in other areas of science such as astrophysics and particle physics is beginning to take off, such as the study of cosmic accelerators considered
Flutter-driven triboelectrification for harvesting wind energy
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bae, Jihyun; Lee, Jeongsu; Kim, Seongmin; Ha, Jaewook; Lee, Byoung-Sun; Park, Youngjun; Choong, Chweelin; Kim, Jin-Baek; Wang, Zhong Lin; Kim, Ho-Young; Park, Jong-Jin; Chung, U.-In
2014-09-01
Technologies to harvest electrical energy from wind have vast potentials because wind is one of the cleanest and most sustainable energy sources that nature provides. Here we propose a flutter-driven triboelectric generator that uses contact electrification caused by the self-sustained oscillation of flags. We study the coupled interaction between a fluttering flexible flag and a rigid plate. In doing so, we find three distinct contact modes: single, double and chaotic. The flutter-driven triboelectric generator having small dimensions of 7.5 × 5 cm at wind speed of 15 ms-1 exhibits high-electrical performances: an instantaneous output voltage of 200 V and a current of 60 μA with a high frequency of 158 Hz, giving an average power density of approximately 0.86 mW. The flutter-driven triboelectric generation is a promising technology to drive electric devices in the outdoor environments in a sustainable manner.
Acceleration during magnetic reconnection
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Beresnyak, Andrey; Li, Hui
2015-07-16
The presentation begins with colorful depictions of solar x-ray flares and references to pulsar phenomena. Plasma reconnection is complex, could be x-point dominated or turbulent, field lines could break due to either resistivity or non-ideal effects, such as electron pressure anisotropy. Electron acceleration is sometimes observed, and sometimes not. One way to study this complex problem is to have many examples of the process (reconnection) and compare them; the other way is to simplify and come to something robust. Ideal MHD (E=0) turbulence driven by magnetic energy is assumed, and the first-order acceleration is sought. It is found that dissipationmore » in big (length >100 ion skin depths) current sheets is universal and independent on microscopic resistivity and the mean imposed field; particles are regularly accelerated while experiencing curvature drift in flows driven by magnetic tension. One example of such flow is spontaneous reconnection. This explains hot electrons with a power-law tail in solar flares, as well as ultrashort time variability in some astrophysical sources.« less
Radiological Hazard of Spallation Products in Accelerator-Driven System
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Saito, M.; Stankovskii, A.; Artisyuk, V.
The central issue underlying this paper is related to elucidating the hazard of radioactive spallation products that might be an important factor affecting the design option of accelerator-driven systems (ADSs). Hazard analysis based on the concept of Annual Limit on Intake identifies alpha-emitting isotopes of rare earths (REs) (dysprosium, gadolinium, and samarium) as the dominant contributors to the overall toxicity of traditional (W, Pb, Pb-Bi) targets. The matter is addressed from several points of view: code validation to simulate their yields, choice of material for the neutron producing targets, and challenging the beam type. The paper quantitatively determines the domainmore » in which the toxicity of REs exceeds that of polonium activation products broadly discussed now in connection with advertising lead-bismuth technology for the needs of ADSs.« less
Micron-size hydrogen cluster target for laser-driven proton acceleration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jinno, S.; Kanasaki, M.; Uno, M.; Matsui, R.; Uesaka, M.; Kishimoto, Y.; Fukuda, Y.
2018-04-01
As a new laser-driven ion acceleration technique, we proposed a way to produce impurity-free, highly reproducible, and robust proton beams exceeding 100 MeV using a Coulomb explosion of micron-size hydrogen clusters. In this study, micron-size hydrogen clusters were generated by expanding the cooled high-pressure hydrogen gas into a vacuum via a conical nozzle connected to a solenoid valve cooled by a mechanical cryostat. The size distributions of the hydrogen clusters were evaluated by measuring the angular distribution of laser light scattered from the clusters. The data were analyzed mathematically based on the Mie scattering theory combined with the Tikhonov regularization method. The maximum size of the hydrogen cluster at 25 K and 6 MPa in the stagnation state was recognized to be 2.15 ± 0.10 μm. The mean cluster size decreased with increasing temperature, and was found to be much larger than that given by Hagena’s formula. This discrepancy suggests that the micron-size hydrogen clusters were formed by the atomization (spallation) of the liquid or supercritical fluid phase of hydrogen. In addition, the density profiles of the gas phase were evaluated for 25 to 80 K at 6 MPa using a Nomarski interferometer. Based on the measurement results and the equation of state for hydrogen, the cluster mass fraction was obtained. 3D particles-in-cell (PIC) simulations concerning the interaction processes of micron-size hydrogen clusters with high power laser pulses predicted the generation of protons exceeding 100 MeV and accelerating in a laser propagation direction via an anisotropic Coulomb explosion mechanism, thus demonstrating a future candidate in laser-driven proton sources for upcoming multi-petawatt lasers.
Demonstration of a positron beam-driven hollow channel plasma wakefield accelerator
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gessner, Spencer; Adli, Erik; Allen, James M.; An, Weiming; Clarke, Christine I.; Clayton, Chris E.; Corde, Sebastien; Delahaye, J. P.; Frederico, Joel; Green, Selina Z.; Hast, Carsten; Hogan, Mark J.; Joshi, Chan; Lindstrøm, Carl A.; Lipkowitz, Nate; Litos, Michael; Lu, Wei; Marsh, Kenneth A.; Mori, Warren B.; O'Shea, Brendan; Vafaei-Najafabadi, Navid; Walz, Dieter; Yakimenko, Vitaly; Yocky, Gerald
2016-06-01
Plasma wakefield accelerators have been used to accelerate electron and positron particle beams with gradients that are orders of magnitude larger than those achieved in conventional accelerators. In addition to being accelerated by the plasma wakefield, the beam particles also experience strong transverse forces that may disrupt the beam quality. Hollow plasma channels have been proposed as a technique for generating accelerating fields without transverse forces. Here we demonstrate a method for creating an extended hollow plasma channel and measure the wakefields created by an ultrarelativistic positron beam as it propagates through the channel. The plasma channel is created by directing a high-intensity laser pulse with a spatially modulated profile into lithium vapour, which results in an annular region of ionization. A peak decelerating field of 230 MeV m-1 is inferred from changes in the beam energy spectrum, in good agreement with theory and particle-in-cell simulations.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bingham, Bob; Muggli, Patric
2011-01-01
The Laser and Plasma Accelerators Workshop 2009 was part of a very successful series of international workshops which were conceived at the 1985 Laser Acceleration of Particles Workshop in Malibu, California. Since its inception, the workshop has been held in Asia and in Europe (Kardamyli, Kyoto, Presqu'ile de Giens, Portovenere, Taipei and the Azores). The purpose of the workshops is to bring together the most recent results in laser wakefield acceleration, plasma wakefield acceleration, laser-driven ion acceleration, and radiation generation produced by plasma-based accelerator beams. The 2009 workshop was held on 22-26 June in Kardamyli, Greece, and brought together over 80 participants. (http://cfp.ist.utl.pt/lpaw09/). The workshop involved five main themes: • Laser plasma electron acceleration (experiment/theory/simulation) • Computational methods • Plasma wakefield acceleration (experiment/theory/simulation) • Laser-driven ion acceleration • Radiation generation and application. All of these themes are covered in this special issue of Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. The topic and application of plasma accelerators is one of the success stories in plasma physics, with laser wakefield acceleration of mono-energetic electrons to GeV energies, of ions to hundreds of MeV, and electron-beam-driven wakefield acceleration to 85 GeV. The accelerating electric field in the wake is of the order 1 GeV cm-1, or an accelerating gradient 1000 times greater than in conventional accelerators, possibly leading to an accelerator 1000 times smaller (and much more affordable) for the same energy. At the same time, the electron beams generated by laser wakefield accelerators have very good emittance with a correspondingly good energy spread of about a few percent. They also have the unique feature in being ultra-short in the femtosecond scale. This makes them attractive for a variety of applications, ranging from material science to ultra-fast time
Laser-driven proton and deuteron acceleration from a pure solid-density H2/D2 cryogenic jet
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kim, Jongjin; Gauthier, Maxence; Aurand, Bastian; Curry, Chandra; Goede, Sebastian; Goyon, Clement; Williams, Jackson; Kerr, Shaun; Ruby, John; Propp, Adrienne; Ramakrishna, Bhuvanesh; Pak, Art; Hazi, Andy; Glenzer, Siegfried; Roedel, Christian
2015-11-01
Laser-driven proton acceleration has become of tremendous interest for the fundamental science and the potential applications in tumor therapy and proton radiography. We have developed a cryogenic liquid hydrogen jet, which can deliver a self-replenishing target of pure solid-density hydrogen or deuterium. This allows for a target compatible with high-repetition-rate experiments and results in a pure hydrogen plasma, facilitating comparison with simulations. A new modification has allowed for the formation of jets with rectangular profiles, facilitating comparison with foil targets. This jet was installed at the Titan laser and driven by laser pulses of 40-60 J of 527 nm laser light in 1 ps. The resulting proton and deuteron spectra were measured in multiple directions with Thomson parabola spectrometers and RCF stacks. The spectral and angular information suggest contribution from both the TNSA and RPA acceleration mechanisms.
Demonstration of a positron beam-driven hollow channel plasma wakefield accelerator
Gessner, Spencer; Adli, Erik; Allen, James M.; ...
2016-06-02
Plasma wakefield accelerators have been used to accelerate electron and positron particle beams with gradients that are orders of magnitude larger than those achieved in conventional accelerators. In addition to being accelerated by the plasma wakefield, the beam particles also experience strong transverse forces that may disrupt the beam quality. Hollow plasma channels have been proposed as a technique for generating accelerating fields without transverse forces. In this study, we demonstrate a method for creating an extended hollow plasma channel and measure the wakefields created by an ultrarelativistic positron beam as it propagates through the channel. The plasma channel ismore » created by directing a high-intensity laser pulse with a spatially modulated profile into lithium vapour, which results in an annular region of ionization. A peak decelerating field of 230 MeV m -1 is inferred from changes in the beam energy spectrum, in good agreement with theory and particle-in-cell simulations.« less
Demonstration of a positron beam-driven hollow channel plasma wakefield accelerator
Gessner, Spencer; Adli, Erik; Allen, James M.; An, Weiming; Clarke, Christine I.; Clayton, Chris E.; Corde, Sebastien; Delahaye, J. P.; Frederico, Joel; Green, Selina Z.; Hast, Carsten; Hogan, Mark J.; Joshi, Chan; Lindstrøm, Carl A.; Lipkowitz, Nate; Litos, Michael; Lu, Wei; Marsh, Kenneth A.; Mori, Warren B.; O'Shea, Brendan; Vafaei-Najafabadi, Navid; Walz, Dieter; Yakimenko, Vitaly; Yocky, Gerald
2016-01-01
Plasma wakefield accelerators have been used to accelerate electron and positron particle beams with gradients that are orders of magnitude larger than those achieved in conventional accelerators. In addition to being accelerated by the plasma wakefield, the beam particles also experience strong transverse forces that may disrupt the beam quality. Hollow plasma channels have been proposed as a technique for generating accelerating fields without transverse forces. Here we demonstrate a method for creating an extended hollow plasma channel and measure the wakefields created by an ultrarelativistic positron beam as it propagates through the channel. The plasma channel is created by directing a high-intensity laser pulse with a spatially modulated profile into lithium vapour, which results in an annular region of ionization. A peak decelerating field of 230 MeV m−1 is inferred from changes in the beam energy spectrum, in good agreement with theory and particle-in-cell simulations. PMID:27250570
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Zhang, Guo-Bo; Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas; Chen, Min, E-mail: minchen@sjtu.edu.cn, E-mail: yanyunma@126.com
2016-03-14
The acceleration of electron beams with multiple transverse structures in wakefields driven by Laguerre-Gaussian pulses has been studied through three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell simulations. Under different laser-plasma conditions, the wakefield shows different transverse structures. In general cases, the wakefield shows a donut-like structure and it accelerates the ring-shaped hollow electron beam. When a lower plasma density or a smaller laser spot size is used, besides the donut-like wakefield, a central bell-like wakefield can also be excited. The wake sets in the center of the donut-like wake. In this case, both a central on-axis electron beam and a ring-shaped electron beam aremore » simultaneously accelerated. Further, reducing the plasma density or laser spot size leads to an on-axis electron beam acceleration only. The research is beneficial for some potential applications requiring special pulse beam structures, such as positron acceleration and collimation.« less
Saul Perlmutter, Distant Supernovae, Dark Energy, and the Accelerating
, Distant Supernovae, Dark Energy, and the Accelerating Expansion of the Universe Resources with Additional nature of dark energy.'1 'The accelerating expansion means that the universe could expand forever until , in the distant future, it is cold and dark. The teams' discovery led to speculation that there is a
Wu, Q; Ma, H Y; Yang, Y; Sun, L T; Zhang, X Z; Zhang, Z M; Zhao, H Y; He, Y; Zhao, H W
2016-02-01
Two compact intense 2.45 GHz permanent magnet proton sources and their corresponding low energy beam transport (LEBT) system were developed successfully for China accelerator driven sub-critical system in 2014. Both the proton sources operate at 35 kV potential. The beams extracted from the ion source are transported by the LEBT, which is composed of two identical solenoids, to the 2.1 MeV Radio-Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ). In order to ensure the safety of the superconducting cavities during commissioning, an electrostatic-chopper has been designed and installed in the LEBT line that can chop the continuous wave beam into a pulsed one. The minimum width of the pulse is less than 10 μs and the fall/rise time of the chopper is about 20 ns. The performance of the proton source and the LEBT, such as beam current, beam profile, emittance and the impact to RFQ injection will be presented.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wu, Q.; Ma, H. Y.; Yang, Y.; Sun, L. T.; Zhang, X. Z.; Zhang, Z. M.; Zhao, H. Y.; He, Y.; Zhao, H. W.
2016-02-01
Two compact intense 2.45 GHz permanent magnet proton sources and their corresponding low energy beam transport (LEBT) system were developed successfully for China accelerator driven sub-critical system in 2014. Both the proton sources operate at 35 kV potential. The beams extracted from the ion source are transported by the LEBT, which is composed of two identical solenoids, to the 2.1 MeV Radio-Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ). In order to ensure the safety of the superconducting cavities during commissioning, an electrostatic-chopper has been designed and installed in the LEBT line that can chop the continuous wave beam into a pulsed one. The minimum width of the pulse is less than 10 μs and the fall/rise time of the chopper is about 20 ns. The performance of the proton source and the LEBT, such as beam current, beam profile, emittance and the impact to RFQ injection will be presented.
Plasma Wakefield Acceleration of an Intense Positron Beam
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Blue, B
2004-04-21
The Plasma Wakefield Accelerator (PWFA) is an advanced accelerator concept which possess a high acceleration gradient and a long interaction length for accelerating both electrons and positrons. Although electron beam-plasma interactions have been extensively studied in connection with the PWFA, very little work has been done with respect to positron beam-plasma interactions. This dissertation addresses three issues relating to a positron beam driven plasma wakefield accelerator. These issues are (a) the suitability of employing a positron drive bunch to excite a wake; (b) the transverse stability of the drive bunch; and (c) the acceleration of positrons by the plasma wakemore » that is driven by a positron bunch. These three issues are explored first through computer simulations and then through experiments. First, a theory is developed on the impulse response of plasma to a short drive beam which is valid for small perturbations to the plasma density. This is followed up with several particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations which study the experimental parameter (bunch length, charge, radius, and plasma density) range. Next, the experimental setup is described with an emphasis on the equipment used to measure the longitudinal energy variations of the positron beam. Then, the transverse dynamics of a positron beam in a plasma are described. Special attention is given to the way focusing, defocusing, and a tilted beam would appear to be energy variations as viewed on our diagnostics. Finally, the energy dynamics imparted on a 730 {micro}m long, 40 {micro}m radius, 28.5 GeV positron beam with 1.2 x 10{sup 10} particles in a 1.4 meter long 0-2 x 10{sup 14} e{sup -}/cm{sup 3} plasma is described. First the energy loss was measured as a function of plasma density and the measurements are compared to theory. Then, an energy gain of 79 {+-} 15 MeV is shown. This is the first demonstration of energy gain of a positron beam in a plasma and it is in good agreement with the
High-energy particle acceleration in the shell of a supernova remnant.
Aharonian, F A; Akhperjanian, A G; Aye, K-M; Bazer-Bachi, A R; Beilicke, M; Benbow, W; Berge, D; Berghaus, P; Bernlöhr, K; Bolz, O; Boisson, C; Borgmeier, C; Breitling, F; Brown, A M; Gordo, J Bussons; Chadwick, P M; Chitnis, V R; Chounet, L-M; Cornils, R; Costamante, L; Degrange, B; Djannati-Ataï, A; Drury, L O'C; Ergin, T; Espigat, P; Feinstein, F; Fleury, P; Fontaine, G; Funk, S; Gallant, Y A; Giebels, B; Gillessen, S; Goret, P; Guy, J; Hadjichristidis, C; Hauser, M; Heinzelmann, G; Henri, G; Hermann, G; Hinton, J A; Hofmann, W; Holleran, M; Horns, D; De Jager, O C; Jung, I; Khélifi, B; Komin, Nu; Konopelko, A; Latham, I J; Le Gallou, R; Lemoine, M; Lemière, A; Leroy, N; Lohse, T; Marcowith, A; Masterson, C; McComb, T J L; De Naurois, M; Nolan, S J; Noutsos, A; Orford, K J; Osborne, J L; Ouchrif, M; Panter, M; Pelletier, G; Pita, S; Pohl, M; Pühlhofer, G; Punch, M; Raubenheimer, B C; Raue, M; Raux, J; Rayner, S M; Redondo, I; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Ripken, J; Rivoal, M; Rob, L; Rolland, L; Rowell, G; Sahakian, V; Saugé, L; Schlenker, S; Schlickeiser, R; Schuster, C; Schwanke, U; Siewert, M; Sol, H; Steenkamp, R; Stegmann, C; Tavernet, J-P; Théoret, C G; Tluczykont, M; Van Der Walt, D J; Vasileiadis, G; Vincent, P; Visser, B; Völk, H J; Wagner, S J
2004-11-04
A significant fraction of the energy density of the interstellar medium is in the form of high-energy charged particles (cosmic rays). The origin of these particles remains uncertain. Although it is generally accepted that the only sources capable of supplying the energy required to accelerate the bulk of Galactic cosmic rays are supernova explosions, and even though the mechanism of particle acceleration in expanding supernova remnant (SNR) shocks is thought to be well understood theoretically, unequivocal evidence for the production of high-energy particles in supernova shells has proven remarkably hard to find. Here we report on observations of the SNR RX J1713.7 - 3946 (G347.3 - 0.5), which was discovered by ROSAT in the X-ray spectrum and later claimed as a source of high-energy gamma-rays of TeV energies (1 TeV = 10(12) eV). We present a TeV gamma-ray image of the SNR: the spatially resolved remnant has a shell morphology similar to that seen in X-rays, which demonstrates that very-high-energy particles are accelerated there. The energy spectrum indicates efficient acceleration of charged particles to energies beyond 100 TeV, consistent with current ideas of particle acceleration in young SNR shocks.
X-ray driven channeling acceleration in crystals and carbon nanotubes
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Shin, Young-Min; Still, Dean A.; Shiltsev, Vladimir
2013-12-01
Acceleration of particles channeling in a crystal by means of diffracted x-rays via Bormann anomalous transmission was conceived for heavy ions and muons by Tajima and Cavenago [Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 1440 (1987)], which potentially offers an appreciably high field gradient on the order of GV/cm. The theoretical model of the high gradient acceleration has been studied in two kinds of atomic structure, crystals and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), with analytic calculations and electromagnetic eigenmode simulations. A range of acceleration gradients and cutoffs of the x-ray power (the lowest power limit to overcome the Bremsstrahlung radiation losses) are characterized in termsmore » of the lattice constants, unit cell sizes, and photon energies. The parametric analysis indicates that the required x-ray power can be reduced to an order of megawatt by replacing crystals with CNTs. Eventually, the equivalent dielectric approximation of a multi-wall nanotube shows that 250–810 MeV muons can be synchronously coupled with x-rays of 0.65–1.32 keV in the accelerating structure.« less
Compact and tunable focusing device for plasma wakefield acceleration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pompili, R.; Anania, M. P.; Chiadroni, E.; Cianchi, A.; Ferrario, M.; Lollo, V.; Notargiacomo, A.; Picardi, L.; Ronsivalle, C.; Rosenzweig, J. B.; Shpakov, V.; Vannozzi, A.
2018-03-01
Plasma wakefield acceleration, either driven by ultra-short laser pulses or electron bunches, represents one of the most promising techniques able to overcome the limits of conventional RF technology and allows the development of compact accelerators. In the particle beam-driven scenario, ultra-short bunches with tiny spot sizes are required to enhance the accelerating gradient and preserve the emittance and energy spread of the accelerated bunch. To achieve such tight transverse beam sizes, a focusing system with short focal length is mandatory. Here we discuss the development of a compact and tunable system consisting of three small-bore permanent-magnet quadrupoles with 520 T/m field gradient. The device has been designed in view of the plasma acceleration experiments planned at the SPARC_LAB test-facility. Being the field gradient fixed, the focusing is adjusted by tuning the relative position of the three magnets with nanometer resolution. Details about its magnetic design, beam-dynamics simulations, and preliminary results are examined in the paper.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Uzdensky, Dmitri
Relativistic astrophysical plasma environments routinely produce intense high-energy emission, which is often observed to be nonthermal and rapidly flaring. The recently discovered gamma-ray (> 100 MeV) flares in Crab Pulsar Wind Nebula (PWN) provide a quintessential illustration of this, but other notable examples include relativistic active galactic nuclei (AGN) jets, including blazars, and Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs). Understanding the processes responsible for the very efficient and rapid relativistic particle acceleration and subsequent emission that occurs in these sources poses a strong challenge to modern high-energy astrophysics, especially in light of the necessity to overcome radiation reaction during the acceleration process. Magnetic reconnection and collisionless shocks have been invoked as possible mechanisms. However, the inferred extreme particle acceleration requires the presence of coherent electric-field structures. How such large-scale accelerating structures (such as reconnecting current sheets) can spontaneously arise in turbulent astrophysical environments still remains a mystery. The proposed project will conduct a first-principles computational and theoretical study of kinetic turbulence in relativistic collisionless plasmas with a special focus on nonthermal particle acceleration and radiation emission. The main computational tool employed in this study will be the relativistic radiative particle-in-cell (PIC) code Zeltron, developed by the team members at the Univ. of Colorado. This code has a unique capability to self-consistently include the synchrotron and inverse-Compton radiation reaction force on the relativistic particles, while simultaneously computing the resulting observable radiative signatures. This proposal envisions performing massively parallel, large-scale three-dimensional simulations of driven and decaying kinetic turbulence in physical regimes relevant to real astrophysical systems (such as the Crab PWN), including the
Laboratory laser acceleration and high energy astrophysics: {gamma}-ray bursts and cosmic rays
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Tajima, T.; Takahashi, Y.
1998-08-20
Recent experimental progress in laser acceleration of charged particles (electrons) and its associated processes has shown that intense electromagnetic pulses can promptly accelerate charged particles to high energies and that their energy spectrum is quite hard. On the other hand some of the high energy astrophysical phenomena such as extremely high energy cosmic rays and energetic components of {gamma}-ray bursts cry for new physical mechanisms for promptly accelerating particles to high energies. The authors suggest that the basic physics involved in laser acceleration experiments sheds light on some of the underlying mechanisms and their energy spectral characteristics of the promptlymore » accelerated particles in these high energy astrophysical phenomena.« less
Francois, N; Xia, H; Punzmann, H; Shats, M
2013-05-10
We report the generation of large coherent vortices via inverse energy cascade in Faraday wave driven turbulence. The motion of floaters in the Faraday waves is three dimensional, but its horizontal velocity fluctuations show unexpected similarity with two-dimensional turbulence. The inverse cascade is detected by measuring frequency spectra of the Lagrangian velocity, and it is confirmed by computing the third moment of the horizontal velocity fluctuations. This is observed in deep water in a broad range of wavelengths and vertical accelerations. The results broaden the scope of recent findings on Faraday waves in thin layers [A. von Kameke et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 074502 (2011)].
Negative energy seen by accelerated observers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ford, L. H.; Roman, Thomas A.
2013-04-01
The sampled negative energy density seen by inertial observers, in arbitrary quantum states is limited by quantum inequalities, which take the form of an inverse relation between the magnitude and duration of the negative energy. The quantum inequalities severely limit the utilization of negative energy to produce gross macroscopic effects, such as violations of the second law of thermodynamics. The restrictions on the sampled energy density along the worldlines of accelerated observers are much weaker than for inertial observers. Here we will illustrate this with several explicit examples. We consider the worldline of a particle undergoing sinusoidal motion in space in the presence of a single mode squeezed vacuum state of the electromagnetic field. We show that it is possible for the integrated energy density along such a worldline to become arbitrarily negative at a constant average rate. Thus the averaged weak energy condition is violated in these examples. This can be the case even when the particle moves at nonrelativistic speeds. We use the Raychaudhuri equation to show that there can be net defocusing of a congruence of these accelerated worldlines. This defocusing is an operational signature of the negative integrated energy density. These results in no way invalidate nor undermine either the validity or utility of the quantum inequalities for inertial observers. In particular, they do not change previous constraints on the production of macroscopic effects with negative energy, e.g., the maintenance of traversable wormholes.
Parametric investigations of target normal sheath acceleration experiments
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zani, Alessandro; Sgattoni, Andrea; Passoni, Matteo
2011-10-01
One of the most important challenges related to laser-driven ion acceleration research is to actively control some important ion beam features. This is a peculiar topic in the light of future possible technological applications. In the present work we make use of one theoretical model for target normal sheath acceleration in order to reproduce recent experimental parametric studies about maximum ion energy dependencies on laser parameters. The key role played by pulse energy and intensity is enlightened. Finally the effective dependence of maximum ion energy on intensity is evaluated using a combined theoretical approach, obtained by means of an analytical and a particle-in-cell numerical investigation.
High Energy Ion Acceleration by Extreme Laser Radiation Pressure
2017-03-14
and was published in Nuclear Instruments and Methods A [11]. For similar targets, it was found that by monitoring the divergence of a low- energy ...AFRL-AFOSR-UK-TR-2017-0015 High energy ion acceleration by extreme laser radiation pressure Paul McKenna UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE VIZ ROYAL COLLEGE...MM-YYYY) 14-03-2017 2. REPORT TYPE Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 01 May 2013 to 31 Dec 2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE High energy ion acceleration
Cosmic Acceleration, Dark Energy, and Fundamental Physics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Turner, Michael S.; Huterer, Dragan
2007-11-01
A web of interlocking observations has established that the expansion of the Universe is speeding up and not slowing, revealing the presence of some form of repulsive gravity. Within the context of general relativity the cause of cosmic acceleration is a highly elastic ( p˜-ρ), very smooth form of energy called “dark energy” accounting for about 75% of the Universe. The “simplest” explanation for dark energy is the zero-point energy density associated with the quantum vacuum; however, all estimates for its value are many orders-of-magnitude too large. Other ideas for dark energy include a very light scalar field or a tangled network of topological defects. An alternate explanation invokes gravitational physics beyond general relativity. Observations and experiments underway and more precise cosmological measurements and laboratory experiments planned for the next decade will test whether or not dark energy is the quantum energy of the vacuum or something more exotic, and whether or not general relativity can self consistently explain cosmic acceleration. Dark energy is the most conspicuous example of physics beyond the standard model and perhaps the most profound mystery in all of science.
APPARATUS FOR CONTROL OF HIGH-ENERGY ACCELERATORS
Heard, H.G.
1961-10-24
A particle beam positioning control for a synchrotron or the like is described. The control includes means for selectively impressing a sinusoidal perturbation upon the rising voltage utilized to sweep the frequency of the f-m oscillator which is conventionally coupled to the accelerating electrode of a synchrotron. The perturbation produces a variation in the normal rate of change of frequency of the accelerating voltage applied to the accelerating electrode, resulting in an expansion or contraction of the particle beam orbit diameter during the perturbation. The beam may thus be controlled such that a portion strikes a target positioned close to the expanded or contracted orbit diameter and returns to the original orbit for further acceleration to the final energy. (AEC)
Microstructured snow targets for high energy quasi-monoenergetic proton acceleration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schleifer, E.; Nahum, E.; Eisenmann, S.; Botton, M.; Baspaly, A.; Pomerantz, I.; Abricht, F.; Branzel, J.; Priebe, G.; Steinke, S.; Andreev, A.; Schnuerer, M.; Sandner, W.; Gordon, D.; Sprangle, P.; Ledingham, K. W. D.; Zigler, A.
2013-05-01
Compact size sources of high energy protons (50-200MeV) are expected to be key technology in a wide range of scientific applications 1-8. One promising approach is the Target Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA) scheme 9,10, holding record level of 67MeV protons generated by a peta-Watt laser 11. In general, laser intensity exceeding 1018 W/cm2 is required to produce MeV level protons. Another approach is the Break-Out Afterburner (BOA) scheme which is a more efficient acceleration scheme but requires an extremely clean pulse with contrast ratio of above 10-10. Increasing the energy of the accelerated protons using modest energy laser sources is a very attractive task nowadays. Recently, nano-scale targets were used to accelerate ions 12,13 but no significant enhancement of the accelerated proton energy was measured. Here we report on the generation of up to 20MeV by a modest (5TW) laser system interacting with a microstructured snow target deposited on a Sapphire substrate. This scheme relax also the requirement of high contrast ratio between the pulse and the pre-pulse, where the latter produces the highly structured plasma essential for the interaction process. The plasma near the tip of the snow target is subject to locally enhanced laser intensity with high spatial gradients, and enhanced charge separation is obtained. Electrostatic fields of extremely high intensities are produced, and protons are accelerated to MeV-level energies. PIC simulations of this targets reproduce the experimentally measured energy scaling and predict the generation of 150 MeV protons from laser power of 100TW laser system18.
Pyroclast acceleration and energy partitioning in fake explosive eruptions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gaudin, Damien; Taddeucci, Jacopo; Scheu, Bettina; Valentine, Greg; Capponi, Antonio; Kueppers, Ulrich; Graettiger, Allison; Sonder, Ingo
2014-05-01
Explosive eruptions are characterized by the fast release of energy, with gas expansion playing a lead role. An excess of pressure may be generated either by the exsolution and accumulation of volatiles (e.g., vulcanian and strombolian explosions) or by in situ vaporization of water (e.g., phreato-magmatic explosions). The release of pressurized gas ejects magma and country rock pyroclasts at velocities that can reach several hundred of meters per second. The amount and velocity of pyroclasts is determined not only by the total released energy, but also by the system-specific dynamics of the energy transfer from gas to pyroclasts. In this context, analogue experiments are crucial, since the amount of available energy is determined. Here, we analyze three different experiments, designed to reproduce different aspects of explosive volcanism, focusing on the acceleration phase of the pyroclasts, in order to compare how the potential energy is transferred to the pyroclasts in different systems. In the first, shock-tube-type experiment, salt crystals resting in a pressurized Plexiglas cylinder are accelerated when a diaphragm set is suddenly opened, releasing the gas. In the second experiment, a pressurized air bubble is released in a water-filled Plexiglas pipe; diaphragm opening causes sudden expansion and bursting of the bubble and ejection of water droplets. In the last experiment, specifically focusing on phreatomagmatic eruptions, buried explosive charges accelerate the overlying loose material. All experiments were monitored by multiple high speed cameras and a variety of sensors. Despite the largely differing settings and processes, particle ejection velocity above the vent from the three experiments share a non-linear decay over time. Fitting this decay allows to estimate a characteristic depth that is related to the specific acceleration processes. Given that the initial available energy is experimentally controlled a priori, the information on the
Electrostatic accelerators with high energy resolution
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Uchiyama, T.; Agawa, Y.; Nishihashi, T.; Takagi, K.; Yamakawa, H.; Isoya, A.; Takai, M.; Namba, S.
1991-05-01
Several models of electrostatic accelerators based on rotating disks (Disktron) have been manufactured for various ion beam applications like surface analyses and implantation. The high voltage terminal of the Disktron with a terminal voltage of up to 500 kV is open in air, while the generator part is enclosed in FRP (fiber reinforced plastics) or a ceramic vessel filled with sf 6 gas. The 1 MV model is completely enclosed in a steel vessel. A compact tandem accelerator of the pellet chain type with a terminal voltage of 1.5 MV has also been manufactured. The good energy stability of these accelerators, typically in the range of 10 -4, has proved to be quite favorable for applications in precise studies of material surfaces, including the use of microbeam techniques.
Simulation of Fast Neutronics in an Accelerator-Driven Sub-Critical Core
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gwyn Rosaire, C.; Sattarov, Akhdiyor; McIntyre, Peter; Tsvetkov, Pavel
2011-10-01
Accelerator-driven subcritical fission in a molten salt core (ADSMS) is being developed as a technology for green nuclear power. ADSMS burns its fertile fuel to completion, it cannot melt down, and it destroys long-lived minor actinides. The ADSMS core consists of a vessel filled with a molten salt eutectic of UCl3 and NaCl. The fast neutronics of ADSMS makes possible two unique benefits: isobreeding, a steady-state equilibrium in which ^238U is bred to ^239Pu and the ^239Pu fissions, and destruction of minor actinides, in which fission of the intermediary nuclides dominates of breeding. Results of simulations of the fast neutronics in the ADSMS core will be presented.
STUDIES OF A FREE ELECTRON LASER DRIVEN BY A LASER-PLASMA ACCELERATOR
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Montgomery, A.; Schroeder, C.; Fawley, W.
A free electron laser (FEL) uses an undulator, a set of alternating magnets producing a periodic magnetic fi eld, to stimulate emission of coherent radiation from a relativistic electron beam. The Lasers, Optical Accelerator Systems Integrated Studies (LOASIS) group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) will use an innovative laserplasma wakefi eld accelerator to produce an electron beam to drive a proposed FEL. In order to optimize the FEL performance, the dependence on electron beam and undulator parameters must be understood. Numerical modeling of the FEL using the simulation code GINGER predicts the experimental results for given input parameters. Amongmore » the parameters studied were electron beam energy spread, emittance, and mismatch with the undulator focusing. Vacuum-chamber wakefi elds were also simulated to study their effect on FEL performance. Energy spread was found to be the most infl uential factor, with output FEL radiation power sharply decreasing for relative energy spreads greater than 0.33%. Vacuum chamber wakefi elds and beam mismatch had little effect on the simulated LOASIS FEL at the currents considered. This study concludes that continued improvement of the laser-plasma wakefi eld accelerator electron beam will allow the LOASIS FEL to operate in an optimal regime, producing high-quality XUV and x-ray pulses.« less
High-energy accelerator for beams of heavy ions
Martin, Ronald L.; Arnold, Richard C.
1978-01-01
An apparatus for accelerating heavy ions to high energies and directing the accelerated ions at a target comprises a source of singly ionized heavy ions of an element or compound of greater than 100 atomic mass units, means for accelerating the heavy ions, a storage ring for accumulating the accelerated heavy ions and switching means for switching the heavy ions from the storage ring to strike a target substantially simultaneously from a plurality of directions. In a particular embodiment the heavy ion that is accelerated is singly ionized hydrogen iodide. After acceleration, if the beam is of molecular ions, the ions are dissociated to leave an accelerated singly ionized atomic ion in a beam. Extraction of the beam may be accomplished by stripping all the electrons from the atomic ion to switch the beam from the storage ring by bending it in magnetic field of the storage ring.
Single event effects in high-energy accelerators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
García Alía, Rubén; Brugger, Markus; Danzeca, Salvatore; Cerutti, Francesco; de Carvalho Saraiva, Joao Pedro; Denz, Reiner; Ferrari, Alfredo; Foro, Lionel L.; Peronnard, Paul; Røed, Ketil; Secondo, Raffaello; Steckert, Jens; Thurel, Yves; Toccafondo, Iacocpo; Uznanski, Slawosz
2017-03-01
The radiation environment encountered at high-energy hadron accelerators strongly differs from the environment relevant for space applications. The mixed-field expected at modern accelerators is composed of charged and neutral hadrons (protons, pions, kaons and neutrons), photons, electrons, positrons and muons, ranging from very low (thermal) energies up to the TeV range. This complex field, which is extensively simulated by Monte Carlo codes (e.g. FLUKA) is due to beam losses in the experimental areas, distributed along the machine (e.g. collimation points) and deriving from the interaction with the residual gas inside the beam pipe. The resulting intensity, energy distribution and proportion of the different particles largely depends on the distance and angle with respect to the interaction point as well as the amount of installed shielding material. Electronics operating in the vicinity of the accelerator will therefore be subject to both cumulative damage from radiation (total ionizing dose, displacement damage) as well as single event effects which can seriously compromise the operation of the machine. This, combined with the extensive use of commercial-off-the-shelf components due to budget, performance and availability reasons, results in the need to carefully characterize the response of the devices and systems to representative radiation conditions.
Energy-beam-driven rapid fabrication system
Keicher, David M.; Atwood, Clinton L.; Greene, Donald L.; Griffith, Michelle L.; Harwell, Lane D.; Jeantette, Francisco P.; Romero, Joseph A.; Schanwald, Lee P.; Schmale, David T.
2002-01-01
An energy beam driven rapid fabrication system, in which an energy beam strikes a growth surface to form a molten puddle thereon. Feed powder is then injected into the molten puddle from a converging flow of feed powder. A portion of the feed powder becomes incorporated into the molten puddle, forcing some of the puddle contents to freeze on the growth surface, thereby adding an additional layer of material. By scanning the energy beam and the converging flow of feed powder across the growth surface, complex three-dimensional shapes can be formed, ready or nearly ready for use. Nearly any class of material can be fabricated using this system.
Method for Monitoring of Neutron Fields near High-Energy Accelerators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Beskrovnaia, L. G.; Guseva, S. V.; Timoshenko, G. N.
2018-05-01
The monitoring of neutron radiation from high-energy accelerators cannot fully rely on the standard dosimeters and radiometers manufactured in Russia, since these are sensitive only to neutrons with energies below some 10 MeV. This is because neutrons of higher energies can significantly contribute to the personnel doses both close to the accelerator shield and in the neutron multiscattered field around the shield. In this paper, we propose to measure the ambient neutron dose in energy range 10-2 MeV to 1 GeV with a device consisting of two polyethylene balls with diameters of 3 and 10 in. housing slow-neutron detectors. The larger ball also comprises a lead converter (10'' + Pb). This device can be implemented in zonal radiation monitoring in the near-accelerator area.
Accelerator–Reactor Coupling for Energy Production in Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Heidet, Florent; Brown, Nicholas R.; Haj Tahar, Malek
2015-01-01
This article is a review of several accelerator-reactor interface issues and nuclear fuel cycle applications of accelerator-driven subcritical systems. The systems considered here have the primary goal of energy production, but that goal is accomplished via a specific application in various proposed nuclear fuel cycles, such as breed-and-burn of fertile material or burning of transuranic material. Several basic principles are reviewed, starting from the proton beam window including the target, blanket, reactor core, and up to the fuel cycle. We focused on issues of interest, e.g. the impact of the energy required to run the accelerator and associated systems onmore » the potential electricity delivered to the grid. Accelerator-driven systems feature many of the constraints and issues associated with critical reactors, with the added challenges of subcritical operation and coupling to an accelerator. Reliable accelerator operation and avoidance of beam trips are a critically important. One interesting challenge is measurement of blanket subcriticality level during operation. We also reviewed the potential benefits of accelerator-driven systems in various nuclear fuel cycle applications. Ultimately, accelerator-driven subcritical systems with the goal of transmutation of transuranic material have lower 100,000-year radioactivity versus a critical fast reactor with recycle of uranium and plutonium.« less
Numerical Modeling and Testing of an Inductively-Driven and High-Energy Pulsed Plasma Thrusters
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Parma, Brian
2004-01-01
Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (PPTs) are advanced electric space propulsion devices that are characterized by simplicity and robustness. They suffer, however, from low thrust efficiencies. This summer, two approaches to improve the thrust efficiency of PPTs will be investigated through both numerical modeling and experimental testing. The first approach, an inductively-driven PPT, uses a double-ignition circuit to fire two PPTs in succession. This effectively changes the PPTs configuration from an LRC circuit to an LR circuit. The LR circuit is expected to provide better impedance matching and improving the efficiency of the energy transfer to the plasma. An added benefit of the LR circuit is an exponential decay of the current, whereas a traditional PPT s under damped LRC circuit experiences the characteristic "ringing" of its current. The exponential decay may provide improved lifetime and sustained electromagnetic acceleration. The second approach, a high-energy PPT, is a traditional PPT with a variable size capacitor bank. This PPT will be simulated and tested at energy levels between 100 and 450 joules in order to investigate the relationship between efficiency and energy level. Arbitrary Coordinate Hydromagnetic (MACH2) code is used. The MACH2 code, designed by the Center for Plasma Theory and Computation at the Air Force Research Laboratory, has been used to gain insight into a variety of plasma problems, including electric plasma thrusters. The goals for this summer include numerical predictions of performance for both the inductively-driven PPT and high-energy PFT, experimental validation of the numerical models, and numerical optimization of the designs. These goals will be met through numerical and experimental investigation of the PPTs current waveforms, mass loss (or ablation), and impulse bit characteristics.
Frequency chirping for resonance-enhanced electron energy during laser acceleration
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Gupta, D.N.; Suk, H.
2006-04-15
The model given by Singh-Tripathi [Phys. Plasmas 11, 743 (2004)] for laser electron acceleration in a magnetic wiggler is revisited by including the effect of laser frequency chirping. Laser frequency chirp helps to maintain the resonance condition longer, which increases the electron energy gain. A significant enhancement in electron energy gain during laser acceleration is observed.
High-field plasma acceleration in a high-ionization-potential gas
Corde, S.; Adli, E.; Allen, J. M.; ...
2016-06-17
Plasma accelerators driven by particle beams are a very promising future accelerator technology as they can sustain high accelerating fields over long distances with high energy efficiency. They rely on the excitation of a plasma wave in the wake of a drive beam. To generate the plasma, a neutral gas can be field-ionized by the head of the drive beam, in which case the distance of acceleration and energy gain can be strongly limited by head erosion. In our research, we overcome this limit and demonstrate that electrons in the tail of a drive beam can be accelerated by upmore » to 27 GeV in a high-ionization-potential gas (argon), boosting their initial 20.35 GeV energy by 130%. Particle-in-cell simulations show that the argon plasma is sustaining very high electric fields, of ~150 GV m -1, over ~20 cm. Lastly, the results open new possibilities for the design of particle beam drivers and plasma sources.« less
Self-injection of electrons in a laser-wakefield accelerator by using longitudinal density ripple
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Dahiya, Deepak; Sharma, A. K.; Sajal, Vivek
By introducing a longitudinal density ripple (periodic modulation in background plasma density), we demonstrate self-injection of electrons in a laser-wakefield accelerator. The wakefield driven plasma wave, in presence of density ripple excites two side band waves of same frequency but different wave numbers. One of these side bands, having smaller phase velocity compared to wakefield driven plasma wave, preaccelerates the background plasma electrons. Significant number of these preaccelerated electrons get trapped in the laser-wakefield and further accelerated to higher energies.
Energy Innovation Acceleration Program
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Wolfson, Johanna
The Energy Innovation Acceleration Program (IAP) – also called U-Launch – has had a significant impact on early stage clean energy companies in the Northeast and on the clean energy economy in the Northeast, not only during program execution (2010-2014), but continuing into the future. Key results include: Leverage ratio of 105:1; $105M in follow-on funding (upon $1M investment by EERE); At least 19 commercial products launched; At least 17 new industry partnerships formed; At least $6.5M in revenue generated; >140 jobs created; 60% of assisted companies received follow-on funding within 1 year of program completion; In addition to themore » direct measurable program results summarized above, two primary lessons emerged from our work executing Energy IAP:; Validation and demonstration awards have an outsized, ‘tipping-point’ effect for startups looking to secure investments and strategic partnerships. An ecosystem approach is valuable, but an approach that evaluates the needs of individual companies and then draws from diverse ecosystem resources to fill them, is most valuable of all.« less
Laser-driven magnetic reconnection in the multi-plasmoid regime
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Totorica, Samuel; Abel, Tom; Fiuza, Frederico
2017-10-01
Magnetic reconnection is a promising candidate mechanism for accelerating the nonthermal particles associated with explosive astrophysical phenomena. Laboratory experiments are starting to probe multi-plasmoid regimes of relevance for particle acceleration. We have performed two- and three-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations to explore particle acceleration for parameters relevant to laser-driven reconnection experiments. We have extended our previous work to explore particle acceleration in larger system sizes. Our results show the transition to plasmoid-dominated acceleration associated with the merging and contraction of plasmoids that further extend the maximum energy of the power-law tail of the particle distribution. Furthermore, we have modeled Coulomb collisions and will discuss the influence of collisionality on the plasmoid formation, dynamics, and particle acceleration.
Resource Letter AFHEP-1: Accelerators for the Future of High-Energy Physics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Barletta, William A.
2012-02-01
This Resource Letter provides a guide to literature concerning the development of accelerators for the future of high-energy physics. Research articles, books, and Internet resources are cited for the following topics: motivation for future accelerators, present accelerators for high-energy physics, possible future machine, and laboratory and collaboration websites.
Petawatt pulsed-power accelerator
Stygar, William A.; Cuneo, Michael E.; Headley, Daniel I.; Ives, Harry C.; Ives, legal representative; Berry Cottrell; Leeper, Ramon J.; Mazarakis, Michael G.; Olson, Craig L.; Porter, John L.; Wagoner; Tim C.
2010-03-16
A petawatt pulsed-power accelerator can be driven by various types of electrical-pulse generators, including conventional Marx generators and linear-transformer drivers. The pulsed-power accelerator can be configured to drive an electrical load from one- or two-sides. Various types of loads can be driven; for example, the accelerator can be used to drive a high-current z-pinch load. When driven by slow-pulse generators (e.g., conventional Marx generators), the accelerator comprises an oil section comprising at least one pulse-generator level having a plurality of pulse generators; a water section comprising a pulse-forming circuit for each pulse generator and a level of monolithic triplate radial-transmission-line impedance transformers, that have variable impedance profiles, for each pulse-generator level; and a vacuum section comprising triplate magnetically insulated transmission lines that feed an electrical load. When driven by LTD generators or other fast-pulse generators, the need for the pulse-forming circuits in the water section can be eliminated.
Multiple beam induction accelerators for heavy ion fusion
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Seidl, Peter A.; Barnard, John J.; Faltens, Andris; Friedman, Alex; Waldron, William L.
2014-01-01
Induction accelerators are appealing for heavy-ion driven inertial fusion energy (HIF) because of their high efficiency and their demonstrated capability to accelerate high beam current (≥10 kA in some applications). For the HIF application, accomplishments and challenges are summarized. HIF research and development has demonstrated the production of single ion beams with the required emittance, current, and energy suitable for injection into an induction linear accelerator. Driver scale beams have been transported in quadrupole channels of the order of 10% of the number of quadrupoles of a driver. We review the design and operation of induction accelerators and the relevant aspects of their use as drivers for HIF. We describe intermediate research steps that would provide the basis for a heavy-ion research facility capable of heating matter to fusion relevant temperatures and densities, and also to test and demonstrate an accelerator architecture that scales well to a fusion power plant.
Gravitational vacuum energy in our recently accelerating universe
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bludman, Sidney
2009-04-01
We review current observations of the homogeneous cosmological expansion which, because they measure only kinematic variables, cannot determine the dynamics driving the recent accelerated expansion. The minimal fit to the data, the flat ACDM model, consisting of cold dark matter and a cosmological constant, interprets 4? geometrically as a classical spacetime curvature constant of nature, avoiding any reference to quantum vacuum energy. (The observed Uehling and Casimir effects measure forces due to QED vacuum polarization, but not any quantum material vacuum energies.) An Extended Anthropic Principle, that Dark Energy and Dark Gravity be indistinguishable, selects out flat ACDM. Prospective cosmic shear and galaxy clustering observations of the growth of fluctuations are intended to test whether the 'dark energy' driving the recent cosmological acceleration is static or moderately dynamic. Even if dynamic, observational differences between an additional negative-pressure material component within general relativity (Dark Energy) and low-curvature modifications of general relativity (Dark Gravity) will be extremely small.
Direct longitudinal laser acceleration of electrons in free space
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Carbajo, Sergio; Nanni, Emilio A.; Wong, Liang Jie; Moriena, Gustavo; Keathley, Phillip D.; Laurent, Guillaume; Miller, R. J. Dwayne; Kärtner, Franz X.
2016-02-01
Compact laser-driven accelerators are pursued heavily worldwide because they make novel methods and tools invented at national laboratories widely accessible in science, health, security, and technology [V. Malka et al., Principles and applications of compact laser-plasma accelerators, Nat. Phys. 4, 447 (2008)]. Current leading laser-based accelerator technologies [S. P. D. Mangles et al., Monoenergetic beams of relativistic electrons from intense laser-plasma interactions, Nature (London) 431, 535 (2004); T. Toncian et al., Ultrafast laser-driven microlens to focus and energy-select mega-electron volt protons, Science 312, 410 (2006); S. Tokita et al. Single-shot ultrafast electron diffraction with a laser-accelerated sub-MeV electron pulse, Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 111911 (2009)] rely on a medium to assist the light to particle energy transfer. The medium imposes material limitations or may introduce inhomogeneous fields [J. R. Dwyer et al., Femtosecond electron diffraction: "Making the molecular movie,", Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 364, 741 (2006)]. The advent of few cycle ultraintense radially polarized lasers [S. Carbajo et al., Efficient generation of ultraintense few-cycle radially polarized laser pulses, Opt. Lett. 39, 2487 (2014)] has ushered in a novel accelerator concept [L. J. Wong and F. X. Kärtner, Direct acceleration of an electron in infinite vacuum by a pulsed radially polarized laser beam, Opt. Express 18, 25035 (2010); F. Pierre-Louis et al. Direct-field electron acceleration with ultrafast radially polarized laser beams: Scaling laws and optimization, J. Phys. B 43, 025401 (2010); Y. I. Salamin, Electron acceleration from rest in vacuum by an axicon Gaussian laser beam, Phys. Rev. A 73, 043402 (2006); C. Varin and M. Piché, Relativistic attosecond electron pulses from a free-space laser-acceleration scheme, Phys. Rev. E 74, 045602 (2006); A. Sell and F. X. Kärtner, Attosecond electron bunches accelerated and compressed by radially polarized laser
Low frequency driven electromagnetic energy harvester for self-powered system
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lee, Byung-Chul; Ataur Rahman, Md; Hyun, Seung-Ho; Chung, Gwiy-Sang
2012-12-01
This paper describes a low frequency driven electromagnetic energy harvester (EMEH) for a self-powered system. The EMEH consists of two thin flame resistant (FR-4) springs, NdFeB permanent magnets, and a copper coil. The FR-4 spring was fabricated by a desk computer numerical control (CNC) 3D modeling machine. The two FR-4 springs were used at the top and bottom sides of the device to reduce the stress on the springs and to achieve linear movement of the moving magnet. The finite element method (FEM) is used to investigate the mechanical properties of the system. The proposed EMEH can generate up to 1.52 mW at a resonance frequency of 16 Hz with an acceleration of 0.2 g (g = 9.8 m s-2) and a superior normalized power density (NPD) of 1.07 mW cm-3 g2. The EMEH attached to the engine of an automobile produced 2.4 mW of power, showing the viability of practical applications.
Staging and laser acceleration of ions in underdense plasma
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ting, Antonio; Hafizi, Bahman; Helle, Michael; Chen, Yu-Hsin; Gordon, Daniel; Kaganovich, Dmitri; Polyanskiy, Mikhail; Pogorelsky, Igor; Babzien, Markus; Miao, Chenlong; Dover, Nicholas; Najmudin, Zulfikar; Ettlinger, Oliver
2017-03-01
Accelerating ions from rest in a plasma requires extra considerations because of their heavy mass. Low phase velocity fields or quasi-electrostatic fields are often necessary, either by operating above or near the critical density or by applying other slow wave generating mechanisms. Solid targets have been a favorite and have generated many good results. High density gas targets have also been reported to produce energetic ions. It is interesting to consider acceleration of ions in laser-driven plasma configurations that will potentially allow continuous acceleration in multiple consecutive stages. The plasma will be derived from gaseous targets, producing plasma densities slightly below the critical plasma density (underdense) for the driving laser. Such a plasma is experimentally robust, being repeatable and relatively transparent to externally injected ions from a previous stage. When optimized, multiple stages of this underdense laser plasma acceleration mechanism can progressively accelerate the ions to a high final energy. For a light mass ion such as the proton, relativistic velocities could be reached, making it suitable for further acceleration by high phase velocity plasma accelerators to energies appropriate for High Energy Physics applications. Negatively charged ions such as antiprotons could be similarly accelerated in this multi-staged ion acceleration scheme.
Plasma wakefield acceleration experiments at FACET II
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Joshi, C.; Adli, E.; An, W.; Clayton, C. E.; Corde, S.; Gessner, S.; Hogan, M. J.; Litos, M.; Lu, W.; Marsh, K. A.; Mori, W. B.; Vafaei-Najafabadi, N.; O'shea, B.; Xu, Xinlu; White, G.; Yakimenko, V.
2018-03-01
During the past two decades of research, the ultra-relativistic beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA) concept has achieved many significant milestones. These include the demonstration of ultra-high gradient acceleration of electrons over meter-scale plasma accelerator structures, efficient acceleration of a narrow energy spread electron bunch at high-gradients, positron acceleration using wakes in uniform plasmas and in hollow plasma channels, and demonstrating that highly nonlinear wakes in the ‘blow-out regime’ have the electric field structure necessary for preserving the emittance of the accelerating bunch. A new 10 GeV electron beam facility, Facilities for Accelerator Science and Experimental Test (FACET) II, is currently under construction at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory for the next generation of PWFA research and development. The FACET II beams will enable the simultaneous demonstration of substantial energy gain of a small emittance electron bunch while demonstrating an efficient transfer of energy from the drive to the trailing bunch. In this paper we first describe the capabilities of the FACET II facility. We then describe a series of PWFA experiments supported by numerical and particle-in-cell simulations designed to demonstrate plasma wake generation where the drive beam is nearly depleted of its energy, high efficiency acceleration of the trailing bunch while doubling its energy and ultimately, quantifying the emittance growth in a single stage of a PWFA that has optimally designed matching sections. We then briefly discuss other FACET II plasma-based experiments including in situ positron generation and acceleration, and several schemes that are promising for generating sub-micron emittance bunches that will ultimately be needed for both an early application of a PWFA and for a plasma-based future linear collider.
Plasma wakefield acceleration experiments at FACET II
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Joshi, C.; Adli, E.; An, W.
During the past two decades of research, the ultra-relativistic beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA) concept has achieved many significant milestones. These include the demonstration of ultra-high gradient acceleration of electrons over meter-scale plasma accelerator structures, efficient acceleration of a narrow energy spread electron bunch at high-gradients, positron acceleration using wakes in uniform plasmas and in hollow plasma channels, and demonstrating that highly nonlinear wakes in the 'blow-out regime' have the electric field structure necessary for preserving the emittance of the accelerating bunch. A new 10 GeV electron beam facility, Facilities for Accelerator Science and Experimental Test (FACET) II, is currentlymore » under construction at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory for the next generation of PWFA research and development. The FACET II beams will enable the simultaneous demonstration of substantial energy gain of a small emittance electron bunch while demonstrating an efficient transfer of energy from the drive to the trailing bunch. In this paper we first describe the capabilities of the FACET II facility. We then describe a series of PWFA experiments supported by numerical and particle-in-cell simulations designed to demonstrate plasma wake generation where the drive beam is nearly depleted of its energy, high efficiency acceleration of the trailing bunch while doubling its energy and ultimately, quantifying the emittance growth in a single stage of a PWFA that has optimally designed matching sections. Here, we briefly discuss other FACET II plasma-based experiments including in situ positron generation and acceleration, and several schemes that are promising for generating sub-micron emittance bunches that will ultimately be needed for both an early application of a PWFA and for a plasma-based future linear collider.« less
Plasma wakefield acceleration experiments at FACET II
Joshi, C.; Adli, E.; An, W.; ...
2018-01-12
During the past two decades of research, the ultra-relativistic beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA) concept has achieved many significant milestones. These include the demonstration of ultra-high gradient acceleration of electrons over meter-scale plasma accelerator structures, efficient acceleration of a narrow energy spread electron bunch at high-gradients, positron acceleration using wakes in uniform plasmas and in hollow plasma channels, and demonstrating that highly nonlinear wakes in the 'blow-out regime' have the electric field structure necessary for preserving the emittance of the accelerating bunch. A new 10 GeV electron beam facility, Facilities for Accelerator Science and Experimental Test (FACET) II, is currentlymore » under construction at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory for the next generation of PWFA research and development. The FACET II beams will enable the simultaneous demonstration of substantial energy gain of a small emittance electron bunch while demonstrating an efficient transfer of energy from the drive to the trailing bunch. In this paper we first describe the capabilities of the FACET II facility. We then describe a series of PWFA experiments supported by numerical and particle-in-cell simulations designed to demonstrate plasma wake generation where the drive beam is nearly depleted of its energy, high efficiency acceleration of the trailing bunch while doubling its energy and ultimately, quantifying the emittance growth in a single stage of a PWFA that has optimally designed matching sections. Here, we briefly discuss other FACET II plasma-based experiments including in situ positron generation and acceleration, and several schemes that are promising for generating sub-micron emittance bunches that will ultimately be needed for both an early application of a PWFA and for a plasma-based future linear collider.« less
Dense blocks of energetic ions driven by multi-petawatt lasers
Weng, S. M.; Liu, M.; Sheng, Z. M.; Murakami, M.; Chen, M.; Yu, L. L.; Zhang, J.
2016-01-01
Laser-driven ion accelerators have the advantages of compact size, high density, and short bunch duration over conventional accelerators. Nevertheless, it is still challenging to simultaneously enhance the yield and quality of laser-driven ion beams for practical applications. Here we propose a scheme to address this challenge via the use of emerging multi-petawatt lasers and a density-modulated target. The density-modulated target permits its ions to be uniformly accelerated as a dense block by laser radiation pressure. In addition, the beam quality of the accelerated ions is remarkably improved by embedding the target in a thick enough substrate, which suppresses hot electron refluxing and thus alleviates plasma heating. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that almost all ions in a solid-density plasma of a few microns can be uniformly accelerated to about 25% of the speed of light by a laser pulse at an intensity around 1022 W/cm2. The resulting dense block of energetic ions may drive fusion ignition and more generally create matter with unprecedented high energy density. PMID:26924793
Energy Exchange in Driven Open Quantum Systems at Strong Coupling
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Carrega, Matteo; Solinas, Paolo; Sassetti, Maura; Weiss, Ulrich
2016-06-01
The time-dependent energy transfer in a driven quantum system strongly coupled to a heat bath is studied within an influence functional approach. Exact formal expressions for the statistics of energy dissipation into the different channels are derived. The general method is applied to the driven dissipative two-state system. It is shown that the energy flows obey a balance relation, and that, for strong coupling, the interaction may constitute the major dissipative channel. Results in analytic form are presented for the particular value K =1/2 of strong Ohmic dissipation. The energy flows show interesting behaviors including driving-induced coherences and quantum stochastic resonances. It is found that the general characteristics persists for K near 1/2 .
Anderson acceleration and application to the three-temperature energy equations
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
An, Hengbin; Jia, Xiaowei; Walker, Homer F.
2017-10-01
The Anderson acceleration method is an algorithm for accelerating the convergence of fixed-point iterations, including the Picard method. Anderson acceleration was first proposed in 1965 and, for some years, has been used successfully to accelerate the convergence of self-consistent field iterations in electronic-structure computations. Recently, the method has attracted growing attention in other application areas and among numerical analysts. Compared with a Newton-like method, an advantage of Anderson acceleration is that there is no need to form the Jacobian matrix. Thus the method is easy to implement. In this paper, an Anderson-accelerated Picard method is employed to solve the three-temperature energy equations, which are a type of strong nonlinear radiation-diffusion equations. Two strategies are used to improve the robustness of the Anderson acceleration method. One strategy is to adjust the iterates when necessary to satisfy the physical constraint. Another strategy is to monitor and, if necessary, reduce the matrix condition number of the least-squares problem in the Anderson-acceleration implementation so that numerical stability can be guaranteed. Numerical results show that the Anderson-accelerated Picard method can solve the three-temperature energy equations efficiently. Compared with the Picard method without acceleration, Anderson acceleration can reduce the number of iterations by at least half. A comparison between a Jacobian-free Newton-Krylov method, the Picard method, and the Anderson-accelerated Picard method is conducted in this paper.
High Performance Computing Modeling Advances Accelerator Science for High-Energy Physics
Amundson, James; Macridin, Alexandru; Spentzouris, Panagiotis
2014-07-28
The development and optimization of particle accelerators are essential for advancing our understanding of the properties of matter, energy, space, and time. Particle accelerators are complex devices whose behavior involves many physical effects on multiple scales. Therefore, advanced computational tools utilizing high-performance computing are essential for accurately modeling them. In the past decade, the US Department of Energy's SciDAC program has produced accelerator-modeling tools that have been employed to tackle some of the most difficult accelerator science problems. The authors discuss the Synergia framework and its applications to high-intensity particle accelerator physics. Synergia is an accelerator simulation package capable ofmore » handling the entire spectrum of beam dynamics simulations. Our authors present Synergia's design principles and its performance on HPC platforms.« less
Exploring high dimensional free energy landscapes: Temperature accelerated sliced sampling
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Awasthi, Shalini; Nair, Nisanth N.
2017-03-01
Biased sampling of collective variables is widely used to accelerate rare events in molecular simulations and to explore free energy surfaces. However, computational efficiency of these methods decreases with increasing number of collective variables, which severely limits the predictive power of the enhanced sampling approaches. Here we propose a method called Temperature Accelerated Sliced Sampling (TASS) that combines temperature accelerated molecular dynamics with umbrella sampling and metadynamics to sample the collective variable space in an efficient manner. The presented method can sample a large number of collective variables and is advantageous for controlled exploration of broad and unbound free energy basins. TASS is also shown to achieve quick free energy convergence and is practically usable with ab initio molecular dynamics techniques.
A gasdynamic gun driven by gaseous detonation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Li, Jinping; Chen, Hong; Zhang, Shizhong; Zhang, Xiaoyuan; Yu, Hongru
2016-01-01
A gasdynamic gun driven by gaseous detonation was developed to address the disadvantages of the insufficient driving capability of high-pressure gas and the constraints of gunpowder. The performance of this gasdynamic gun was investigated through experiments and numerical simulations. Much more powerful launching capability was achieved by this gun relative to a conventional high-pressure gas gun, owing to the use of the chemical energy of the driver gas. To achieve the same launching condition, the initial pressure required for this gun was an order of magnitude lower than that for a gun driven by high-pressure H2. Because of the presence of the detonation, however, a more complex internal ballistic process of this gun was observed. Acceleration of projectiles for this gun was accompanied by a series of impulse loads, in contrast with the smooth acceleration for a conventional one, which indicates that this gun should be used conditionally. The practical feasibility of this gun was verified by experiments. The experiments demonstrated the convenience of taking advantage of the techniques developed for detonation-driven shock tubes and tunnels.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Psikal, J.; Matys, M.
2018-04-01
Laser-driven proton acceleration from novel cryogenic hydrogen target of the thickness of tens of microns irradiated by multiPW laser pulse is investigated here for relevant laser parameters accessible in near future. It is demonstrated that the efficiency of proton acceleration from relatively thick hydrogen solid ribbon largely exceeds the acceleration efficiency for a thinner ionized plastic foil, which can be explained by enhanced hole boring (HB) driven by laser ponderomotive force in the case of light ions and lower target density. Three-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of laser pulse interaction with relatively thick hydrogen target show larger energies of protons accelerated in the target interior during the HB phase and reduced energies of protons accelerated from the rear side of the target by quasistatic electric field compared with the results obtained from two-dimensional PIC calculations. Linearly and circularly polarized multiPW laser pulses of duration exceeding 100 fs show similar performance in terms of proton acceleration from both the target interior as well as from the rear side of the target. When ultrashort pulse (∼30 fs) is assumed, the number of accelerated protons from the target interior is substantially reduced.
Acceleration of Ions and Electrons by Coronal Shocks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sandroos, A.
2013-12-01
Diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) of particles at collisionless shock waves driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is the best developed theory for the genesis of gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) events. According to DSA, particles scatter from fluctuations present in the ambient magnetic field, which causes some particles to encounter the shock front repeatedly and to gain energy during each crossing. DSA operating in solar corona is a complex process whose outcome depends on multiple parameters such as shock speed and strength, magnetic geometry, and composition of seed particles. Currently, STEREO and other near-Earth spacecraft are providing valuable multi-point information on how SEP properties, such as composition and energy spectra, vary in longitude. Initial results have shown that longitude distributions of large CME-associated SEP events are much wider than previously thought. These findings have many important consequences on SEP modeling. For example, it is important to extend the present models into two or three spatial coordinates to properly account for the effects of coronal and interplanetary magnetic geometry and the evolution of the CME-driven shock wave on the acceleration and transport of SEPs. We present a new model for the shock acceleration of ions and electrons in the solar corona and discuss implications for particle properties (energy spectra, longitudinal distribution, composition) in the resulting gradual SEP events. We also discuss the possible emission of type II radio waves by the accelerated coronal electrons. In the new model, the ion pitch angle scattering rate is calculated from modeled Alfvén wave power spectra using quasilinear theory. The energy gained by ions in scatterings are self-consistently removed from waves so that total energy (ions+waves) is conserved. New model has been implemented on massively parallel simulation platform Corsair.
Reinventing the Accelerator for the High Energy Frontier
Rosenzweig, James [UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States
2017-12-09
The history of discovery in high-energy physics has been intimately connected with progress in methods of accelerating particles for the past 75 years. This remains true today, as the post-LHC era in particle physics will require significant innovation and investment in a superconducting linear collider. The choice of the linear collider as the next-generation discovery machine, and the selection of superconducting technology has rather suddenly thrown promising competing techniques -- such as very large hadron colliders, muon colliders, and high-field, high frequency linear colliders -- into the background. We discuss the state of such conventional options, and the likelihood of their eventual success. We then follow with a much longer view: a survey of a new, burgeoning frontier in high energy accelerators, where intense lasers, charged particle beams, and plasmas are all combined in a cross-disciplinary effort to reinvent the accelerator from its fundamental principles on up.
Plasma production for electron acceleration by resonant plasma wave
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Anania, M. P.; Biagioni, A.; Chiadroni, E.; Cianchi, A.; Croia, M.; Curcio, A.; Di Giovenale, D.; Di Pirro, G. P.; Filippi, F.; Ghigo, A.; Lollo, V.; Pella, S.; Pompili, R.; Romeo, S.; Ferrario, M.
2016-09-01
Plasma wakefield acceleration is the most promising acceleration technique known nowadays, able to provide very high accelerating fields (10-100 GV/m), enabling acceleration of electrons to GeV energy in few centimeter. However, the quality of the electron bunches accelerated with this technique is still not comparable with that of conventional accelerators (large energy spread, low repetition rate, and large emittance); radiofrequency-based accelerators, in fact, are limited in accelerating field (10-100 MV/m) requiring therefore hundred of meters of distances to reach the GeV energies, but can provide very bright electron bunches. To combine high brightness electron bunches from conventional accelerators and high accelerating fields reachable with plasmas could be a good compromise allowing to further accelerate high brightness electron bunches coming from LINAC while preserving electron beam quality. Following the idea of plasma wave resonant excitation driven by a train of short bunches, we have started to study the requirements in terms of plasma for SPARC_LAB (Ferrario et al., 2013 [1]). In particular here we focus on hydrogen plasma discharge, and in particular on the theoretical and numerical estimates of the ionization process which are very useful to design the discharge circuit and to evaluate the current needed to be supplied to the gas in order to have full ionization. Eventually, the current supplied to the gas simulated will be compared to that measured experimentally.
Scaling up nanoscale water-driven energy conversion into evaporation-driven engines and generators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chen, Xi; Goodnight, Davis; Gao, Zhenghan; Cavusoglu, Ahmet H.; Sabharwal, Nina; Delay, Michael; Driks, Adam; Sahin, Ozgur
2015-06-01
Evaporation is a ubiquitous phenomenon in the natural environment and a dominant form of energy transfer in the Earth's climate. Engineered systems rarely, if ever, use evaporation as a source of energy, despite myriad examples of such adaptations in the biological world. Here, we report evaporation-driven engines that can power common tasks like locomotion and electricity generation. These engines start and run autonomously when placed at air-water interfaces. They generate rotary and piston-like linear motion using specially designed, biologically based artificial muscles responsive to moisture fluctuations. Using these engines, we demonstrate an electricity generator that rests on water while harvesting its evaporation to power a light source, and a miniature car (weighing 0.1 kg) that moves forward as the water in the car evaporates. Evaporation-driven engines may find applications in powering robotic systems, sensors, devices and machinery that function in the natural environment.
Scaling up nanoscale water-driven energy conversion into evaporation-driven engines and generators
Chen, Xi; Goodnight, Davis; Gao, Zhenghan; Cavusoglu, Ahmet H.; Sabharwal, Nina; DeLay, Michael; Driks, Adam; Sahin, Ozgur
2015-01-01
Evaporation is a ubiquitous phenomenon in the natural environment and a dominant form of energy transfer in the Earth's climate. Engineered systems rarely, if ever, use evaporation as a source of energy, despite myriad examples of such adaptations in the biological world. Here, we report evaporation-driven engines that can power common tasks like locomotion and electricity generation. These engines start and run autonomously when placed at air–water interfaces. They generate rotary and piston-like linear motion using specially designed, biologically based artificial muscles responsive to moisture fluctuations. Using these engines, we demonstrate an electricity generator that rests on water while harvesting its evaporation to power a light source, and a miniature car (weighing 0.1 kg) that moves forward as the water in the car evaporates. Evaporation-driven engines may find applications in powering robotic systems, sensors, devices and machinery that function in the natural environment. PMID:26079632
The acceleration of particles at propagating interplanetary shocks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Prinsloo, P. L.; Strauss, R. D. T.
2017-12-01
Enhancements of charged energetic particles are often observed at Earth following the eruption of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on the Sun. These enhancements are thought to arise from the acceleration of those particles at interplanetary shocks forming ahead of CMEs, propagating into the heliosphere. In this study, we model the acceleration of these energetic particles by solving a set of stochastic differential equations formulated to describe their transport and including the effects of diffusive shock acceleration. The study focuses on how acceleration at halo-CME-driven shocks alter the energy spectra of non-thermal particles, while illustrating how this acceleration process depends on various shock and transport parameters. We finally attempt to establish the relative contributions of different seed populations of energetic particles in the inner heliosphere to observed intensities during selected acceleration events.
Power Supplies for High Energy Particle Accelerators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dey, Pranab Kumar
2016-06-01
The on-going research and the development projects with Large Hadron Collider at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland has generated enormous enthusiasm and interest amongst all to know about the ultimate findings on `God's Particle'. This paper has made an attempt to unfold the power supply requirements and the methodology adopted to provide the stringent demand of such high energy particle accelerators during the initial stages of the search for the ultimate particles. An attempt has also been made to highlight the present status on the requirement of power supplies in some high energy accelerators with a view that, precautionary measures can be drawn during design and development from earlier experience which will be of help for the proposed third generation synchrotron to be installed in India at a huge cost.
Relativistic Electron Acceleration with Ultrashort Mid-IR Laser Pulses
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Feder, Linus; Woodbury, Daniel; Shumakova, Valentina; Gollner, Claudia; Miao, Bo; Schwartz, Robert; Pugžlys, Audrius; Baltuška, Andrius; Milchberg, Howard
2017-10-01
We report the first results of laser plasma wakefield acceleration driven by ultrashort mid-infrared laser pulses (λ = 3.9 μm , pulsewidth 100 fs, energy <20 mJ, peak power <1 TW), which enables near- and above-critical density interactions with moderate-density gas jets. We present thresholds for electron acceleration based on critical parameters for relativistic self-focusing and target width, as well as trends in the accelerated beam profiles, charge and energy spectra which are supported by 3D particle-in-cell simulations. These results extend earlier work with sub-TW self-modulated laser wakefield acceleration using near IR drivers to the Mid-IR, and enable us to capture time-resolved images of relativistic self-focusing of the laser pulse. This work supported by DOE (DESC0010706TDD, DESC0015516); AFOSR(FA95501310044, FA95501610121); NSF(PHY1535519); DHS.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
None
1996-01-01
Papers from the sixteenth biennial Particle Accelerator Conference, an international forum on accelerator science and technology held May 1–5, 1995, in Dallas, Texas, organized by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), jointly sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society (NPSS), the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Particles and Beams (DPB), and the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), and conducted with support from the US Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the Office of Naval Research.
Onset of turbulence in accelerated high-Reynolds-number flow
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhou, Ye; Robey, Harry F.; Buckingham, Alfred C.
2003-05-01
of acceleration driven instability experiments: (1) classical, relatively low speed, constant acceleration RTI experiments; (2) shock tube, shockwave driven RMI flow mixing experiments; (3) laser target vaporization RTI and RMI mixing experiments driven at very high energy density. These last named experiments are of special interest as they provide scaleable flow conditions simulating those of astrophysical magnitude such as shock-driven hydrodynamic mixing in supernova evolution research.
Ion Acceleration by Flux Transfer Events in the Terrestrial Magnetosheath
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jarvinen, R.; Vainio, R.; Palmroth, M.; Juusola, L.; Hoilijoki, S.; Pfau-Kempf, Y.; Ganse, U.; Turc, L.; von Alfthan, S.
2018-02-01
We report ion acceleration by flux transfer events in the terrestrial magnetosheath in a global two-dimensional hybrid-Vlasov polar plane simulation of Earth's solar wind interaction. In the model we find that propagating flux transfer events created in magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause drive fast-mode bow waves in the magnetosheath, which accelerate ions in the shocked solar wind flow. The acceleration at the bow waves is caused by a shock drift-like acceleration process under stationary solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field upstream conditions. Thus, the energization is not externally driven but results from plasma dynamics within the magnetosheath. Energetic proton populations reach the energy of 30 keV, and their velocity distributions resemble time-energy dispersive ion injections observed by the Cluster spacecraft in the magnetosheath.
Enhanced proton acceleration in an applied longitudinal magnetic field
Arefiev, A.; Toncian, T.; Fiksel, G.
2016-10-31
Using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we examine how an externally applied strong magnetic field impacts proton acceleration in laser-irradiated solid-density targets. We find that a kT-level external magnetic field can sufficiently inhibit transverse transport of hot electrons in a flat laser-irradiated target. While the electron heating by the laser remains mostly unaffected, the reduced electron transport during proton acceleration leads to an enhancement of maximum proton energies and the overall number of energetic protons. The resulting proton beam is much better collimated compared to a beam generated without applying a kT-level magnetic field. A factor of three enhancement of the lasermore » energy conversion efficiency into multi-MeV protons is another effect of the magnetic field. The required kT-level magnetic fields are becoming feasible due to a significant progress that has been made in generating magnetic fields with laser-driven coils using ns-long laser pulses. The possibility of improving characteristics of laser-driven proton beams using such fields is a strong motivation for further development of laser-driven magnetic field capabilities.« less
Enhanced proton acceleration in an applied longitudinal magnetic field
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Arefiev, A.; Toncian, T.; Fiksel, G.
Using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we examine how an externally applied strong magnetic field impacts proton acceleration in laser-irradiated solid-density targets. We find that a kT-level external magnetic field can sufficiently inhibit transverse transport of hot electrons in a flat laser-irradiated target. While the electron heating by the laser remains mostly unaffected, the reduced electron transport during proton acceleration leads to an enhancement of maximum proton energies and the overall number of energetic protons. The resulting proton beam is much better collimated compared to a beam generated without applying a kT-level magnetic field. A factor of three enhancement of the lasermore » energy conversion efficiency into multi-MeV protons is another effect of the magnetic field. The required kT-level magnetic fields are becoming feasible due to a significant progress that has been made in generating magnetic fields with laser-driven coils using ns-long laser pulses. The possibility of improving characteristics of laser-driven proton beams using such fields is a strong motivation for further development of laser-driven magnetic field capabilities.« less
Collective electron driven linac for high energy physics
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Seeman, J.T.
1983-08-01
A linac design is presented in which an intense ultrarelativistic electron bunch is used to excite fields in a series of cavities and accelerate charged particles. The intense electron bunch is generated in a simple storage ring to have the required transverse and longitudinal dimensions. The bunch is then transferred to the linac. The linac structure can be inexpensively constructed of spacers and washers. The fields in the cells resulting from the bunch passage are calculated using the program BCI. The results show that certain particles within the driving bunch and also trailing particles of any sign charge can bemore » accelerated. With existing electron storage rings, accelerating gradients greater than 16 MV/m are possible. Examples of two accelerators are given: a 30 GeV electron/positron accelerator useful as an injector for a high energy storage ring and 2) a 110 GeV per beam electron-positron collider.« less
Energy dissipation on ion-accelerator grids during high-voltage breakdown
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Menon, M.M.; Ponte, N.S.
1981-01-01
The effects of stored energy in the system capacitance across the accelerator grids during high voltage vacuum breakdown are examined. Measurements were made of the current flow and the energy deposition on the grids during breakdown. It is shown that only a portion (less than or equal to 40 J) of the total stored energy (congruent to 100 J) is actually dissipated on the grids. Most of the energy is released during the formation phase of the vacuum arc and is deposited primarily on the most positive grid. Certain abnormal situations led to energy depositions of about 200 J onmore » the grid, but the ion accelerator endured them without exhibiting any deterioration in performance.« less
Li, Xiaodong; Wan, Jiangfeng; Zhang, Sheng; Lin, Ping; Zhang, Yanshi; Yang, Guanghui; Wang, Mengke; Duan, Wenshan; Sun, Jian’an
2017-01-01
A spallation target is one of the three core parts of the accelerator driven subcritical system (ADS), which has already been investigated for decades. Recently, a gravity-driven Dense Granular-flow Target (DGT) is proposed, which consists of a cylindrical hopper and an internal coaxial cylindrical beam pipe. The research on the flow rate and free surface are important for the design of the target whether in Heavy Liquid Metal (HLM) targets or the DGT. In this paper, the relations of flow rate and the geometry of the DGT are investigated. Simulations based on the discrete element method (DEM) implementing on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and experiments are both performed. It is found that the existence of an internal pipe doesn’t influence the flow rate when the distance from the bottom of the pipe to orifice is large enough even in a larger system. Meanwhile, snapshots of the free surface formed just below the beam pipe are given. It is observed that the free surface is stable over time. The entire research is meaningful for the design of DGT. PMID:29095910
Li, Xiaodong; Wan, Jiangfeng; Zhang, Sheng; Lin, Ping; Zhang, Yanshi; Yang, Guanghui; Wang, Mengke; Duan, Wenshan; Sun, Jian'an; Yang, Lei
2017-01-01
A spallation target is one of the three core parts of the accelerator driven subcritical system (ADS), which has already been investigated for decades. Recently, a gravity-driven Dense Granular-flow Target (DGT) is proposed, which consists of a cylindrical hopper and an internal coaxial cylindrical beam pipe. The research on the flow rate and free surface are important for the design of the target whether in Heavy Liquid Metal (HLM) targets or the DGT. In this paper, the relations of flow rate and the geometry of the DGT are investigated. Simulations based on the discrete element method (DEM) implementing on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and experiments are both performed. It is found that the existence of an internal pipe doesn't influence the flow rate when the distance from the bottom of the pipe to orifice is large enough even in a larger system. Meanwhile, snapshots of the free surface formed just below the beam pipe are given. It is observed that the free surface is stable over time. The entire research is meaningful for the design of DGT.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
None, None
Over a full two day period, February 2–3, 2016, the Office of High Energy Physics convened a workshop in Gaithersburg, MD to seek community input on development of an Advanced Accelerator Concepts (AAC) research roadmap. The workshop was in response to a recommendation by the HEPAP Accelerator R&D Subpanel [1] [2] to “convene the university and laboratory proponents of advanced acceleration concepts to develop R&D roadmaps with a series of milestones and common down selection criteria towards the goal for constructing a multi-TeV e+e– collider” (the charge to the workshop can be found in Appendix A). During the workshop, proponentsmore » of laser-driven plasma wakefield acceleration (LWFA), particle-beam-driven plasma wakefield acceleration (PWFA), and dielectric wakefield acceleration (DWFA), along with a limited number of invited university and laboratory experts, presented and critically discussed individual concept roadmaps. The roadmap workshop was preceded by several preparatory workshops. The first day of the workshop featured presentation of three initial individual roadmaps with ample time for discussion. The individual roadmaps covered a time period extending until roughly 2040, with the end date assumed to be roughly appropriate for initial operation of a multi-TeV e+e– collider. The second day of the workshop comprised talks on synergies between the roadmaps and with global efforts, potential early applications, diagnostics needs, simulation needs, and beam issues and challenges related to a collider. During the last half of the day the roadmaps were revisited but with emphasis on the next five to ten years (as specifically requested in the charge) and on common challenges. The workshop concluded with critical and unanimous endorsement of the individual roadmaps and an extended discussion on the characteristics of the common challenges. (For the agenda and list of participants see Appendix B.)« less
Scaling up nanoscale water-driven energy conversion into evaporation-driven engines and generators
Chen, Xi; Goodnight, Davis; Gao, Zhenghan; ...
2015-06-16
Evaporation is a ubiquitous phenomenon in the natural environment and a dominant form of energy transfer in the Earth’s climate. Engineered systems rarely, if ever, use evaporation as a source of energy, despite myriad examples of such adaptations in the biological world. In this work, we report evaporation-driven engines that can power common tasks like locomotion and electricity generation. These engines start and run autonomously when placed at air–water interfaces. They generate rotary and piston-like linear motion using specially designed, biologically based artificial muscles responsive to moisture fluctuations. Using these engines, we demonstrate an electricity generator that rests on watermore » while harvesting its evaporation to power a light source, and a miniature car (weighing 0.1 kg) that moves forward as the water in the car evaporates. Evaporation-driven engines may find applications in powering robotic systems, sensors, devices and machinery that function in the natural environment.« less
Scaling up nanoscale water-driven energy conversion into evaporation-driven engines and generators
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Chen, Xi; Goodnight, Davis; Gao, Zhenghan
Evaporation is a ubiquitous phenomenon in the natural environment and a dominant form of energy transfer in the Earth’s climate. Engineered systems rarely, if ever, use evaporation as a source of energy, despite myriad examples of such adaptations in the biological world. In this work, we report evaporation-driven engines that can power common tasks like locomotion and electricity generation. These engines start and run autonomously when placed at air–water interfaces. They generate rotary and piston-like linear motion using specially designed, biologically based artificial muscles responsive to moisture fluctuations. Using these engines, we demonstrate an electricity generator that rests on watermore » while harvesting its evaporation to power a light source, and a miniature car (weighing 0.1 kg) that moves forward as the water in the car evaporates. Evaporation-driven engines may find applications in powering robotic systems, sensors, devices and machinery that function in the natural environment.« less
New shielding material development for compact accelerator-driven neutron source
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hu, Guang; Hu, Huasi; Wang, Sheng; Han, Hetong; Otake, Y.; Pan, Ziheng; Taketani, A.; Ota, H.; Hashiguchi, Takao; Yan, Mingfei
2017-04-01
The Compact Accelerator-driven Neutron Source (CANS), especially the transportable neutron source is longing for high effectiveness shielding material. For this reason, new shielding material is researched in this investigation. The component of shielding material is designed and many samples are manufactured. Then the attenuation detection experiments were carried out. In the detections, the dead time of the detector appeases when the proton beam is too strong. To grasp the linear range and nonlinear range of the detector, two currents of proton are employed in Pb attenuation detections. The transmission ratio of new shielding material, polyethylene (PE), PE + Pb, BPE + Pb is detected under suitable current of proton. Since the results of experimental neutrons and γ-rays appear as together, the MCNP and PHITS simulations are applied to assisting the analysis. The new shielding material could reduce of the weight and volume compared with BPE + Pb and PE + Pb.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sato, T.; Walker, R. J.; Ashour-Abdalla, M.
1984-01-01
The energy conversion processes occurring in three-dimensional driven reconnection is analyzed. In particular, the energy conversion processes during localized reconnection in a taillike magnetic configuration are studied. It is found that three-dimensional driven reconnection is a powerful energy converter which transforms magnetic energy into plasma bulk flow and thermal energy. Three-dimensional driven reconnection is an even more powerful energy converter than two-dimensional reconnection, because in the three-dimensional case, plasmas were drawn into the reconnection region from the sides as well as from the top and bottom. Field-aligned currents are generated by three-dimensional driven reconnection. The physical mechanism responsible for these currents which flow from the tail toward the ionosphere on the dawnside of the reconnection region and from the ionosphere toward the tail on the duskside is identified. The field-aligned currents form as the neutral sheet current is diverted through the slow shocks which form on the outer edge of the reconnected field lines (outer edge of the plasma sheet).
Stochastic acceleration of electrons from multiple uncorrelated plasma waves
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gee, David; Michel, Pierre; Wurtele, Jonathan
2017-10-01
One-dimensional theory puts a strict limit on the maximum energy attainable by an electron trapped and accelerated by an electron plasma wave (EPW). However, experimental measurements of hot electron distributions accelerated by stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in ICF experiments typically show a thermal distribution with temperatures of the order of the kinetic energy of the resonant EPW's (Thot mvp2 , where vp is the phase velocity of the EPW's driven by SRS) and no clear cutoff at high energies. In this project, we are investigating conditions under which electrons can be stochastically accelerated by multiple uncorrelated EPW's, such as those generated by incoherent laser speckles in large laser spots like the ones used on NIF ( mm-size), and reproduce distributions similar to those observed in experiments. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC52-07NA27344.
Characteristics of GeV Electron Bunches Accelerated by Intense Lasers in Vacuum
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, P. X.; Ho, Y. K.; Kong, Q.; Yuan, X. Q.; Cao, N.; Feng, L.
This paper studies the characteristics of GeV electron bunches driven by ultra-intense lasers in vacuum based on the mechanism of capture and violent acceleration scenario [CAS, see, e.g. J. X. Wang et al., Phys. Rev. E58, 6575 (1998)], which shows an interesting prospect of becoming a new principle of laser-driven accelerators. It has been found that the accelerated GeV electron bunch is a macro-pulse composed of a lot of micro-pulses, which is analogous to the structure of the bunches produced by conventional linacs. The macro-pulse corresponds to the duration of the laser pulse while the micro-pulse corresponds to the periodicity of the laser wave. Therefore, provided that the incoming electron bunch with comparable sizes as that of the laser pulse synchronously impinges on the laser pulse, the total fraction of electrons captured and accelerated to GeV energy can reach more than 20%. These results demonstrate that the mechanisms of CAS is a relatively effective accelerator mechanism.
Designing a Dielectric Laser Accelerator on a Chip
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Niedermayer, Uwe; Boine-Frankenheim, Oliver; Egenolf, Thilo
2017-07-01
Dielectric Laser Acceleration (DLA) achieves gradients of more than 1GeV/m, which are among the highest in non-plasma accelerators. The long-term goal of the ACHIP collaboration is to provide relativistic (>1 MeV) electrons by means of a laser driven microchip accelerator. Examples of ’’slightly resonant” dielectric structures showing gradients in the range of 70% of the incident laser field (1 GV/m) for electrons with beta=0.32 and 200% for beta=0.91 are presented. We demonstrate the bunching and acceleration of low energy electrons in dedicated ballistic buncher and velocity matched grating structures. However, the design gradient of 500 MeV/m leads to rapid defocusing. Therefore we present a scheme to bunch the beam in stages, which does not only reduce the energy spread, but also the transverse defocusing. The designs are made with a dedicated homemade 6D particle tracking code.
Short-pulse, high-energy radiation generation from laser-wakefield accelerated electron beams
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schumaker, Will
2013-10-01
Recent experimental results of laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) of ~GeV electrons driven by the 200TW HERCULES and the 400TW ASTRA-GEMINI laser systems and their subsequent generation of photons, positrons, and neutrons are presented. In LWFA, high-intensity (I >1019 W /cm2), ultra-short (τL < 1 / (2 πωpe)) laser pulses drive highly nonlinear plasma waves which can trap ~ nC of electrons and accelerate them to ~GeV energies over ~cm lengths. These electron beams can then be converted by a high-Z target via bremsstrahlung into low-divergence (< 20 mrad) beams of high-energy (<600 MeV) photons and subsequently into positrons via the Bethe-Heitler process. By increasing the material thickness and Z, the resulting Ne+ /Ne- ratio can approach unity, resulting in a near neutral density plasma jet. These quasi-neutral beams are presumed to retain the short-pulse (τL < 40 fs) characteristic of the electron beam, resulting in a high peak density of ne- /e+ ~ 1016 cm-3 , making the source an excellent candidate for laboratory study of astrophysical leptonic jets. Alternatively, the electron beam can be interacted with a counter-propagating, ultra-high intensity (I >1021 W /cm2) laser pulse to undergo inverse Compton scattering and emit a high-peak brightness beam of high-energy photons. Preliminary results and experimental sensitivities of the electron-laser beam overlap are presented. The high-energy photon beams can be spectrally resolved using a forward Compton scattering spectrometer. Moreover, the photon flux can be characterized by a pixelated scintillator array and by nuclear activation and (γ,n) neutron measurements from the photons interacting with a secondary solid target. Monte-Carlo simulations were performed using FLUKA to support the yield estimates. This research was supported by DOE/NSF-PHY 0810979, NSF CAREER 1054164, DARPA AXiS N66001-11-1-4208, SF/DNDO F021166, and the Leverhulme Trust ECF-2011-383.
Narrow bandwidth Laser-Plasma Accelerator driven Thomson photon source development
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Geddes, C. G. R.; Tsai, H.-E.; Otero, G.; Liu, X.; van Tilborg, J.; Toth, Cs.; Vay, J.-L.; Lehe, R.; Schroeder, C. B.; Esarey, E.; Friedman, A.; Grote, D. P.; Leemans, W. P.
2017-10-01
Compact, high-quality photon sources at MeV energies can be provided by Thomson scattering of a laser from the electron beam of a Laser-Plasma Accelerator (LPA). Recent experiments and simulations demonstrate controllable LPAs in the energy range appropriate to MeV sources. Simulations indicate that high flux with narrow energy spread can be achieved via control of the scattering laser pulse shape and laser guiding, and that undesired background bremsstrahlung can be mitigated by plasma based deceleration of the electron beam after photon production. Construction of experiments and laser capabilities to combine these elements will be presented, along with initial operations, towards a compact photon source system. Work supported by US DOE NNSA DNN R&D and by Sc. HEP under contract DE-AC02-05CH11231.
Cryogenics for high-energy particle accelerators: highlights from the first fifty years
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lebrun, Ph
2017-02-01
Applied superconductivity has become a key technology for high-energy particle accelerators, allowing to reach higher beam energy while containing size, capital expenditure and operating costs. Large and powerful cryogenic systems are therefore ancillary to low-temperature superconducting accelerator devices - magnets and high-frequency cavities - distributed over multi-kilometre distances and operating generally close to the normal boiling point of helium, but also above 4.2 K in supercritical and down to below 2 K in superfluid. Additionally, low-temperature operation in accelerators may also be required by considerations of ultra-high vacuum, limited stored energy and beam stability. We discuss the rationale for cryogenics in high-energy particle accelerators, review its development over the past half-century and present its outlook in future large projects, with reference to the main engineering domains of cryostat design and heat loads, cooling schemes, efficient power refrigeration and cryogenic fluid management.
Weibel instability mediated collisionless shocks using intense laser-driven plasmas
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Palaniyappan, Sasi; Huang, Chengkun; Gautier, Donald; Fernandez, Juan; Ma, Wenjun; Schreiber, Jorg; LANL Collaboration; LMU Team
2016-10-01
The origin of cosmic rays remains a long-standing challenge in astrophysics and continues to fascinate physicists. It is believed that ``collisionless shocks'' - where the particle Coulomb mean free path is much larger that the shock transition - are a dominant source of energetic cosmic rays. These shocks are ubiquitous in astrophysical environments such as gamma-ray bursts, supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebula and coronal mass ejections from the sun. Several spacecraft observations have revealed acceleration of charged particles, mostly electrons, to very high energies with in the shock front. There is now also clear observational evidence that supernova remnant shocks accelerate both protons and electrons. The understanding of the microphysics behind collisionless shocks and their particle acceleration is tightly related with nonlinear basic plasma processes and remains a grand challenge. In this poster, we will present results from recent experiments at the LANL Trident laser facility studying collisionless shocks using intense ps laser (80J, 650 fs - peak intensity of 1020 W/cm2) driven near-critical plasmas using carbon nanotube foam targets. A second short pulse laser driven protons from few microns thick aluminum foil is used to image the laser-driven plasma.
Design and optimization of a compact laser-driven proton beamline.
Scisciò, M; Migliorati, M; Palumbo, L; Antici, P
2018-04-19
Laser-accelerated protons, generated by irradiating a solid target with a short, energetic laser pulse at high intensity (I > 10 18 W·cm -2 ), represent a complementary if not outperforming source compared to conventional accelerators, due to their intrinsic features, such as high beam charge and short bunch duration. However, the broadband energy spectrum of these proton sources is a bottleneck that precludes their use in applications requiring a more reduced energy spread. Consequently, in recent times strong effort has been put to overcome these limits and to develop laser-driven proton beamlines with low energy spread. In this paper, we report on beam dynamics simulations aiming at optimizing a laser-driven beamline - i.e. a laser-based proton source coupled to conventional magnetic beam manipulation devices - producing protons with a reduced energy spread, usable for applications. The energy range of investigation goes from 2 to 20 MeV, i.e. the typical proton energies that can be routinely obtained using commercial TW-power class laser systems. Our beamline design is capable of reducing the energy spread below 20%, still keeping the overall transmission efficiency around 1% and producing a proton spot-size in the range of 10 mm 2 . We briefly discuss the results in the context of applications in the domain of Cultural Heritage.
Development of Safety Analysis Code System of Beam Transport and Core for Accelerator Driven System
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Aizawa, Naoto; Iwasaki, Tomohiko
2014-06-01
Safety analysis code system of beam transport and core for accelerator driven system (ADS) is developed for the analyses of beam transients such as the change of the shape and position of incident beam. The code system consists of the beam transport analysis part and the core analysis part. TRACE 3-D is employed in the beam transport analysis part, and the shape and incident position of beam at the target are calculated. In the core analysis part, the neutronics, thermo-hydraulics and cladding failure analyses are performed by the use of ADS dynamic calculation code ADSE on the basis of the external source database calculated by PHITS and the cross section database calculated by SRAC, and the programs of the cladding failure analysis for thermoelastic and creep. By the use of the code system, beam transient analyses are performed for the ADS proposed by Japan Atomic Energy Agency. As a result, the rapid increase of the cladding temperature happens and the plastic deformation is caused in several seconds. In addition, the cladding is evaluated to be failed by creep within a hundred seconds. These results have shown that the beam transients have caused a cladding failure.
Neutron Source from Laser Plasma Acceleration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jiao, Xuejing; Shaw, Joseph; McCary, Eddie; Downer, Mike; Hegelich, Bjorn
2016-10-01
Laser driven electron beams and ion beams were utilized to produce neutron sources via different mechanism. On the Texas Petawatt laser, deuterized plastic, gold and DLC foil targets of varying thickness were shot with 150 J , 150 fs laser pulses at a peak intensity of 2 ×1021W /cm2 . Ions were accelerated by either target normal sheath acceleration or Breakout Afterburner acceleration. Neutrons were produced via the 9Be(d,n) and 9Be(p,n) reactions when accelerated ions impinged on a Beryllium converter as well as by deuteron breakup reactions. We observed 2 ×1010 neutron per shot in average, corresponding to 5 ×1018n /s . The efficiencies for different targets are comparable. In another experiment, 38fs , 0.3 J UT3 laser pulse interacted with mixed gas target. Electrons with energy 40MeV were produced via laser wakefield acceleration. Neutron flux of 2 ×106 per shot was generated through bremsstrahlung and subsequent photoneutron reactions on a Copper converter.
A gas-dynamical approach to radiation pressure acceleration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schmidt, Peter; Boine-Frankenheim, Oliver
2016-06-01
The study of high intensity ion beams driven by high power pulsed lasers is an active field of research. Of particular interest is the radiation pressure acceleration, for which simulations predict narrow band ion energies up to GeV. We derive a laser-piston model by applying techniques for non-relativistic gas-dynamics. The model reveals a laser intensity limit, below which sufficient laser-piston acceleration is impossible. The relation between target thickness and piston velocity as a function of the laser pulse length yields an approximation for the permissible target thickness. We performed one-dimensional Particle-In-Cell simulations to confirm the predictions of the analytical model. These simulations also reveal the importance of electromagnetic energy transport. We find that this energy transport limits the achievable compression and rarefies the plasma.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhao, Qiang; Cui, Wenjuan; He, Zhiyong; Zhang, Xueying; Ma, Wenjing
2018-07-01
China initiative Accelerator Driven System (CiADS) has been approved as a strategic plan to build an ADS demonstration facility in the next few years. It proposed a new concept for a high-power spallation target: the gravity-driven dense granular target (DGT). As the same with a monolithic target (MT), both solid and liquid target, energy deposition and neutron flux are two critical issues. In this paper, we focus on these two issues and long for some valuable results for the project. Unlike a solid target, the internal geometry structure of a DGT is very complicated. To be as much as closer with the reality, we designed an algorithm and firstly packed the grains randomly in a cylindrical container in GEANT4 software. The packing result was in great agreement with the experimentally measured results. It shows that the algorithm is practicable. In the next step, all the simulations about energy deposition and neutron flux of a DGT were performed with the GEANT4 codes, and the results were compared with the data of a MT. Compared to a MT, a DGT has inarguable advantages in both terms of energy deposition and neutron flux. In addition, the simulations with different radius of grains were also performed. Finally, we found that both the energy deposition and neutron flux are nearly irrelevant to the radius of the grains in the range of 0.5 mm-5 mm when the packing density is same by analyzing the results meticulously.
Constraints on the extremely high-energy cosmic ray accelerators from classical electrodynamics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Aharonian, F. A.; Belyanin, A. A.; Derishev, E. V.; Kocharovsky, V. V.; Kocharovsky, Vl. V.
2002-07-01
We formulate the general requirements, set by classical electrodynamics, on the sources of extremely high-energy cosmic rays (EHECRs). It is shown that the parameters of EHECR accelerators are strongly limited not only by the particle confinement in large-scale magnetic fields or by the difference in electric potentials (generalized Hillas criterion) but also by the synchrotron radiation, the electro-bremsstrahlung, or the curvature radiation of accelerated particles. Optimization of these requirements in terms of an accelerator's size and magnetic field strength results in the ultimate lower limit to the overall source energy budget, which scales as the fifth power of attainable particle energy. Hard γ rays accompanying generation of EHECRs can be used to probe potential acceleration sites. We apply the results to several populations of astrophysical objects-potential EHECR sources-and discuss their ability to accelerate protons to 1020 eV and beyond. The possibility of gain from ultrarelativistic bulk flows is addressed, with active galactic nuclei and gamma-ray bursts being the examples.
Constraints on the extremely high-energy cosmic rays accelerators from classical electrodynamics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Belyanin, A.; Aharonian, F.; Derishev, E.; Kocharovsky, V.; Kocharovsky, V.
We formulate the general requirements, set by classical electrodynamics, to the sources of extremely high-energy cosmic rays (EHECRs). It is shown that the parameters of EHECR accelerators are strongly limited not only by the particle confinement in large-scale magnetic field or by the difference in electric potentials (generalized Hillas criterion), but also by the synchrotron radiation, the electro-bremsstrahlung, or the curvature radiation of accelerated particles. Optimization of these requirements in terms of accelerator's size and magnetic field strength results in the ultimate lower limit to the overall source energy budget, which scales as the fifth power of attainable particle energy. Hard gamma-rays accompanying generation of EHECRs can be used to probe potential acceleration sites. We apply the results to several populations of astrophysical objects - potential EHECR sources - and discuss their ability to accelerate protons to 1020 eV and beyond. A possibility to gain from ultrarelativistic bulk flows is addressed, with Active Galactic Nuclei and Gamma-Ray Bursts being the examples.
Accelerator-driven transmutation of spent fuel elements
Venneri, Francesco; Williamson, Mark A.; Li, Ning
2002-01-01
An apparatus and method is described for transmuting higher actinides, plutonium and selected fission products in a liquid-fuel subcritical assembly. Uranium may also be enriched, thereby providing new fuel for use in conventional nuclear power plants. An accelerator provides the additional neutrons required to perform the processes. The size of the accelerator needed to complete fuel cycle closure depends on the neutron efficiency of the supported reactors and on the neutron spectrum of the actinide transmutation apparatus. Treatment of spent fuel from light water reactors (LWRs) using uranium-based fuel will require the largest accelerator power, whereas neutron-efficient high temperature gas reactors (HTGRs) or CANDU reactors will require the smallest accelerator power, especially if thorium is introduced into the newly generated fuel according to the teachings of the present invention. Fast spectrum actinide transmutation apparatus (based on liquid-metal fuel) will take full advantage of the accelerator-produced source neutrons and provide maximum utilization of the actinide-generated fission neutrons. However, near-thermal transmutation apparatus will require lower standing
Energy limit in cyclotron autoresonance acceleration
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Wang, C.; Hirshfield, J.L.
1995-03-01
A multimegawatt gyroharmonic converter depends critically on the parameters of a spatiotemporally modulated gyrating electron beam prepared using a cyclotron autoresonance accelerator (CARA). This paper extends a prior analysis of CARA [B. Hafizi, P. Sprangle, and J. L. Hirshfield, Phys. Rev. E 50, 3077 (1994)] to identify an approximate constant of the motion and, therefore, to give limits to the beam energy from CARA that can be utilized in a harmonic converter. It is also shown that particles are strongly phase trapped during acceleration in CARA and thus are insensitive to deviations from exact autoresonance. This fact could simplify constructionmore » of the up-tapered guide magnetic field in the device and augurs well for production of high-quality multimegawatt beams using CARA.« less
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sharma, A.; Tibai, Z.; Hebling, J.; Fülöp, J. A.
2018-03-01
Laser-driven proton acceleration from a micron-sized cryogenic hydrogen microjet target is investigated using multi-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. With few-cycle (20-fs) ultraintense (2-PW) laser pulses, high-energy quasi-monoenergetic proton acceleration is predicted in a new regime. A collisionless shock-wave acceleration mechanism influenced by Weibel instability results in a maximum proton energy as high as 160 MeV and a quasi-monoenergetic peak at 80 MeV for 1022 W/cm2 laser intensity with controlled prepulses. A self-generated strong quasi-static magnetic field is also observed in the plasma, which modifies the spatial distribution of the proton beam.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ray, P. K.
1984-01-01
The equations describing the performance of an inductively-driven rail gun are analyzed numerically. Friction between the projectile and rails is included through an empirical formulation. The equations are applied to the experiment of Rashleigh and Marshall to obtain an estimate of energy distribution in rail guns as a function of time. The effect of frictional heat dissipation on the bore of the gun is calculated. The mechanism of plasma and projectile acceleration in a dc rail gun is described from a microscopic point of view through the establishment of the Hall field. The plasma conductivity is shown to be a tensor indicating that there is a small component of current parallel to the direction of acceleration. The plasma characteristics are evaluated as a function of plasma mass through a simple fluid mechanical analysis of the plasma. By equating the energy dissipated in the plasma with the radiation heat loss, the properties of the plasma are determined.
Tao, Li; Zhu, Kun; Zhu, Jungao; Xu, Xiaohan; Lin, Chen; Ma, Wenjun; Lu, Haiyang; Zhao, Yanying; Lu, Yuanrong; Chen, Jia-Er; Yan, Xueqing
2017-07-07
With the development of laser technology, laser-driven proton acceleration provides a new method for proton tumor therapy. However, it has not been applied in practice because of the wide and decreasing energy spectrum of laser-accelerated proton beams. In this paper, we propose an analytical model to reconstruct the spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) using laser-accelerated proton beams. Firstly, we present a modified weighting formula for protons of different energies. Secondly, a theoretical model for the reconstruction of SOBPs with laser-accelerated proton beams has been built. It can quickly calculate the number of laser shots needed for each energy interval of the laser-accelerated protons. Finally, we show the 2D reconstruction results of SOBPs for laser-accelerated proton beams and the ideal situation. The final results show that our analytical model can give an SOBP reconstruction scheme that can be used for actual tumor therapy.
Applications of laser wakefield accelerator-based light sources
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Albert, Felicie; Thomas, Alec G. R.
Laser-wakefield accelerators (LWFAs) were proposed more than three decades ago, and while they promise to deliver compact, high energy particle accelerators, they will also provide the scientific community with novel light sources. In a LWFA, where an intense laser pulse focused onto a plasma forms an electromagnetic wave in its wake, electrons can be trapped and are now routinely accelerated to GeV energies. From terahertz radiation to gamma-rays, this article reviews light sources from relativistic electrons produced by LWFAs, and discusses their potential applications. Betatron motion, Compton scattering and undulators respectively produce x-rays or gamma-rays by oscillating relativistic electrons inmore » the wakefield behind the laser pulse, a counter-propagating laser field, or a magnetic undulator. Other LWFA-based light sources include bremsstrahlung and terahertz radiation. Here, we first evaluate the performance of each of these light sources, and compare them with more conventional approaches, including radio frequency accelerators or other laser-driven sources. We have then identified applications, which we discuss in details, in a broad range of fields: medical and biological applications, military, defense and industrial applications, and condensed matter and high energy density science.« less
Applications of laser wakefield accelerator-based light sources
Albert, Felicie; Thomas, Alec G. R.
2016-10-01
Laser-wakefield accelerators (LWFAs) were proposed more than three decades ago, and while they promise to deliver compact, high energy particle accelerators, they will also provide the scientific community with novel light sources. In a LWFA, where an intense laser pulse focused onto a plasma forms an electromagnetic wave in its wake, electrons can be trapped and are now routinely accelerated to GeV energies. From terahertz radiation to gamma-rays, this article reviews light sources from relativistic electrons produced by LWFAs, and discusses their potential applications. Betatron motion, Compton scattering and undulators respectively produce x-rays or gamma-rays by oscillating relativistic electrons inmore » the wakefield behind the laser pulse, a counter-propagating laser field, or a magnetic undulator. Other LWFA-based light sources include bremsstrahlung and terahertz radiation. Here, we first evaluate the performance of each of these light sources, and compare them with more conventional approaches, including radio frequency accelerators or other laser-driven sources. We have then identified applications, which we discuss in details, in a broad range of fields: medical and biological applications, military, defense and industrial applications, and condensed matter and high energy density science.« less
Multi-gigaelectronvolt acceleration of positrons in a self-loaded plasma wakefield.
Corde, S; Adli, E; Allen, J M; An, W; Clarke, C I; Clayton, C E; Delahaye, J P; Frederico, J; Gessner, S; Green, S Z; Hogan, M J; Joshi, C; Lipkowitz, N; Litos, M; Lu, W; Marsh, K A; Mori, W B; Schmeltz, M; Vafaei-Najafabadi, N; Walz, D; Yakimenko, V; Yocky, G
2015-08-27
Electrical breakdown sets a limit on the kinetic energy that particles in a conventional radio-frequency accelerator can reach. New accelerator concepts must be developed to achieve higher energies and to make future particle colliders more compact and affordable. The plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA) embodies one such concept, in which the electric field of a plasma wake excited by a bunch of charged particles (such as electrons) is used to accelerate a trailing bunch of particles. To apply plasma acceleration to electron-positron colliders, it is imperative that both the electrons and their antimatter counterpart, the positrons, are efficiently accelerated at high fields using plasmas. Although substantial progress has recently been reported on high-field, high-efficiency acceleration of electrons in a PWFA powered by an electron bunch, such an electron-driven wake is unsuitable for the acceleration and focusing of a positron bunch. Here we demonstrate a new regime of PWFAs where particles in the front of a single positron bunch transfer their energy to a substantial number of those in the rear of the same bunch by exciting a wakefield in the plasma. In the process, the accelerating field is altered--'self-loaded'--so that about a billion positrons gain five gigaelectronvolts of energy with a narrow energy spread over a distance of just 1.3 metres. They extract about 30 per cent of the wake's energy and form a spectrally distinct bunch with a root-mean-square energy spread as low as 1.8 per cent. This ability to transfer energy efficiently from the front to the rear within a single positron bunch makes the PWFA scheme very attractive as an energy booster to an electron-positron collider.
Continuous Energy Improvement in Motor Driven Systems - A Guidebook for Industry
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Gilbert A. McCoy and John G. Douglass
2014-02-01
This guidebook provides a step-by-step approach to developing a motor system energy-improvement action plan. An action plan includes which motors should be repaired or replaced with higher efficiency models, recommendations on maintaining a spares inventory, and discussion of improvements in maintenance practices. The guidebook is the successor to DOE’s 1997 Energy Management for Motor Driven Systems. It builds on its predecessor publication by including topics such as power transmission systems and matching driven equipment to process requirements in addition to motors.
Neutron dose per fluence and weighting factors for use at high energy accelerators
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Cossairt, J.Donald; Vaziri, Kamran; /Fermilab
2008-07-01
In June 2007, the United States Department of Energy incorporated revised values of neutron weighting factors into its occupational radiation protection Regulation 10 CFR Part 835 as part of updating its radiation dosimetry system. This has led to a reassessment of neutron radiation fields at high energy proton accelerators such as those at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). Values of dose per fluence factors appropriate for accelerator radiation fields calculated elsewhere are collated and radiation weighting factors compared. The results of this revision to the dosimetric system are applied to americium-beryllium neutron energy spectra commonly used for instrument calibrations.more » A set of typical accelerator neutron energy spectra previously measured at Fermilab are reassessed in light of the new dosimetry system. The implications of this revision are found to be of moderate significance.« less
Quantum corrections to the stress-energy tensor in thermodynamic equilibrium with acceleration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Becattini, F.; Grossi, E.
2015-08-01
We show that the stress-energy tensor has additional terms with respect to the ideal form in states of global thermodynamic equilibrium in flat spacetime with nonvanishing acceleration and vorticity. These corrections are of quantum origin and their leading terms are second order in the gradients of the thermodynamic fields. Their relevant coefficients can be expressed in terms of correlators of the stress-energy tensor operator and the generators of the Lorentz group. With respect to previous assessments, we find that there are more second-order coefficients and that all thermodynamic functions including energy density receive acceleration and vorticity dependent corrections. Notably, also the relation between ρ and p , that is, the equation of state, is affected by acceleration and vorticity. We have calculated the corrections for a free real scalar field—both massive and massless—and we have found that they increase, particularly for a massive field, at very high acceleration and vorticity and very low temperature. Finally, these nonideal terms depend on the explicit form of the stress-energy operator, implying that different stress-energy tensors of the scalar field—canonical or improved—are thermodynamically inequivalent.
Energy spread minimization in a cascaded laser wakefield accelerator via velocity bunching
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Zhang, Zhijun; Li, Wentao; Wang, Wentao
2016-05-15
We propose a scheme to minimize the energy spread of an electron beam (e-beam) in a cascaded laser wakefield accelerator to the one-thousandth-level by inserting a stage to compress its longitudinal spatial distribution. In this scheme, three-segment plasma stages are designed for electron injection, e-beam length compression, and e-beam acceleration, respectively. The trapped e-beam in the injection stage is transferred to the zero-phase region at the center of one wakefield period in the compression stage where the length of the e-beam can be greatly shortened owing to the velocity bunching. After being seeded into the third stage for acceleration, themore » e-beam can be accelerated to a much higher energy before its energy chirp is compensated owing to the shortened e-beam length. A one-dimensional theory and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations have demonstrated this scheme and an e-beam with 0.2% rms energy spread and low transverse emittance could be generated without loss of charge.« less
Laser-driven injector of electrons for IOTA
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Romanov, Aleksandr
2017-03-01
Fermilab is developing the Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) ring for experiments on nonlinear integrable optics. The machine will operate with either electron beams of 150 MeV or proton beams of 2.5 MeV energies, respectively. The stability of integrable optics depends critically on the precision of the magnetic lattice, which demands the use of beam-based lattice measurements for optics correction. In the proton mode, the low-energy proton beam does not represent a good probe for this application; hence we consider the use of a low-intensity reverse-injected electron beam of matched momentum (70 MeV). Such an injector could be implemented with the use of laser-driven acceleration techniques. This report presents the consideration for a laser-plasma injector for IOTA and discusses the requirements determined by the ring design.
Buoyancy driven mixing of miscible fluids by volumetric energy deposition of microwaves.
Wachtor, Adam J; Mocko, Veronika; Williams, Darrick J; Goertz, Matthew P; Jebrail, Farzaneh F
2013-01-01
An experiment that seeks to investigate buoyancy driven mixing of miscible fluids by microwave volumetric energy deposition is presented. The experiment involves the use of a light, non-polar fluid that initially rests on top of a heavier fluid which is more polar. Microwaves preferentially heat the polar fluid, and its density decreases due to thermal expansion. As the microwave heating continues, the density of the lower fluid eventually becomes less than that of the upper, and buoyancy driven Rayleigh-Taylor mixing ensues. The choice of fluids is crucial to the success of the experiment, and a description is given of numerous fluid combinations considered and characterized. After careful consideration, the miscible pair of toluene/tetrahydrofuran (THF) was determined as having the best potential for successful volumetric energy deposition buoyancy driven mixing. Various single fluid calibration experiments were performed to facilitate the development of a heating theory. Thereafter, results from two-fluid mixing experiments are presented that demonstrate the capability of this novel Rayleigh-Taylor driven experiment. Particular interest is paid to the onset of buoyancy driven mixing and unusual aspects of the experiment in the context of typical Rayleigh-Taylor driven mixing.
Energy partitioning in an inductively driven rail gun
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sen, K. K.; Ray, P. K.
1984-01-01
The equations describing the performance of an inductively driven rail are analyzed numerically. Friction between the projectile and rails is included through an empirical formulation. The equations are applied to the experiment of Rashleigh and Marshall to obtain an estimate of energy distribution in rail guns as a function of time. It is found that only 15 percent of energy delivered by the inductor to the gun is transformed into the kinetic energy of the projectile. This study provides an insight into the nature of nonlinear coupling involved in the electromechanical interactions in a rail gun.
Attosecond Thomson-scattering x-ray source driven by laser-based electron acceleration
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Luo, W.; College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073; Zhuo, H. B.
2013-10-21
The possibility of producing attosecond x-rays through Thomson scattering of laser light off laser-driven relativistic electron beams is investigated. For a ≤200-as, tens-MeV electron bunch produced with laser ponderomotive-force acceleration in a plasma wire, exceeding 10{sup 6} photons/s in the form of ∼160 as pulses in the range of 3–300 keV are predicted, with a peak brightness of ≥5 × 10{sup 20} photons/(s mm{sup 2} mrad{sup 2} 0.1% bandwidth). Our study suggests that the physical scheme discussed in this work can be used for an ultrafast (attosecond) x-ray source, which is the most beneficial for time-resolved atomic physics, dubbed “attosecondmore » physics.”.« less
Optical Diagnostics for Plasma-based Particle Accelerators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Muggli, Patric
2009-05-01
One of the challenges for plasma-based particle accelerators is to measure the spatio-temporal characteristics of the accelerated particle bunch. ``Optical'' diagnostics are particularly interesting and useful because of the large number of techniques that exits to determine the properties of photon pulses. The accelerated bunch can produce photons pulses that carry information about its characteristics for example through synchrotron radiation in a magnet, Cherenkov radiation in a gas, and transition radiation (TR) at the boundary between two media with different dielectric constants. Depending on the wavelength of the emission when compared to the particle bunch length, the radiation can be incoherent or coherent. Incoherent TR in the optical range (or OTR) is useful to measure the transverse spatial characteristics of the beam, such as charge distribution and size. Coherent TR (or CTR) carries information about the bunch length that can in principle be retrieved by standard auto-correlation or interferometric techniques, as well as by spectral measurements. A measurement of the total CTR energy emitted by bunches with constant charge can also be used as a shot-to-shot measurement for the relative bunch length as the CTR energy is proportional to the square of the bunch population and inversely proportional to its length (for a fixed distribution). Spectral interferometry can also yield the spacing between bunches in the case where multiple bunches are trapped in subsequent buckets of the plasma wave. Cherenkov radiation can be used as an energy threshold diagnostic for low energy particles. Cherenkov, synchrotron and transition radiation can be used in a dispersive section of the beam line to measure the bunch energy spectrum. The application of these diagnostics to plasma-based particle accelerators, with emphasis on the beam-driven, plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA) at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory will be discussed.
The converter mechanism of particle acceleration and the maximum energy of cosmic rays
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kocharovsky, Vl. V.; Aharonian, F. A.; Derishev, E. V.; Kocharovsky, V. V.
We consider the fundamental limits on the energy of particles accelerated by electromagnetic forces in various astrophysical objects [1]. We show that accelerator's parameters are strongly limited not only by the particle confinement in large-scale magnetic field or by the difference in electric potentials (generalized Hillas criterion) but also by the curvature and other types of radiative losses of accelerated particles. Optimization of these requirements in terms of accelerator's size and the magnetic field strength results in the ultimate lower limit on the overall source energy budget, which scales as the fifth power of attainable particle energy. It is demonstrated that the curvature gamma-rays accompanying the acceleration gives further restrictions for potential acceleration sites. We compare different acceleration mechanisms and show, that the converter mechanism, which we suggested earlier [2], is the least sensitive to the geometry of the magnetic field in accelerators and allows to reach cosmic-ray energies close to the fundamental limit. The converter mechanism works most efficiently in relativistic shocks or shear flows. It utilizes multiple conversions of charged particles into neutral ones (protons to neutrons and electrons/positrons to photons) and back by means of photon-induced reactions or inelastic nucleon- nucleon collisions. We discuss the properties of gamma-ray radiation, which accompanies acceleration of cosmic rays via the converter mechanism and can provide an evidence for the latter. 1. F.A. Aharonian, A.A. Belyanin, E.V. Derishev, V.V. Kocharovsky, and Vl.V. Kocharovsky, Phys. Rev. D 66, 023005 (2002). 2. E.V. Derishev, F.A. Aharonian, V.V. Kocharovsky, and Vl.V. Kocharovsky, Phys. Rev. D 68, 043003 (2003).
Enhanced electron yield from laser-driven wakefield acceleration in high-Z gas jets.
Mirzaie, Mohammad; Hafz, Nasr A M; Li, Song; Liu, Feng; He, Fei; Cheng, Ya; Zhang, Jie
2015-10-01
An investigation of the electron beam yield (charge) form helium, nitrogen, and neon gas jet plasmas in a typical laser-plasma wakefield acceleration experiment is carried out. The charge measurement is made by imaging the electron beam intensity profile on a fluorescent screen into a charge coupled device which was cross-calibrated with an integrated current transformer. The dependence of electron beam charge on the laser and plasma conditions for the aforementioned gases are studied. We found that laser-driven wakefield acceleration in low Z-gas jet targets usually generates high-quality and well-collimated electron beams with modest yields at the level of 10-100 pC. On the other hand, filamentary electron beams which are observed from high-Z gases at higher densities reached much higher yields. Evidences for cluster formation were clearly observed in the nitrogen gas jet target, where we received the highest electron beam charge of ∼1.7 nC. Those intense electron beams will be beneficial for the applications on the generation of bright X-rays, gamma rays radiations, and energetic positrons via the bremsstrahlung or inverse-scattering processes.
Comparing Solar-Flare Acceleration of >-20 MeV Protons and Electrons Above Various Energies
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Shih, Albert Y.
2010-01-01
A large fraction (up to tens of percent) of the energy released in solar flares goes into accelerated ions and electrons, and studies indicate that these two populations have comparable energy content. RHESSI observations have shown a striking close linear correlation between the 2.223 MeV neutron-capture gamma-ray line and electron bremsstrahlung emission >300 keV, indicating that the flare acceleration of >^20 MeV protons and >300 keV electrons is roughly proportional over >3 orders of magnitude in fluence. We show that the correlations of neutron-capture line fluence with GOES class or with bremsstrahlung emission at lower energies show deviations from proportionality, primarily for flares with lower fluences. From analyzing thirteen flares, we demonstrate that there appear to be two classes of flares with high-energy acceleration: flares that exhibit only proportional acceleration of ions and electrons down to 50 keV and flares that have an additional soft, low-energy bremsstrahlung component, suggesting two separate populations of accelerated electrons. We use RHESSI spectroscopy and imaging to investigate a number of these flares in detail.
A Variable Energy CW Compact Accelerator for Ion Cancer Therapy
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Johnstone, Carol J.; Taylor, J.; Edgecock, R.
2016-03-10
Cancer is the second-largest cause of death in the U.S. and approximately two-thirds of all cancer patients will receive radiation therapy with the majority of the radiation treatments performed using x-rays produced by electron linacs. Charged particle beam radiation therapy, both protons and light ions, however, offers advantageous physical-dose distributions over conventional photon radiotherapy, and, for particles heavier than protons, a significant biological advantage. Despite recognition of potential advantages, there is almost no research activity in this field in the U.S. due to the lack of clinical accelerator facilities offering light ion therapy in the States. In January, 2013, amore » joint DOE/NCI workshop was convened to address the challenges of light ion therapy [1], inviting more than 60 experts from diverse fields related to radiation therapy. This paper reports on the conclusions of the workshop, then translates the clinical requirements into accelerat or and beam-delivery technical specifications. A comparison of available or feasible accelerator technologies is compared, including a new concept for a compact, CW, and variable energy light ion accelerator currently under development. This new light ion accelerator is based on advances in nonscaling Fixed-Field Alternating gradient (FFAG) accelerator design. The new design concepts combine isochronous orbits with long (up to 4m) straight sections in a compact racetrack format allowing inner circulating orbits to be energy selected for low-loss, CW extraction, effectively eliminating the high-loss energy degrader in conventional CW cyclotron designs.« less
Candidate molten salt investigation for an accelerator driven subcritical core
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sooby, E.; Baty, A.; Beneš, O.; McIntyre, P.; Pogue, N.; Salanne, M.; Sattarov, A.
2013-09-01
We report a design for accelerator-driven subcritical fission in a molten salt core (ADSMS) that utilizes a fuel salt composed of NaCl and transuranic (TRU) chlorides. The ADSMS core is designed for fast neutronics (28% of neutrons >1 MeV) to optimize TRU destruction. The choice of a NaCl-based salt offers benefits for corrosion, operating temperature, and actinide solubility as compared with LiF-based fuel salts. A molecular dynamics (MD) code has been used to estimate properties of the molten salt system which are important for ADSMS design but have never been measured experimentally. Results from the MD studies are reported. Experimental measurements of fuel salt properties and studies of corrosion and radiation damage on candidate metals for the core vessel are anticipated. A special thanks is due to Prof. Paul Madden for introducing the ADSMS group to the concept of using the molten salt as the spallation target, rather than a conventional heavy metal spallation target. This feature helps to optimize this core as a Pu/TRU burner.
Probing the energy reactance with adiabatically driven quantum dots
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ludovico, María Florencia; Arrachea, Liliana; Moskalets, Michael; Sánchez, David
2018-02-01
The tunneling Hamiltonian describes a particle transfer from one region to another. Although there is no particle storage in the tunneling region itself, it has an associated amount of energy. The corresponding energy flux was named reactance since, such as an electrical reactance, it manifests itself in time-dependent transport only. We show here that the existence of the energy reactance leads to the universal response of a mesoscopic thermometer, a floating contact coupled to an adiabatically driven quantum dot.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Li, Hongzhi; Min, Donghong; Liu, Yusong; Yang, Wei
2007-09-01
To overcome the possible pseudoergodicity problem, molecular dynamic simulation can be accelerated via the realization of an energy space random walk. To achieve this, a biased free energy function (BFEF) needs to be priori obtained. Although the quality of BFEF is essential for sampling efficiency, its generation is usually tedious and nontrivial. In this work, we present an energy space metadynamics algorithm to efficiently and robustly obtain BFEFs. Moreover, in order to deal with the associated diffusion sampling problem caused by the random walk in the total energy space, the idea in the original umbrella sampling method is generalized to be the random walk in the essential energy space, which only includes the energy terms determining the conformation of a region of interest. This essential energy space generalization allows the realization of efficient localized enhanced sampling and also offers the possibility of further sampling efficiency improvement when high frequency energy terms irrelevant to the target events are free of activation. The energy space metadynamics method and its generalization in the essential energy space for the molecular dynamics acceleration are demonstrated in the simulation of a pentanelike system, the blocked alanine dipeptide model, and the leucine model.
Laser-driven electron acceleration in a plasma channel with an additional electric field
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Cheng, Li-Hong; Xue, Ju-Kui, E-mail: xuejk@nwnu.edu.cn; Liu, Jie, E-mail: liu-jie@iapcm.ac.cn
2016-05-15
We examine the electron acceleration in a two-dimensional plasma channel under the action of a laser field and an additional static electric field. We propose to design an appropriate additional electric field (its direction and location), in order to launch the electron onto an energetic trajectory. We find that the electron acceleration strongly depends on the coupled effects of the laser polarization, the direction, and location of the additional electric field. The additional electric field affects the electron dynamics by changing the dephasing rate. Particularly, a suitably designed additional electric field leads to a considerable energy gain from the lasermore » pulse after the interaction with the additional electric field. The electron energy gain from the laser with the additional electric field can be much higher than that without the additional electric field. This engineering provides a possible means for producing high energetic electrons.« less
Linear induction accelerators made from pulse-line cavities with external pulse injection.
Smith, I
1979-06-01
Two types of linear induction accelerator have been reported previously. In one, unidirectional voltage pulses are generated outside the accelerator and injected into the accelerator cavity modules, which contain ferromagnetic material to reduce energy losses in the form of currents induced, in parallel with the beam, in the cavity structure. In the other type, the accelerator cavity modules are themselves pulse-forming lines with energy storage and switches; parallel current losses are made zero by the use of circuits that generate bidirectional acceleration waveforms with a zero voltage-time integral. In a third type of design described here, the cavities are externally driven, and 100% efficient coupling of energy to the beam is obtained by designing the external pulse generators to produce bidirectional voltage waveforms with zero voltage-time integral. A design for such a pulse generator is described that is itself one hundred percent efficient and which is well suited to existing pulse power techniques. Two accelerator cavity designs are described that can couple the pulse from such a generator to the beam; one of these designs provides voltage doubling. Comparison is made between the accelerating gradients that can be obtained with this and the preceding types of induction accelerator.
Proton shock acceleration using a high contrast high intensity laser
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gauthier, Maxence; Roedel, Christian; Kim, Jongjin; Aurand, Bastian; Curry, Chandra; Goede, Sebastian; Propp, Adrienne; Goyon, Clement; Pak, Art; Kerr, Shaun; Ramakrishna, Bhuvanesh; Ruby, John; William, Jackson; Glenzer, Siegfried
2015-11-01
Laser-driven proton acceleration is a field of intense research due to the interesting characteristics of this novel particle source including high brightness, high maximum energy, high laminarity, and short duration. Although the ion beam characteristics are promising for many future applications, such as in the medical field or hybrid accelerators, the ion beam generated using TNSA, the acceleration mechanism commonly achieved, still need to be significantly improved. Several new alternative mechanisms have been proposed such as collisionless shock acceleration (CSA) in order to produce a mono-energetic ion beam favorable for those applications. We report the first results of an experiment performed with the TITAN laser system (JLF, LLNL) dedicated to the study of CSA using a high intensity (5x1019W/cm2) high contrast ps laser pulse focused on 55 μm thick CH and CD targets. We show that the proton spectrum generated during the interaction exhibits high-energy mono-energetic features along the laser axis, characteristic of a shock mechanism.
Rayleigh-Taylor mixing with time-dependent acceleration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Abarzhi, Snezhana
2016-10-01
We extend the momentum model to describe Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) mixing driven by a time-dependent acceleration. The acceleration is a power-law function of time, similarly to astrophysical and plasma fusion applications. In RT flow the dynamics of a fluid parcel is driven by a balance per unit mass of the rates of momentum gain and loss. We find analytical solutions in the cases of balanced and imbalanced gains and losses, and identify their dependence on the acceleration exponent. The existence is shown of two typical regimes of self-similar RT mixing-acceleration-driven Rayleigh-Taylor-type and dissipation-driven Richtymer-Meshkov-type with the latter being in general non-universal. Possible scenarios are proposed for transitions from the balanced dynamics to the imbalanced self-similar dynamics. Scaling and correlations properties of RT mixing are studied on the basis of dimensional analysis. Departures are outlined of RT dynamics with time-dependent acceleration from canonical cases of homogeneous turbulence as well as blast waves with first and second kind self-similarity. The work is supported by the US National Science Foundation.
Dynamics of Mesoscale Magnetic Field in Diffusive Shock Acceleration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Diamond, P. H.; Malkov, M. A.
2007-01-01
We present a theory for the generation of mesoscale (krg<<1, where rg is the cosmic-ray gyroradius) magnetic fields during diffusive shock acceleration. The decay or modulational instability of resonantly excited Alfvén waves scattering off ambient density perturbations in the shock environment naturally generates larger scale fields. For a broad spectrum of perturbations, the physical mechanism of energy transfer is random refraction, represented by the diffusion of Alfvén wave packets in k-space. The scattering field can be produced directly by the decay instability or by the Drury instability, a hydrodynamic instability driven by the cosmic-ray pressure gradient. This process is of interest to acceleration since it generates waves of longer wavelength, and so enables the confinement and acceleration of higher energy particles. This process also limits the intensity of resonantly generated turbulent magnetic fields on rg scales.
Injection of externally produced kinetic electrons into a self-guided laser wakefield accelerator
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pollock, Bradley; Ralph, Joseph; Albert, Felicie; Shaw, Jessica; Clayton, Christopher; Marsh, Ken; Joshi, Chan; Mori, Warren; Kesler, Leigh; Mills, Sarah; Severson, Brian; Rigby, Alexandra; Glenzer, Siegfried
2012-10-01
A two-stage laser wakefield accelerator is being developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory using the Callisto laser system. The first stage is a high density (˜10^19 cm-3), 5 mm He gas jet plasma which is driven by 30 TW of 800 nm laser light focused to an a0˜ 2. The <100 MeV electrons produced in this stage are deflected by a 0.5 T dipole magnet onto the axis of the second stage, which is a low density (˜10^18 cm-3), 15 mm He gas cell driven by 200 TW of 800 nm light also focused to an a0˜ 2; no additional electrons are trapped in this stage. Electrons injected into the second stage can then be further accelerated to higher energy without increasing the energy spread. Measurements of the transmitted laser profile and spectrum from the second stage indicate that the laser pulse is self-guided throughout the gas cell and that a strong wake is driven. These results compare well with particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations performed with the code OSIRIS. This work was performed under the auspices of the United States Department of Energy by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. DE-AC52-07NA-27344.
Experimental realization of underdense plasma photocathode wakefield acceleration at FACET
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Scherkl, Paul
2017-10-01
Novel electron beam sources from compact plasma accelerator concepts currently mature into the driving technology for next generation high-energy physics and light source facilities. Particularly electron beams of ultra-high brightness could pave the way for major advances for both scientific and commercial applications, but their generation remains tremendously challenging. The presentation outlines the experimental demonstration of the world's first bright electron beam source from spatiotemporally synchronized laser pulses injecting electrons into particle-driven plasma wakefields at FACET. Two distinctive types of operation - laser-triggered density downramp injection (``Plasma Torch'') and underdense plasma photocathode acceleration (``Trojan Horse'') - and their intermediate transitions are characterized and contrasted. Extensive particle-in-cell simulations substantiate the presentation of experimental results. In combination with novel techniques to minimize the beam energy spread, the acceleration scheme presented here promises ultra-high beam quality and brightness.
Mass sensitivity studies for an inductively driven railgun
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Scanlon, J. J., III; Young, A. F.
1991-01-01
Those areas which result in substantial system mass reductions for an HPG (homopolar generator) driven EML (electromagnetic launcher) are identified. Sensitivity studies are performed by varying launch mass, peak acceleration, launcher efficiency, inductance gradient, injection velocity, barrel mass per unit length, fuel tankage and pump estimates, and component energy and power densities. Two major contributors to the system mass are the allowed number of shots per barrel versus the number required for the mission, and the barrel length. The effects of component performance parameters, such as friction coefficient, injection velocity, ablation coefficient, rail resistivity, armature voltage, peak acceleration, and inductance gradient on these two areas, are addressed.
Efficient quasi-monoenergetic ion beams from laser-driven relativistic plasmas
Palaniyappan, Sasi; Huang, Chengkun; Gautier, Donald C.; Hamilton, Christopher E.; Santiago, Miguel A.; Kreuzer, Christian; Sefkow, Adam B.; Shah, Rahul C.; Fernández, Juan C.
2015-01-01
Table-top laser–plasma ion accelerators have many exciting applications, many of which require ion beams with simultaneous narrow energy spread and high conversion efficiency. However, achieving these requirements has been elusive. Here we report the experimental demonstration of laser-driven ion beams with narrow energy spread and energies up to 18 MeV per nucleon and ∼5% conversion efficiency (that is 4 J out of 80-J laser). Using computer simulations we identify a self-organizing scheme that reduces the ion energy spread after the laser exits the plasma through persisting self-generated plasma electric (∼1012 V m−1) and magnetic (∼104 T) fields. These results contribute to the development of next generation compact accelerators suitable for many applications such as isochoric heating for ion-fast ignition and producing warm dense matter for basic science. PMID:26657147
Efficient quasi-monoenergetic ion beams from laser-driven relativistic plasmas
Palaniyappan, Sasi; Huang, Chengkun; Gautier, Donald C.; ...
2015-12-11
Here, table-top laser–plasma ion accelerators have many exciting applications, many of which require ion beams with simultaneous narrow energy spread and high conversion efficiency. However, achieving these requirements has been elusive. Here we report the experimental demonstration of laser-driven ion beams with narrow energy spread and energies up to 18 MeV per nucleon and ~5% conversion efficiency (that is 4 J out of 80-J laser). Using computer simulations we identify a self-organizing scheme that reduces the ion energy spread after the laser exits the plasma through persisting self-generated plasma electric (~10 12 V m –1) and magnetic (~10 4 T)more » fields. These results contribute to the development of next generation compact accelerators suitable for many applications such as isochoric heating for ion-fast ignition and producing warm dense matter for basic science.« less
Particle-in-cell simulation of x-ray wakefield acceleration and betatron radiation in nanotubes
Zhang, Xiaomei; Tajima, Toshiki; Farinella, Deano; ...
2016-10-18
Though wakefield acceleration in crystal channels has been previously proposed, x-ray wakefield acceleration has only recently become a realistic possibility since the invention of the single-cycled optical laser compression technique. We investigate the acceleration due to a wakefield induced by a coherent, ultrashort x-ray pulse guided by a nanoscale channel inside a solid material. By two-dimensional particle-in-cell computer simulations, we show that an acceleration gradient of TeV/cm is attainable. This is about 3 orders of magnitude stronger than that of the conventional plasma-based wakefield accelerations, which implies the possibility of an extremely compact scheme to attain ultrahigh energies. In additionmore » to particle acceleration, this scheme can also induce the emission of high energy photons at ~O(10–100) MeV. Here, our simulations confirm such high energy photon emissions, which is in contrast with that induced by the optical laser driven wakefield scheme. In addition to this, the significantly improved emittance of the energetic electrons has been discussed.« less
Diverse Electron and Ion Acceleration Characteristics Observed Over Jupiter's Main Aurora
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mauk, B. H.; Haggerty, D. K.; Paranicas, C.; Clark, G.; Kollmann, P.; Rymer, A. M.; Peachey, J. M.; Bolton, S. J.; Levin, S. M.; Adriani, A.; Allegrini, F.; Bagenal, F.; Bonfond, B.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Ebert, R. W.; Gladstone, G. R.; Kurth, W. S.; McComas, D. J.; Ranquist, D.; Valek, P.
2018-02-01
Two new Juno-observed particle features of Jupiter's main aurora demonstrate substantial diversity of processes generating Jupiter's mysterious auroral emissions. It was previously speculated that sometimes-observed potential-driven aurora (up to 400 kV) can turn into broadband stochastic acceleration (dominating at Jupiter) by means of instability. Here direct evidence for such a process is revealed with a "mono-energetic" electron inverted-V rising in energy to 200 keV, transforming into a region of broadband acceleration with downward energy fluxes tripling to 3,000 mW/m2, and then transforming back into a mono-energetic structure ramping down from 200 keV. But a second feature of interest observed nearby is unlikely to have operated in the same way. Here a downward accelerated proton inverted-V, with inferred potentials to 300-400 kV, occurred simultaneously with downward accelerated broadband electrons with downward energy fluxes as high as any observed ( 3,000 mW/m2). This latter feature has no known precedent with Earth auroral observations.
Energy-driven scheduling algorithm for nanosatellite energy harvesting maximization
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Slongo, L. K.; Martínez, S. V.; Eiterer, B. V. B.; Pereira, T. G.; Bezerra, E. A.; Paiva, K. V.
2018-06-01
The number of tasks that a satellite may execute in orbit is strongly related to the amount of energy its Electrical Power System (EPS) is able to harvest and to store. The manner the stored energy is distributed within the satellite has also a great impact on the CubeSat's overall efficiency. Most CubeSat's EPS do not prioritize energy constraints in their formulation. Unlike that, this work proposes an innovative energy-driven scheduling algorithm based on energy harvesting maximization policy. The energy harvesting circuit is mathematically modeled and the solar panel I-V curves are presented for different temperature and irradiance levels. Considering the models and simulations, the scheduling algorithm is designed to keep solar panels working close to their maximum power point by triggering tasks in the appropriate form. Tasks execution affects battery voltage, which is coupled to the solar panels through a protection circuit. A software based Perturb and Observe strategy allows defining the tasks to be triggered. The scheduling algorithm is tested in FloripaSat, which is an 1U CubeSat. A test apparatus is proposed to emulate solar irradiance variation, considering the satellite movement around the Earth. Tests have been conducted to show that the scheduling algorithm improves the CubeSat energy harvesting capability by 4.48% in a three orbit experiment and up to 8.46% in a single orbit cycle in comparison with the CubeSat operating without the scheduling algorithm.
Repulsive DNA-DNA interactions accelerate viral DNA packaging in phage Phi29.
Keller, Nicholas; delToro, Damian; Grimes, Shelley; Jardine, Paul J; Smith, Douglas E
2014-06-20
We use optical tweezers to study the effect of attractive versus repulsive DNA-DNA interactions on motor-driven viral packaging. Screening of repulsive interactions accelerates packaging, but induction of attractive interactions by spermidine(3+) causes heterogeneous dynamics. Acceleration is observed in a fraction of complexes, but most exhibit slowing and stalling, suggesting that attractive interactions promote nonequilibrium DNA conformations that impede the motor. Thus, repulsive interactions facilitate packaging despite increasing the energy of the theoretical optimum spooled DNA conformation.
Spectral and spatial characterisation of laser-driven positron beams
Sarri, G.; Warwick, J.; Schumaker, W.; ...
2016-10-18
The generation of high-quality relativistic positron beams is a central area of research in experimental physics, due to their potential relevance in a wide range of scientific and engineering areas, ranging from fundamental science to practical applications. There is now growing interest in developing hybrid machines that will combine plasma-based acceleration techniques with more conventional radio-frequency accelerators, in order to minimise the size and cost of these machines. Here we report on recent experiments on laser-driven generation of high-quality positron beams using a relatively low energy and potentially table-top laser system. Lastly, the results obtained indicate that current technology allowsmore » to create, in a compact setup, positron beams suitable for injection in radio-frequency accelerators.« less
Beamed neutron emission driven by laser accelerated light ions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kar, S.; Green, A.; Ahmed, H.; Alejo, A.; Robinson, A. P. L.; Cerchez, M.; Clarke, R.; Doria, D.; Dorkings, S.; Fernandez, J.; Mirfayzi, S. R.; McKenna, P.; Naughton, K.; Neely, D.; Norreys, P.; Peth, C.; Powell, H.; Ruiz, J. A.; Swain, J.; Willi, O.; Borghesi, M.
2016-05-01
Highly anisotropic, beam-like neutron emission with peak flux of the order of 109 n/sr was obtained from light nuclei reactions in a pitcher-catcher scenario, by employing MeV ions driven by a sub-petawatt laser. The spatial profile of the neutron beam, fully captured for the first time by employing a CR39 nuclear track detector, shows a FWHM divergence angle of ˜ 70^\\circ , with a peak flux nearly an order of magnitude higher than the isotropic component elsewhere. The observed beamed flux of neutrons is highly favourable for a wide range of applications, and indeed for further transport and moderation to thermal energies. A systematic study employing various combinations of pitcher-catcher materials indicates the dominant reactions being d(p, n+p)1H and d(d,n)3He. Albeit insufficient cross-section data are available for modelling, the observed anisotropy in the neutrons’ spatial and spectral profiles is most likely related to the directionality and high energy of the projectile ions.
Particle acceleration and transport at a 2D CME-driven shock using the HAFv3 and PATH Code
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Li, G.; Ao, X.; Fry, C. D.; Verkhoglyadova, O. P.; Zank, G. P.
2012-12-01
We study particle acceleration at a 2D CME-driven shock and the subsequent transport in the inner heliosphere (up to 2 AU) by coupling the kinematic Hakamada-Akasofu-Fry version 3 (HAFv3) solar wind model (Hakamada and Akasofu, 1982, Fry et al. 2003) with the Particle Acceleration and Transport in the Heliosphere (PATH) model (Zank et al., 2000, Li et al., 2003, 2005, Verkhoglyadova et al. 2009). The HAFv3 provides the evolution of a two-dimensional shock geometry and other plasma parameters, which are fed into the PATH model to investigate the effect of a varying shock geometry on particle acceleration and transport. The transport module of the PATH model is parallelized and utilizes the state-of-the-art GPU computation technique to achieve a rapid physics-based numerical description of the interplanetary energetic particles. Together with a fast execution of the HAFv3 model, the coupled code gives us a possibility to nowcast/forecast the interplanetary radiation environment.
Energy-Dependent Ionization States of Shock-Accelerated Particles in the Solar Corona
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Reames, Donald V.; Ng, C. K.; Tylka, A. J.
2000-01-01
We examine the range of possible energy dependence of the ionization states of ions that are shock-accelerated from the ambient plasma of the solar corona. If acceleration begins in a region of moderate density, sufficiently low in the corona, ions above about 0.1 MeV/amu approach an equilibrium charge state that depends primarily upon their speed and only weakly on the plasma temperature. We suggest that the large variations of the charge states with energy for ions such as Si and Fe observed in the 1997 November 6 event are consistent with stripping in moderately dense coronal. plasma during shock acceleration. In the large solar-particle events studied previously, acceleration occurs sufficiently high in the corona that even Fe ions up to 600 MeV/amu are not stripped of electrons.
An introduction to the physics of high energy accelerators
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Edwards, D.A.; Syphers, J.J.
1993-01-01
This book is an outgrowth of a course given by the authors at various universities and particle accelerator schools. It starts from the basic physics principles governing particle motion inside an accelerator, and leads to a full description of the complicated phenomena and analytical tools encountered in the design and operation of a working accelerator. The book covers acceleration and longitudinal beam dynamics, transverse motion and nonlinear perturbations, intensity dependent effects, emittance preservation methods and synchrotron radiation. These subjects encompass the core concerns of a high energy synchrotron. The authors apparently do not assume the reader has much previous knowledgemore » about accelerator physics. Hence, they take great care to introduce the physical phenomena encountered and the concepts used to describe them. The mathematical formulae and derivations are deliberately kept at a level suitable for beginners. After mastering this course, any interested reader will not find it difficult to follow subjects of more current interests. Useful homework problems are provided at the end of each chapter. Many of the problems are based on actual activities associated with the design and operation of existing accelerators.« less
Millisecond newly born pulsars as efficient accelerators of electrons
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Osmanov, Zaza; Mahajan, Swadesh; Machabeli, George; Chkheidze, Nino
2015-09-01
The newly born millisecond pulsars are investigated as possible energy sources for creating ultra-high energy electrons. The transfer of energy from the star rotation to high energy electrons takes place through the Landau damping of centrifugally driven (via a two stream instability) electrostatic Langmuir waves. Generated in the bulk magnetosphere plasma, such waves grow to high amplitudes, and then damp, very effectively, on relativistic electrons driving them to even higher energies. We show that the rate of transfer of energy is so efficient that no energy losses might affect the mechanism of particle acceleration; the electrons might achieve energies of the order of 1018 eV for parameters characteristic of a young star.
Optimization of the combined proton acceleration regime with a target composition scheme
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Yao, W. P.; Graduate School, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing 100088; Li, B. W., E-mail: li-baiwen@iapcm.ac.cn
A target composition scheme to optimize the combined proton acceleration regime is presented and verified by two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations by using an ultra-intense circularly polarized (CP) laser pulse irradiating an overdense hydrocarbon (CH) target, instead of a pure hydrogen (H) one. The combined acceleration regime is a two-stage proton acceleration scheme combining the radiation pressure dominated acceleration (RPDA) stage and the laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) stage sequentially together. Protons get pre-accelerated in the first stage when an ultra-intense CP laser pulse irradiating an overdense CH target. The wakefield is driven by the laser pulse after penetrating through the overdense CHmore » target and propagating in the underdense tritium plasma gas. With the pre-accelerate stage, protons can now get trapped in the wakefield and accelerated to much higher energy by LWFA. Finally, protons with higher energies (from about 20 GeV up to about 30 GeV) and lower energy spreads (from about 18% down to about 5% in full-width at half-maximum, or FWHM) are generated, as compared to the use of a pure H target. It is because protons can be more stably pre-accelerated in the first RPDA stage when using CH targets. With the increase of the carbon-to-hydrogen density ratio, the energy spread is lower and the maximum proton energy is higher. It also shows that for the same laser intensity around 10{sup 22} W cm{sup −2}, using the CH target will lead to a higher proton energy, as compared to the use of a pure H target. Additionally, proton energy can be further increased by employing a longitudinally negative gradient of a background plasma density.« less
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lario, D.; Roelof, E. C.; Decker, R. B.
2014-05-01
Multi-spacecraft observations of solar energetic particle (SEP) events allow us to estimate the longitudinal distributions of SEP peak intensities. By fitting a Gaussian functional form to the ensemble of SEP peak intensities measured by two or more spacecraft as a function of the longitudinal distance between the associated parent solar flare and the footpoint labels of the magnetic field lines connecting each spacecraft with the Sun, we found that such distributions are not centered at nominal well-connected flare longitudes but slightly offset to the west of the associated flare (Lario et al. 2006, 2013). We offer an interpretation of this result in terms of long-lived particle injection from shocks driven by the associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs). By assuming that (i) CME-driven shocks are centered on the longitude of the associated solar flare, (ii) the injection of shock accelerated particles maximizes at the nose of the shock which propagates radially outward from the Sun, and (iii) SEP particle injection from the shock starts at a certain distance above the solar surface, we infer an average radial distance where shocks are located when peak intensities in the prompt component of the SEP events are observed. We estimate the heliocentric distance of the CME-driven shock when particle injection from the shock maximizes and conclude that the injection of ˜20 MeV protons and near-relativistic electrons maximizes well inside ˜0.2 AU.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Liu, M.; Weng, S. M.; Wang, H. C.; Chen, M.; Zhao, Q.; Sheng, Z. M.; He, M. Q.; Li, Y. T.; Zhang, J.
2018-06-01
We propose a hybrid laser-driven ion acceleration scheme using a combination target of a solid foil and a density-tailored background plasma. In the first stage, a sub-relativistic proton beam can be generated by radiation pressure acceleration in intense laser interaction with the solid foil. In the second stage, this sub-relativistic proton beam is further accelerated by the laser wakefield driven by the same laser pulse in a near-critical-density background plasma with decreasing density profile. The propagating velocity of the laser front and the phase velocity of the excited wakefield wave are effectively lowered at the beginning of the second stage. By decreasing the background plasma density gradually from near critical density along the laser propagation direction, the wake travels faster and faster, while it accelerates the protons. Consequently, the dephasing between the protons and the wake is postponed and an efficient wakefield proton acceleration is achieved. This hybrid laser-driven proton acceleration scheme can be realized by using ultrashort laser pulses at the peak power of 10 PW for the generation of multi-GeV proton beams.
Safety and control of accelerator-driven subcritical systems
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Rief, H.; Takahashi, H.
1995-10-01
To study control and safety of accelertor driven nuclear systems, a one point kinetic model was developed and programed. It deals with fast transients as a function of reactivity insertion. Doppler feedback, and the intensity of an external neutron source. The model allows for a simultaneous calculation of an equivalent critical reactor. It was validated by a comparison with a benchmark specified by the Nuclear Energy Agency Committee of Reactor Physics. Additional features are the possibility of inserting a linear or quadratic time dependent reactivity ramp which may account for gravity induced accidents like earthquakes, the possibility to shut downmore » the external neutron source by an exponential decay law of the form exp({minus}t/{tau}), and a graphical display of the power and reactivity changes. The calculations revealed that such boosters behave quite benignly even if they are only slightly subcritical.« less
MeV electron acceleration at 1kHz with <10 mJ laser pulses
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Salehi, Fatholah; Goers, Andy; Hine, George; Feder, Linus; Kuk, Donghoon; Kim, Ki-Yong; Milchberg, Howard
2016-10-01
We demonstrate laser driven acceleration of electrons at 1 kHz repetition rate with pC charge above 1MeV per shot using < 10 mJ pulse energies focused on a near-critical density He or H2 gas jet. Using the H2 gas jet, electron acceleration to 0.5 MeV in 10 fC bunches was observed with laser pulse energy as low as 1.3mJ . Using a near-critical density gas jet sets the critical power required for relativistic self-focusing low enough for mJ scale laser pulses to self- focus and drive strong wakefields. Experiments and particle-in-cell simulations show that optimal drive pulse duration and chirp for maximum electron bunch charge and energy depends on the target gas species. High repetition rate, high charge, and short duration electron bunches driven by very modest pulse energies constitutes an ideal portable electron source for applications such as ultrafast electron diffraction experiments and high rep. rate γ-ray production. This work is supported by the US Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
Transit Time and Normal Orientation of ICME-driven Shocks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Case, A. W.; Spence, H.; Owens, M.; Riley, P.; Linker, J.; Odstrcil, D.
2006-12-01
Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs) can drive shocks that accelerate particles to great energies. It is important to understand the acceleration, transport, and spectra of these particles in order to quantify this fundamental physical process operating throughout the cosmos. This understanding also helps to better protect astronauts and spacecraft in upcoming missions. We show that the ambient solar wind is crucial in determining characteristics of ICME-driven shocks, which in turn affect energetic particle production. We use a coupled 3-D MHD code of the corona and heliosphere to simulate ICME propagation from 30 solar radii to 1AU. ICMEs of different velocities are injected into a realistic solar wind to determine how the initial speed affects the shape and deceleration of the ICME-driven shock. We use shock transit time and shock normal orientation to quantify these dependencies. We also inject identical ICMEs into different ambient solar winds to quantify the effective drag force on an ICME.
Rayleigh-Taylor mixing with space-dependent acceleration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Abarzhi, Snezhana
2016-11-01
We extend the momentum model to describe Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) mixing driven by a space-dependent acceleration. The acceleration is a power-law function of space coordinate, similarly to astrophysical and plasma fusion applications. In RT flow the dynamics of a fluid parcel is driven by a balance per unit mass of the rates of momentum gain and loss. We find analytical solutions in the cases of balanced and imbalanced gains and losses, and identify their dependence on the acceleration exponent. The existence is shown of two typical sub-regimes of self-similar RT mixing - the acceleration-driven Rayleigh-Taylor-type mixing and dissipation-driven Richtymer-Meshkov-type mixing with the latter being in general non-universal. Possible scenarios are proposed for transitions from the balanced dynamics to the imbalanced self-similar dynamics. Scaling and correlations properties of RT mixing are studied on the basis of dimensional analysis. Departures are outlined of RT dynamics with space-dependent acceleration from canonical cases of homogeneous turbulence as well as blast waves with first and second kind self-similarity. The work is supported by the US National Science Foundation.
Vacuum electron acceleration by coherent dipole radiation
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Troha, A.L.; Van Meter, J.R.; Landahl, E.C.
1999-07-01
The validity of the concept of laser-driven vacuum acceleration has been questioned, based on an extrapolation of the well-known Lawson-Woodward theorem, which stipulates that plane electromagnetic waves cannot accelerate charged particles in vacuum. To formally demonstrate that electrons can indeed be accelerated in vacuum by focusing or diffracting electromagnetic waves, the interaction between a point charge and coherent dipole radiation is studied in detail. The corresponding four-potential exactly satisfies both Maxwell{close_quote}s equations and the Lorentz gauge condition everywhere, and is analytically tractable. It is found that in the far-field region, where the field distribution closely approximates that of a planemore » wave, we recover the Lawson-Woodward result, while net acceleration is obtained in the near-field region. The scaling of the energy gain with wave-front curvature and wave amplitude is studied systematically. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}« less
Compact laser accelerators for X-ray phase-contrast imaging
Najmudin, Z.; Kneip, S.; Bloom, M. S.; Mangles, S. P. D.; Chekhlov, O.; Dangor, A. E.; Döpp, A.; Ertel, K.; Hawkes, S. J.; Holloway, J.; Hooker, C. J.; Jiang, J.; Lopes, N. C.; Nakamura, H.; Norreys, P. A.; Rajeev, P. P.; Russo, C.; Streeter, M. J. V.; Symes, D. R.; Wing, M.
2014-01-01
Advances in X-ray imaging techniques have been driven by advances in novel X-ray sources. The latest fourth-generation X-ray sources can boast large photon fluxes at unprecedented brightness. However, the large size of these facilities means that these sources are not available for everyday applications. With advances in laser plasma acceleration, electron beams can now be generated at energies comparable to those used in light sources, but in university-sized laboratories. By making use of the strong transverse focusing of plasma accelerators, bright sources of betatron radiation have been produced. Here, we demonstrate phase-contrast imaging of a biological sample for the first time by radiation generated by GeV electron beams produced by a laser accelerator. The work was performed using a greater than 300 TW laser, which allowed the energy of the synchrotron source to be extended to the 10–100 keV range. PMID:24470414
A full-sunlight-driven photocatalyst with super long-persistent energy storage ability
Li, Jie; Liu, Yuan; Zhu, Zhijian; Zhang, Guozhu; Zou, Tao; Zou, Zhijun; Zhang, Shunping; Zeng, Dawen; Xie, Changsheng
2013-01-01
A major drawback of traditional photocatalysts like TiO2 is that they can only work under illumination, and the light has to be UV. As a solution for this limitation, visible-light-driven energy storage photocatalysts have been developed in recent years. However, energy storage photocatalysts that are full-sunlight-driven (UV-visible-NIR) and possess long-lasting energy storage ability are lacking. Here we report, a Pt-loaded and hydrogen-treated WO3 that exhibits a strong absorption at full-sunlight spectrum (300–1,000 nm), and with a super-long energy storage time of more than 300 h to have formaldehyde degraded in dark. In this new material system, the hydrogen treated WO3 functions as the light harvesting material and energy storage material simultaneously, while Pt mainly acts as the cocatalyst to have the energy storage effect displayed. The extraordinary full-spectrum absorption effect and long persistent energy storage ability make the material a potential solar-energy storage and an effective photocatalyst in practice. PMID:23934407
A full-sunlight-driven photocatalyst with super long-persistent energy storage ability.
Li, Jie; Liu, Yuan; Zhu, Zhijian; Zhang, Guozhu; Zou, Tao; Zou, Zhijun; Zhang, Shunping; Zeng, Dawen; Xie, Changsheng
2013-01-01
A major drawback of traditional photocatalysts like TiO2 is that they can only work under illumination, and the light has to be UV. As a solution for this limitation, visible-light-driven energy storage photocatalysts have been developed in recent years. However, energy storage photocatalysts that are full-sunlight-driven (UV-visible-NIR) and possess long-lasting energy storage ability are lacking. Here we report, a Pt-loaded and hydrogen-treated WO3 that exhibits a strong absorption at full-sunlight spectrum (300-1,000 nm), and with a super-long energy storage time of more than 300 h to have formaldehyde degraded in dark. In this new material system, the hydrogen treated WO3 functions as the light harvesting material and energy storage material simultaneously, while Pt mainly acts as the cocatalyst to have the energy storage effect displayed. The extraordinary full-spectrum absorption effect and long persistent energy storage ability make the material a potential solar-energy storage and an effective photocatalyst in practice.
Accelerating the deployment of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies in South Africa
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Shickman, Kurt
Purpose of the project was to accelerate the deployment of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies in South Africa. Activities were undertaken to reduce barriers to deployment by improving product awareness for the South African market; market and policy intelligence for U.S. manufacturers; product/service availability; local technical capacity at the workforce, policymaker and expert levels; and ease of conducting business for these technologies/services in the South African market.
Mass, charge, and energy separation by selective acceleration with a traveling potential hill
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tung, L. Schwager; Barr, W. L.; Lowder, R. S.; Post, R. F.
1996-10-01
A traveling electric potential hill has been used to generate an ion beam with an energy distribution that is mass dependent from a monoenergetic ion beam of mixed masses. This effect can be utilized as a novel method for mass separation applied to identification or enrichment of ions (e.g., of elements, isotopes, or molecules). This theory for mass-selective acceleration is presented here and is shown to be confirmed by experiment and by a time-dependent particle-in-cell computer simulation. Results show that monoenergetic ions with the particular mass of choice are accelerated by controlling the hill potential and the hill velocity. The hill velocity is typically 20%-30% faster than the ions to be accelerated. The ability of the hill to pickup a particular mass uses the fact that small kinetic energy differences in the lab frame appear much larger in the moving hill frame. Ions will gain energy from the approaching hill if their relative energy in the moving hill frame is less than the peak potential of the hill. The final energy of these accelerated ions can be several times the source energy, which facilitates energy filtering for mass purification or identification. If the hill potential is chosen to accelerate multiple masses, the heaviest mass will have the greatest final energy. Hence, choosing the appropriate hill potential and collector retarding voltage will isolate ions with the lightest, heaviest, or intermediate mass. In the experimental device, called a Solitron, purified 20Ne and 22Ne are extracted from a ribbon beam of neon that is originally composed of 20Ne:22Ne in the natural ratio of 91:9. The isotopic content of the processed beam is determined by measuring the energy distribution of the detected current. These results agree with the theory. In addition to mass selectivity, our theory can also be applied to the filtration of an ion beam according to charge state or energy. Because of this variety of properties, the Solitron is envisioned to
2D electron density profile measurement in tokamak by laser-accelerated ion-beam probe.
Chen, Y H; Yang, X Y; Lin, C; Wang, L; Xu, M; Wang, X G; Xiao, C J
2014-11-01
A new concept of Heavy Ion Beam Probe (HIBP) diagnostic has been proposed, of which the key is to replace the electrostatic accelerator of traditional HIBP by a laser-driven ion accelerator. Due to the large energy spread of ions, the laser-accelerated HIBP can measure the two-dimensional (2D) electron density profile of tokamak plasma. In a preliminary simulation, a 2D density profile was reconstructed with a spatial resolution of about 2 cm, and with the error below 15% in the core region. Diagnostics of 2D density fluctuation is also discussed.
Sinko, William; de Oliveira, César Augusto F; Pierce, Levi C T; McCammon, J Andrew
2012-01-10
Molecular dynamics (MD) is one of the most common tools in computational chemistry. Recently, our group has employed accelerated molecular dynamics (aMD) to improve the conformational sampling over conventional molecular dynamics techniques. In the original aMD implementation, sampling is greatly improved by raising energy wells below a predefined energy level. Recently, our group presented an alternative aMD implementation where simulations are accelerated by lowering energy barriers of the potential energy surface. When coupled with thermodynamic integration simulations, this implementation showed very promising results. However, when applied to large systems, such as proteins, the simulation tends to be biased to high energy regions of the potential landscape. The reason for this behavior lies in the boost equation used since the highest energy barriers are dramatically more affected than the lower ones. To address this issue, in this work, we present a new boost equation that prevents oversampling of unfavorable high energy conformational states. The new boost potential provides not only better recovery of statistics throughout the simulation but also enhanced sampling of statistically relevant regions in explicit solvent MD simulations.
Recent advances in laser-driven neutron sources
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Alejo, A.; Ahmed, H.; Green, A.; Mirfayzi, S. R.; Borghesi, M.; Kar, S.
2016-11-01
Due to the limited number and high cost of large-scale neutron facilities, there has been a growing interest in compact accelerator-driven sources. In this context, several potential schemes of laser-driven neutron sources are being intensively studied employing laser-accelerated electron and ion beams. In addition to the potential of delivering neutron beams with high brilliance, directionality and ultra-short burst duration, a laser-driven neutron source would offer further advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness, compactness and radiation confinement by closed-coupled experiments. Some of the recent advances in this field are discussed, showing improvements in the directionality and flux of the laser-driven neutron beams.
Radiobiological study by using laser-driven proton beams
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yogo, A.; Sato, K.; Nishikino, M.; Mori, M.; Teshima, T.; Numasaki, H.; Murakami, M.; Demizu, Y.; Akagi, S.; Nagayama, S.; Ogura, K.; Sagisaka, A.; Orimo, S.; Nishiuchi, M.; Pirozhkov, A. S.; Ikegami, M.; Tampo, M.; Sakaki, H.; Suzuki, M.; Daito, I.; Oishi, Y.; Sugiyama, H.; Kiriyama, H.; Okada, H.; Kanazawa, S.; Kondo, S.; Shimomura, T.; Nakai, Y.; Tanoue, M.; Sugiyama, H.; Sasao, H.; Wakai, D.; Kawachi, T.; Nishimura, H.; Bolton, P. R.; Daido, H.
2009-07-01
Particle acceleration driven by high-intensity laser systems is widely attracting interest as a potential alternative to conventional ion acceleration, including ion accelerator applications to tumor therapy. Recent works have shown that a high intensity laser pulse can produce single proton bunches of a high current and a short pulse duration. This unique feature of laser-ion acceleration can lead to progress in the development of novel ion sources. However, there has been no experimental study of the biological effects of laser-driven ion beams. We describe in this report the first demonstrated irradiation effect of laser-accelerated protons on human lung cancer cells. In-vitro A549 cells are irradiated with a proton dose of 20 Gy, resulting in a distinct formation of γ-H2AX foci as an indicator of DNA double-strand breaks. This is a pioneering result that points to future investigations of the radiobiological effects of laser-driven ion beams. The laser-driven ion beam is apotential excitation source for time-resolved determination of hydroxyl (OH) radical yield, which will explore relationship between the fundamental chemical reactions of radiation effects and consequent biological processes.
Numerical modeling of laser-driven ion acceleration from near-critical gas targets
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tatomirescu, Dragos; Vizman, Daniel; d’Humières, Emmanuel
2018-06-01
In the past two decades, laser-accelerated ion sources and their applications have been intensely researched. Recently, it has been shown through experiments that proton beams with characteristics comparable to those obtained with solid targets can be obtained from gaseous targets. By means of particle-in-cell simulations, this paper studies in detail the effects of a near-critical density gradient on ion and electron acceleration after the interaction with ultra high intensity lasers. We can observe that the peak density of the gas jet has a significant influence on the spectrum features. As the gas jet density increases, so does the peak energy of the central quasi-monoenergetic ion bunch due to the increase in laser absorption while at the same time having a broadening effect on the electron angular distribution.
Rarefaction acceleration of ultrarelativistic magnetized jets in gamma-ray burst sources
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Komissarov, Serguei S.; Vlahakis, Nektarios; Königl, Arieh
2010-09-01
When a magnetically dominated superfast-magnetosonic long/soft gamma-ray burst (GRB) jet leaves the progenitor star, the external pressure support will drop and the jet may enter the regime of ballistic expansion, during which additional magnetic acceleration becomes ineffective. However, recent numerical simulations by Tchekhovskoy et al. have suggested that the transition to this regime is accompanied by a spurt of acceleration. We confirm this finding numerically and attribute the acceleration to a sideways expansion of the jet, associated with a strong magnetosonic rarefaction wave that is driven into the jet when it loses pressure support, which induces a conversion of magnetic energy into kinetic energy of bulk motion. This mechanism, which we dub rarefaction acceleration, can only operate in a relativistic outflow because in this case the total energy can still be dominated by the magnetic component even in the superfast-magnetosonic regime. We analyse this process using the equations of relativistic magnetohydrodynamics and demonstrate that it is more efficient at converting internal energy into kinetic energy when the flow is magnetized than in a purely hydrodynamic outflow, as was found numerically by Mizuno et al. We show that, just as in the case of the magnetic acceleration of a collimating jet that is confined by an external pressure distribution - the collimation-acceleration mechanism - the rarefaction-acceleration process in a magnetized jet is a consequence of the fact that the separation between neighbouring magnetic flux surfaces increases faster than their cylindrical radius. However, whereas in the case of effective collimation-acceleration the product of the jet opening angle and its Lorentz factor does not exceed ~1, the addition of the rarefaction-acceleration mechanism makes it possible for this product to become >>1, in agreement with the inference from late-time panchromatic breaks in the afterglow light curves of long/soft GRBs.
On the maximum energy of shock-accelerated cosmic rays at ultra-relativistic shocks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Reville, B.; Bell, A. R.
2014-04-01
The maximum energy to which cosmic rays can be accelerated at weakly magnetised ultra-relativistic shocks is investigated. We demonstrate that for such shocks, in which the scattering of energetic particles is mediated exclusively by ion skin-depth scale structures, as might be expected for a Weibel-mediated shock, there is an intrinsic limit on the maximum energy to which particles can be accelerated. This maximum energy is determined from the requirement that particles must be isotropized in the downstream plasma frame before the mean field transports them far downstream, and falls considerably short of what is required to produce ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. To circumvent this limit, a highly disorganized field is required on larger scales. The growth of cosmic ray-induced instabilities on wavelengths much longer than the ion-plasma skin depth, both upstream and downstream of the shock, is considered. While these instabilities may play an important role in magnetic field amplification at relativistic shocks, on scales comparable to the gyroradius of the most energetic particles, the calculated growth rates have insufficient time to modify the scattering. Since strong modification is a necessary condition for particles in the downstream region to re-cross the shock, in the absence of an alternative scattering mechanism, these results imply that acceleration to higher energies is ruled out. If weakly magnetized ultra-relativistic shocks are disfavoured as high-energy particle accelerators in general, the search for potential sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays can be narrowed.
Aligning the magnetic field of a linear induction accelerator with a low-energy electron beam
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Clark, J.C.; Deadrick, F.J.; Kallman, J.S.
1989-03-10
The Experimental Test Accelerator II (ETA-II) linear induction accelerator at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory uses a solenoid magnet in each acceleration cell to focus and transport an electron beam over the length of the accelerator. To control growth of the corkscrew mode the magnetic field must be precisely aligned over the full length of the accelerate. Concentric with each solenoid magnet is sine/cosmic-wound correction coil to steer the beam and correct field errors. A low-energy electron probe traces the central flux line through the accelerator referenced to a mechanical axis that is defined by a copropagating laser beam. Correction coilsmore » are activated to force the central flux line to cross the mechanical axis at the end of each acceleration cell. The ratios of correction coil currents determined by the low-energy electron probe are then kept fixed to correct for field errors during normal operation with an accelerated beam. We describe the construction of the low-energy electron probe and report the results of experiments we conducted to measure magnetic alignment with and without the correction coils activated. 5 refs., 3 figs.« less
Physics design of a 10 MeV injector test stand for an accelerator-driven subcritical system
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yan, Fang; Pei, Shilun; Geng, Huiping; Meng, Cai; Zhao, Yaliang; Sun, Biao; Cheng, Peng; Yang, Zheng; Ouyang, Huafu; Li, Zhihui; Tang, Jingyu; Wang, Jianli; Sui, Yefeng; Dai, Jianping; Sha, Peng; Ge, Rui
2015-05-01
The 10 MeV accelerator-driven subcritical system (ADS) Injector I test stand at Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) is a testing facility dedicated to demonstrate one of the two injector design schemes [Injector Scheme-I, which works at 325 MHz], for the ADS project in China. The injector is composed of two parts, the linac part and the beam dump line. The former is designed on the basis of 325 MHz four-vane type copper structure radio frequency quadrupole and superconducting (SC) spoke cavities with β =0.12 . The latter is designed to transport the beam coming out of the SC section of the linac to the beam dump, where the beam transverse profile is fairly enlarged and unformed to simplify the beam target design. The SC section consists of two cryomodules with 14 β =0.12 Spoke cavities, 14 solenoid and 14 BPMs in total. The first challenge in the physics design comes from the necessary space required for the cryomodule separation where the periodical lattice is destroyed at a relatively lower energy of ˜5 MeV . Another challenge is the beam dump line design, as it will be the first beam dump line being built by using a step field magnet for the transverse beam expansion and uniformity in the world. This paper gives an overview of the physics design study together with the design principles and machine construction considerations. The results of an optimized design, fabrication status and end to end simulations including machine errors are presented.
High energy electron acceleration with PW-class laser system
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nakanii, N.; Kondo, K.; Mori, Y.; Miura, E.; Yabuuchi, T.; Tsuji, K.; Suzuki, S.; Asaka, T.; Yanagida, K.; Hanaki, H.; Kobayashi, T.; Makino, K.; Yamane, T.; Miyamoto, S.; Horikawa, K.; Kimura, K.; Takeda, K.; Fukumochi, S.; Kashihara, M.; Tanimoto, T.; Nakamura, H.; Ishikura, T.; Tampo, M.; Kodama, R.; Kitagawa, Y.; Mima, K.; Tanaka, K. A.
2008-06-01
We performed electron acceleration experiment with PW-class laser and a plasma tube, which was created by imploding a hollow polystyrene cylinder. In this experiment, electron energies in excess of 600 MeV have been observed. Moreover, the spectra of a comparatively high-density plasma ˜1019 cm-3 had a bump around 10 MeV. Additionally, we performed the absolute sensitivity calibration of imaging plate for 1 GeV electrons from the injector Linac of Spring-8 in order to evaluate absolute number of GeV-class electrons in the laser acceleration experiment.
Temporal Electron-bunch Shaping from a Photoinjector for Advanced Accelerator Applications
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Lemery, Francois; Piot, Philippe
2014-07-01
Advanced-accelerator applications often require the production of bunches with shaped temporal distributions. An example of sought-after shape is a linearly-ramped current profile that can be improve the transformer ratio in beam-driven acceleration, or produce energy-modulated pulse for, e.g., the subsequent generation of THz radiation. Typically, such a shaping is achieved by manipulating ultra-relativistic electron bunches. In this contribution we discuss the possibility of shaping the bunch via photoemission and demonstrate using particle-in-cell simulations the production of MeV electron bunches with quasi-ramped current profile.
Research and Development of a High Power-Laser Driven Electron-Accelerator Suitable for Applications
2011-06-12
autocorrelator to measure the temporal duration, an optical imaging system to correct for phase front tilt and a FROG device to measure and optimize the... Phase II Task Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 D.1 Module I: High-Energy Electron Accelerator . . . . . . 4 D.2 Module II: High-Energy...During Phase I of the HRS program, the team from the University of Ne- braska, Lincoln (UNL) made use of the unique capabilities of their high-power
Laser Acceleration of Ions for Radiation Therapy
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tajima, Toshiki; Habs, Dietrich; Yan, Xueqing
Ion beam therapy for cancer has proven to be a successful clinical approach, affording as good a cure as surgery and a higher quality of life. However, the ion beam therapy installation is large and expensive, limiting its availability for public benefit. One of the hurdles is to make the accelerator more compact on the basis of conventional technology. Laser acceleration of ions represents a rapidly developing young field. The prevailing acceleration mechanism (known as target normal sheath acceleration, TNSA), however, shows severe limitations in some key elements. We now witness that a new regime of coherent acceleration of ions by laser (CAIL) has been studied to overcome many of these problems and accelerate protons and carbon ions to high energies with higher efficiencies. Emerging scaling laws indicate possible realization of an ion therapy facility with compact, cost-efficient lasers. Furthermore, dense particle bunches may allow the use of much higher collective fields, reducing the size of beam transport and dump systems. Though ultimate realization of a laser-driven medical facility may take many years, the field is developing fast with many conceptual innovations and technical progress.
Pandit, Prachi; Rivoire, Julien; King, Kevin; Li, Xiaojuan
2016-03-01
Quantitative T1ρ imaging is beneficial for early detection for osteoarthritis but has seen limited clinical use due to long scan times. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of accelerated T1ρ mapping for knee cartilage quantification using a combination of compressed sensing (CS) and data-driven parallel imaging (ARC-Autocalibrating Reconstruction for Cartesian sampling). A sequential combination of ARC and CS, both during data acquisition and reconstruction, was used to accelerate the acquisition of T1ρ maps. Phantom, ex vivo (porcine knee), and in vivo (human knee) imaging was performed on a GE 3T MR750 scanner. T1ρ quantification after CS-accelerated acquisition was compared with non CS-accelerated acquisition for various cartilage compartments. Accelerating image acquisition using CS did not introduce major deviations in quantification. The coefficient of variation for the root mean squared error increased with increasing acceleration, but for in vivo measurements, it stayed under 5% for a net acceleration factor up to 2, where the acquisition was 25% faster than the reference (only ARC). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first implementation of CS for in vivo T1ρ quantification. These early results show that this technique holds great promise in making quantitative imaging techniques more accessible for clinical applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Uyttenhove, W.; Baeten, P.; Ban, G.
The GUINEVERE (Generation of Uninterrupted Intense Neutron pulses at the lead Venus Reactor) project was launched in 2006 within the framework of FP6 EUROTRANS in order to validate on-line reactivity monitoring and subcriticality level determination in Accelerator Driven Systems. Therefore the VENUS reactor at SCK.CEN in Mol (Belgium) was modified towards a fast core (VENUS-F) and coupled to the GENEPI-3C accelerator built by CNRS The accelerator can operate in both continuous and pulsed mode. The VENUS-F core is loaded with enriched Uranium and reflected with solid lead. A well-chosen critical reference state is indispensable for the validation of the on-linemore » subcriticality monitoring methodology. Moreover a benchmarking tool is required for nuclear data research and code validation. In this paper the design and the importance of the critical reference state for the GUINEVERE project are motivated. The results of the first experimental phase on the critical core are presented. The control rods worth is determined by the rod drop technique and the application of the Modified Source Multiplication (MSM) method allows the determination of the worth of the safety rods. The results are implemented in the VENUS-F core certificate for full exploitation of the critical core. (authors)« less
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Uyttenhove, W.; Baeten, P.; Kochetkov, A.
The GUINEVERE (Generation of Uninterrupted Intense Neutron pulses at the lead Venus Reactor) project was launched in 2006 within the framework of FP6 EUROTRANS in order to validate online reactivity monitoring and subcriticality level determination in accelerator driven systems (ADS). Therefore, the VENUS reactor at SCK.CEN in Mol, Belgium, was modified towards a fast core (VENUS-F) and coupled to the GENEPI-3C accelerator built by CNRS. The accelerator can operate in both continuous and pulsed mode. The VENUS-F core is loaded with enriched Uranium and reflected with solid lead. A well-chosen critical reference state is indispensable for the validation of themore » online subcriticality monitoring methodology. Moreover, a benchmarking tool is required for nuclear data research and code validation. In this paper, the design and the importance of the critical reference state for the GUINEVERE project are motivated. The results of the first experimental phase on the critical core are presented. The control rods worth is determined by the positive period method and the application of the Modified Source Multiplication (MSM) method allows the determination of the worth of the safety rods. The results are implemented in the VENUS-F core certificate for full exploitation of the critical core. (authors)« less
Absolute reactivity calibration of accelerator-driven systems after RACE-T experiments
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Jammes, C. C.; Imel, G. R.; Geslot, B.
2006-07-01
The RACE-T experiments that were held in november 2005 in the ENEA-Casaccia research center near Rome allowed us to improve our knowledge of the experimental techniques for absolute reactivity calibration at either startup or shutdown phases of accelerator-driven systems. Various experimental techniques for assessing a subcritical level were inter-compared through three different subcritical configurations SC0, SC2 and SC3, about -0.5, -3 and -6 dollars, respectively. The area-ratio method based of the use of a pulsed neutron source appears as the most performing. When the reactivity estimate is expressed in dollar unit, the uncertainties obtained with the area-ratio method were lessmore » than 1% for any subcritical configuration. The sensitivity to measurement location was about slightly more than 1% and always less than 4%. Finally, it is noteworthy that the source jerk technique using a transient caused by the pulsed neutron source shutdown provides results in good agreement with those obtained from the area-ratio technique. (authors)« less
A new compact structure for a high intensity low-energy heavy-ion accelerator
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, Zhi-Jun; He, Yuan; A. Kolomiets, A.; Liu, Shu-Hui; Du, Xiao-Nan; Jia, Huan; Li, Chao; Wang, Wang-Sheng; Chen, Xi-Meng
2013-12-01
A new compact accelerating structure named Hybrid RFQ is proposed to accelerate a high-intensity low-energy heavy ion beam in HISCL (High Intensive heavy ion SuperConducting Linear accelerator), which is an injector of HIAF (Heavy Ion Advanced Research Facility). It is combined by an alternative series of acceleration gaps and RFQ sections. The proposed structure has a high accelerating ability compared with a conventional RFQ and is more compact than traditional DTLs. A Hybrid RFQ is designed to accelerate 238U34+ from 0.38 MeV/u to 1.33 MeV/u. The operation frequency is described to be 81.25 MHz at CW (continuous wave) mode. The design beam current is 1.0 mA. The results of beam dynamics and RF simulation of the Hybrid RFQ show that the structure has a good performance at the energy range for ion acceleration. The emittance growth is less than 5% in both directions and the RF power is less than 150 kW. In this paper, the results of beam dynamics and RF simulation of the Hybrid RFQ are presented.
Event-Driven X-Ray CCD Detectors for High Energy Astrophysics
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ricker, George R.
2004-01-01
A viewgraph presentation describing the Event-Driven X- Ray CCD (EDCCD) detector system for high energy astrophysics is presented. The topics include: 1) EDCCD: Description and Advantages; 2) Summary of Grant Activity Carried Out; and 3) EDCCD Test System.
Influence of micromachined targets on laser accelerated proton beam profiles
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dalui, Malay; Permogorov, Alexander; Pahl, Hannes; Persson, Anders; Wahlström, Claes-Göran
2018-03-01
High intensity laser-driven proton acceleration from micromachined targets is studied experimentally in the target-normal-sheath-acceleration regime. Conical pits are created on the front surface of flat aluminium foils of initial thickness 12.5 and 3 μm using series of low energy pulses (0.5-2.5 μJ). Proton acceleration from such micromachined targets is compared with flat foils of equivalent thickness at a laser intensity of 7 × 1019 W cm-2. The maximum proton energy obtained from targets machined from 12.5 μm thick foils is found to be slightly lower than that of flat foils of equivalent remaining thickness, and the angular divergence of the proton beam is observed to increase as the depth of the pit approaches the foil thickness. Targets machined from 3 μm thick foils, on the other hand, show evidence of increasing the maximum proton energy when the depths of the structures are small. Furthermore, shallow pits on 3 μm thick foils are found to be efficient in reducing the proton beam divergence by a factor of up to three compared to that obtained from flat foils, while maintaining the maximum proton energy.
Astrophysical particle acceleration mechanisms in colliding magnetized laser-produced plasmas
Fox, W.; Park, J.; Deng, W.; ...
2017-08-11
Significant particle energization is observed to occur in numerous astrophysical environments, and in the standard models, this acceleration occurs alongside energy conversion processes including collisionless shocks or magnetic reconnection. Recent platforms for laboratory experiments using magnetized laser-produced plasmas have opened opportunities to study these particle acceleration processes in the laboratory. Through fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations, we investigate acceleration mechanisms in experiments with colliding magnetized laser-produced plasmas, with geometry and parameters matched to recent high-Mach number reconnection experiments with externally controlled magnetic fields. 2-D simulations demonstrate significant particle acceleration with three phases of energization: first, a “direct” Fermi acceleration driven bymore » approaching magnetized plumes; second, x-line acceleration during magnetic reconnection of anti-parallel fields; and finally, an additional Fermi energization of particles trapped in contracting and relaxing magnetic islands produced by reconnection. Furthermore, the relative effectiveness of these mechanisms depends on plasma and magnetic field parameters of the experiments.« less
Dynamic Monte Carlo simulations of radiatively accelerated GRB fireballs
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chhotray, Atul; Lazzati, Davide
2018-05-01
We present a novel Dynamic Monte Carlo code (DynaMo code) that self-consistently simulates the Compton-scattering-driven dynamic evolution of a plasma. We use the DynaMo code to investigate the time-dependent expansion and acceleration of dissipationless gamma-ray burst fireballs by varying their initial opacities and baryonic content. We study the opacity and energy density evolution of an initially optically thick, radiation-dominated fireball across its entire phase space - in particular during the Rph < Rsat regime. Our results reveal new phases of fireball evolution: a transition phase with a radial extent of several orders of magnitude - the fireball transitions from Γ ∝ R to Γ ∝ R0, a post-photospheric acceleration phase - where fireballs accelerate beyond the photosphere and a Thomson-dominated acceleration phase - characterized by slow acceleration of optically thick, matter-dominated fireballs due to Thomson scattering. We quantify the new phases by providing analytical expressions of Lorentz factor evolution, which will be useful for deriving jet parameters.
Towards ion beam therapy based on laser plasma accelerators.
Karsch, Leonhard; Beyreuther, Elke; Enghardt, Wolfgang; Gotz, Malte; Masood, Umar; Schramm, Ulrich; Zeil, Karl; Pawelke, Jörg
2017-11-01
Only few ten radiotherapy facilities worldwide provide ion beams, in spite of their physical advantage of better achievable tumor conformity of the dose compared to conventional photon beams. Since, mainly the large size and high costs hinder their wider spread, great efforts are ongoing to develop more compact ion therapy facilities. One promising approach for smaller facilities is the acceleration of ions on micrometre scale by high intensity lasers. Laser accelerators deliver pulsed beams with a low pulse repetition rate, but a high number of ions per pulse, broad energy spectra and high divergences. A clinical use of a laser based ion beam facility requires not only a laser accelerator providing beams of therapeutic quality, but also new approaches for beam transport, dosimetric control and tumor conformal dose delivery procedure together with the knowledge of the radiobiological effectiveness of laser-driven beams. Over the last decade research was mainly focused on protons and progress was achieved in all important challenges. Although currently the maximum proton energy is not yet high enough for patient irradiation, suggestions and solutions have been reported for compact beam transport and dose delivery procedures, respectively, as well as for precise dosimetric control. Radiobiological in vitro and in vivo studies show no indications of an altered biological effectiveness of laser-driven beams. Laser based facilities will hardly improve the availability of ion beams for patient treatment in the next decade. Nevertheless, there are possibilities for a need of laser based therapy facilities in future.
Acceleration of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays in starburst superwinds
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Anchordoqui, Luis Alfredo
2018-03-01
The sources of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) have been stubbornly elusive. However, the latest report of the Pierre Auger Observatory provides a compelling indication for a possible correlation between the arrival directions of UHECRs and nearby starburst galaxies. We argue that if starbursts are sources of UHECRs, then particle acceleration in the large-scale terminal shock of the superwind that flows from the starburst engine represents the best known concept model in the market. We investigate new constraints on the model and readjust free parameters accordingly. We show that UHECR acceleration above about 1 011 GeV remains consistent with observation. We also show that the model could accommodate hard source spectra as required by Auger data. We demonstrate how neutrino emission can be used as a discriminator among acceleration models.
Guiding of relativistic electron beams in dense matter by laser-driven magnetostatic fields.
Bailly-Grandvaux, M; Santos, J J; Bellei, C; Forestier-Colleoni, P; Fujioka, S; Giuffrida, L; Honrubia, J J; Batani, D; Bouillaud, R; Chevrot, M; Cross, J E; Crowston, R; Dorard, S; Dubois, J-L; Ehret, M; Gregori, G; Hulin, S; Kojima, S; Loyez, E; Marquès, J-R; Morace, A; Nicolaï, Ph; Roth, M; Sakata, S; Schaumann, G; Serres, F; Servel, J; Tikhonchuk, V T; Woolsey, N; Zhang, Z
2018-01-09
Intense lasers interacting with dense targets accelerate relativistic electron beams, which transport part of the laser energy into the target depth. However, the overall laser-to-target energy coupling efficiency is impaired by the large divergence of the electron beam, intrinsic to the laser-plasma interaction. Here we demonstrate that an efficient guiding of MeV electrons with about 30 MA current in solid matter is obtained by imposing a laser-driven longitudinal magnetostatic field of 600 T. In the magnetized conditions the transported energy density and the peak background electron temperature at the 60-μm-thick target's rear surface rise by about a factor of five, as unfolded from benchmarked simulations. Such an improvement of energy-density flux through dense matter paves the ground for advances in laser-driven intense sources of energetic particles and radiation, driving matter to extreme temperatures, reaching states relevant for planetary or stellar science as yet inaccessible at the laboratory scale and achieving high-gain laser-driven thermonuclear fusion.
Spectroscopic measurements of plasma emission light for plasma-based acceleration experiments
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Filippi, F.; Anania, M. P.; Biagioni, A.; Chiadroni, E.; Cianchi, A.; Ferrario, M.; Mostacci, A.; Palumbo, L.; Zigler, A.
2016-09-01
Advanced particle accelerators are based on the excitation of large amplitude plasma waves driven by either electron or laser beams. Future experiments scheduled at the SPARC_LAB test facility aim to demonstrate the acceleration of high brightness electron beams through the so-called resonant Plasma Wakefield Acceleration scheme in which a train of electron bunches (drivers) resonantly excites wakefields into a preformed hydrogen plasma; the last bunch (witness) injected at the proper accelerating phase gains energy from the wake. The quality of the accelerated beam depends strongly on plasma density and its distribution along the acceleration length. The measurements of plasma density of the order of 1016-1017 cm-3 can be performed with spectroscopic measurements of the plasma-emitted light. The measured density distribution for hydrogen filled capillary discharge with both Balmer alpha and Balmer beta lines and shot-to-shot variation are here reported.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Dieckmann, M.E.; Shukla, P.K.; Eliasson, B.
2006-06-15
The ever increasing performance of supercomputers is now enabling kinetic simulations of extreme astrophysical and laser produced plasmas. Three-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of relativistic shocks have revealed highly filamented spatial structures and their ability to accelerate particles to ultrarelativistic speeds. However, these PIC simulations have not yet revealed mechanisms that could produce particles with tera-electron volt energies and beyond. In this work, PIC simulations in one dimension (1D) of the foreshock region of an internal shock in a gamma ray burst are performed to address this issue. The large spatiotemporal range accessible to a 1D simulation enables the self-consistent evolutionmore » of proton phase space structures that can accelerate particles to giga-electron volt energies in the jet frame of reference, and to tens of tera-electron volt in the Earth's frame of reference. One potential source of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays may thus be the thermalization of relativistically moving plasma.« less
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sooby, Elizabeth; Balachandran, Shreyas; Foley, David; Hartwig, Karl; McIntyre, Peter; Phongikaroon, Supathorn; Pogue, Nathaniel; Simpson, Michael; Tripathy, Prabhat
2011-10-01
For an accelerator-driven subcritical molten salt fission core to survive its 50+ year fuel life, the primary vessel, heat exchanger, and various internal components must be made of materials that resist corrosion and radiation damage in a high-temperature environment, (500-800 C). An experimental study of the corrosion behavior of candidate metals in contact with molten salt is being conducted at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies. Initial experiments have been run on Nb, Ta, Ni, two zirconium alloys, Hastelloy-N, and a series of steel alloys to form a base line for corrosion in both chloride and bromide salt. Metal coupons were immersed in LiCl-KCl or LiBr-KBr at 700 C in an inert-atmosphere. Salt samples were extracted on a time schedule over a 24-hr period. The samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to determine concentrations of metals from corrosion. Preliminary results will be presented.
First staging of two laser accelerators.
Kimura, W D; van Steenbergen, A; Babzien, M; Ben-Zvi, I; Campbell, L P; Cline, D B; Dilley, C E; Gallardo, J C; Gottschalk, S C; He, P; Kusche, K P; Liu, Y; Pantell, R H; Pogorelsky, I V; Quimby, D C; Skaritka, J; Steinhauer, L C; Yakimenko, V
2001-04-30
Staging of two laser-driven, relativistic electron accelerators has been demonstrated for the first time in a proof-of-principle experiment, whereby two distinct and serial laser accelerators acted on an electron beam in a coherently cumulative manner. Output from a CO2 laser was split into two beams to drive two inverse free electron lasers (IFEL) separated by 2.3 m. The first IFEL served to bunch the electrons into approximately 3 fs microbunches, which were rephased with the laser wave in the second IFEL. This represents a crucial step towards the development of practical laser-driven electron accelerators.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Gohar, Y.; Smith, D. L.; Nuclear Engineering Division
2010-04-28
The YALINA facility is a zero-power, sub-critical assembly driven by a conventional neutron generator. It was conceived, constructed, and put into operation at the Radiation Physics and Chemistry Problems Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus located in Minsk-Sosny, Belarus. This facility was conceived for the purpose of investigating the static and dynamic neutronics properties of accelerator driven sub-critical systems, and to serve as a neutron source for investigating the properties of nuclear reactions, in particular transmutation reactions involving minor-actinide nuclei. This report provides a detailed description of this facility and documents the progress of research carried outmore » there during a period of approximately a decade since the facility was conceived and built until the end of 2008. During its history of development and operation to date (1997-2008), the YALINA facility has hosted several foreign groups that worked with the resident staff as collaborators. The participation of Argonne National Laboratory in the YALINA research programs commenced in 2005. For obvious reasons, special emphasis is placed in this report on the work at YALINA facility that has involved Argonne's participation. Attention is given here to the experimental program at YALINA facility as well as to analytical investigations aimed at validating codes and computational procedures and at providing a better understanding of the physics and operational behavior of the YALINA facility in particular, and ADS systems in general, during the period 1997-2008.« less
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Magnusson, J.; Mackenroth, F.; Marklund, M.; Gonoskov, A.
2018-05-01
During the interaction of intense femtosecond laser pulses with various targets, the natural mechanisms of laser energy transformation inherently lack temporal control and thus commonly do not provide opportunities for a controlled generation of a well-collimated, high-charge beam of ions with a given energy of particular interest. In an effort to alleviate this problem, it was recently proposed that the ions can be dragged by an electron bunch trapped in a controllably moving potential well formed by laser radiation. Such standing-wave acceleration (SWA) can be achieved through reflection of a chirped laser pulse from a mirror, which has been formulated as the concept of chirped-standing-wave acceleration (CSWA). Here, we analyse general feasibility aspects of the SWA approach and demonstrate its reasonable robustness against field structure imperfections, such as those caused by misalignment, ellipticity, and limited contrast. Using this, we also identify prospects and limitations of the CSWA concept.
Wu, Ziran; Lee, Chunghun H.; Wootton, Kent P.; ...
2016-03-01
Silicon woodpile photonic crystals provide a base structure that can be used to build a three-dimensional dielectric waveguide system for high-gradient laser driven acceleration. A new woodpile waveguide design that hosts a phase synchronous, centrally confined accelerating mode is proposed. Comparing with previously discovered silicon woodpile accelerating modes, this mode shows advantages in terms of better electron beam loading and higher achievable acceleration gradient. Several traveling-wave coupler design schemes developed for multi-cell RF cavity accelerators are adapted to the woodpile power coupler design for this new accelerating mode. Design of a forward coupled, highly efficient silicon woodpile accelerator is achieved.more » Simulation shows high efficiency of over 75% of the drive laser power coupled to this fundamental accelerating mode, with less than 15% backward wave scattering. The estimated acceleration gradient, when the coupler structure is driven at the damage threshold fluence of silicon at its operating 1.506 μm wavelength, can reach 185 MV/m. Lastly, a 17-layer woodpile waveguide structure was successfully fabricated, and the measured bandgap is in excellent agreement with simulation.« less
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Wu, Ziran; Lee, Chunghun H.; Wootton, Kent P.
Silicon woodpile photonic crystals provide a base structure that can be used to build a three-dimensional dielectric waveguide system for high-gradient laser driven acceleration. A new woodpile waveguide design that hosts a phase synchronous, centrally confined accelerating mode is proposed. Comparing with previously discovered silicon woodpile accelerating modes, this mode shows advantages in terms of better electron beam loading and higher achievable acceleration gradient. Several traveling-wave coupler design schemes developed for multi-cell RF cavity accelerators are adapted to the woodpile power coupler design for this new accelerating mode. Design of a forward coupled, highly efficient silicon woodpile accelerator is achieved.more » Simulation shows high efficiency of over 75% of the drive laser power coupled to this fundamental accelerating mode, with less than 15% backward wave scattering. The estimated acceleration gradient, when the coupler structure is driven at the damage threshold fluence of silicon at its operating 1.506 μm wavelength, can reach 185 MV/m. Lastly, a 17-layer woodpile waveguide structure was successfully fabricated, and the measured bandgap is in excellent agreement with simulation.« less
Data-driven discovery of new Dirac semimetal materials
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yan, Qimin; Chen, Ru; Neaton, Jeffrey
In recent years, a significant amount of materials property data from high-throughput computations based on density functional theory (DFT) and the application of database technologies have enabled the rise of data-driven materials discovery. In this work, we initiate the extension of the data-driven materials discovery framework to the realm of topological semimetal materials and to accelerate the discovery of novel Dirac semimetals. We implement current available and develop new workflows to data-mine the Materials Project database for novel Dirac semimetals with desirable band structures and symmetry protected topological properties. This data-driven effort relies on the successful development of several automatic data generation and analysis tools, including a workflow for the automatic identification of topological invariants and pattern recognition techniques to find specific features in a massive number of computed band structures. Utilizing this approach, we successfully identified more than 15 novel Dirac point and Dirac nodal line systems that have not been theoretically predicted or experimentally identified. This work is supported by the Materials Project Predictive Modeling Center through the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division, under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.
Comments on shielding for dual energy accelerators.
Rossi, M C; Lincoln, H M; Quarin, D J; Zwicker, R D
2008-06-01
Determination of shielding requirements for medical linear accelerators has been greatly facilitated by the publication of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) latest guidelines on this subject in NCRP Report No. 151. In the present report the authors review their own recent experience with patient treatments on conventional dual energy linear accelerators to examine the various input parameters needed to follow the NCRP guidelines. Some discussion is included of workloads, occupancy, use factors, and field size, with the effects of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) treatments included. Studies of collimator settings showed average values of 13.1 x 16.2 cm2 for 6 MV and 14.1 x 16.8 cm2 for 18 MV conventional ports, and corresponding average unblocked areas of 228 and 254 cm2, respectively. With an average of 77% of the field area unblocked, this gives a mean irradiated area of 196 cm2 for the 18 MV beam, which dominates shielding considerations for most dual energy machines. Assuming conservatively small room dimensions, a gantry bin angle of 18 degrees was found to represent a reasonable unit for tabulation of use factors. For conventional 18 MV treatments it was found that the usual treatment angles of 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees were still favored, and use factors of 0.25 represent reasonable estimates for these beams. As expected, the IMRT fields (all at 6 MV) showed a high degree of gantry angle randomization, with no bin having a use factor in excess of 0.10. It is concluded that unless a significant number of patients are treated with high energy IMRT, the traditional use factors of 0.25 are appropriate for the dominant high energy beam.
Extended Acceleration in Slot Gaps and Pulsar High-Energy Emission
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor); Muslimov, Alex G.; Harding, Alice K.
2003-01-01
We revise the physics of primary electron acceleration in the "slot gap" (SG) above the pulsar polar caps (PCs), a regime originally proposed by Arons and Scharlemann (1979) in their electrodynamic model of pulsar PCs. We employ the standard definition of the SG as a pair-free space between the last open field lines and the boundary of the pair plasma column which is expected to develop above the bulk of the PC. The rationale for our revision is that the proper treatment of primary acceleration within the pulsar SGs should take into account the effect of the narrow geometry of the gap on the electrodynamics within the gap and also to include the effect of inertial frame dragging on the particle acceleration. We show that the accelerating electric field within the gap, being significantly boosted by the effect of frame dragging, becomes reduced because of the gap geometry by a factor proportional to the square of the SG width. The combination of the effects of frame dragging and geometrical screening in the gap region naturally gives rise to a regime of extended acceleration, that is not limited to favorably curved field lines as in earlier models, and the possibility of multiple-pair production by curvature photons at very high altitudes, up to several stellar radii. We present our estimates of the characteristic SG thickness across the PC, energetics of primaries accelerated within the gap, high-energy bolometric luminosities emitted from the high altitudes in the gaps, and maximum heating luminosities produced by positrons returning from the elevated pair fronts. The estimated theoretical high-energy luminosities are in good agreement with the corresponding empirical relationships for gamma-ray pulsars. We illustrate the results of our modeling of the pair cascades and gamma-ray emission from the high altitudes in the SG for the Crab pulsar. The combination of the frame-dragging field and high-altitude SG emission enables both acceleration at the smaller
Removal of fluorine from contaminated soil by electrokinetic treatment driven by solar energy.
Zhou, Ming; Zhu, Shufa; Liu, Yana; Wang, Xuejian
2013-08-01
Instead of direct current power supply, a series of electrokinetic remediation experiments driven by solar energy on fluorine-contaminated soil were conducted in a self-made electrolyzer, in order to reduce energy expenditure of electrokinetic remediation. After the 12-day electrokinetic remediation driven by solar energy, the removal efficiency of fluorine was 22.3%, and electrokinetic treatment had an impact on changes in partitioning of fluorine in soil. It proved that the combination of electrokinetics and solar energy was feasible and effective to some extent for the remediation of fluorine-contaminated soil. Meanwhile, the experimental results also indicated that the electromigration was a more dominant transport mechanism for the removal of fluorine from contaminated soil than electroosmosis, and the weather condition was the important factor in affecting the removal efficiency.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Farley, Zachary; Aslangil, Denis; Banerjee, Arindam; Lawrie, Andrew G. W.
2017-11-01
An implicit large eddy simulation (ILES) code, MOBILE, is used to explore the growth rate of the mixing layer width of the acceleration-driven Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) under variable acceleration histories. The sets of computations performed consist of a series of accel-decel-accel (ADA) cases in addition to baseline constant acceleration and accel-decel (AD) cases. The ADA cases are a series of varied times for the second acceleration reversal (t2) and show drastic differences in the growth rates. Upon the deceleration phase, the kinetic energy of the flow is shifted into internal wavelike patterns. These waves are evidenced by the examined differences in growth rate in the second acceleration phase for the set of ADA cases. Here, we investigate global parameters that include mixing width, growth rates and the anisotropy tensor for the kinetic energy to better understand the behavior of the growth during the re-acceleration period. Authors acknowledge financial support from DOE-SSAA (DE-NA0003195) and NSF CAREER (#1453056) awards.
Astrophysical ZeV acceleration in the jets from an accreting blackhole
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tajima, Toshiki; Ebisuzaki, Toshikazu; Mizuta, Akira
2017-10-01
An accreting blackhole produces extreme amplitude Alfven waves whose wavelength (wave packet) size is characterized by its clumsiness. The ponderomotive force driven by the bow wake of these Alfven waves propagates along the AGN (blazar) jet, and accelerates protons/nuclei to extreme energies beyond Zetta-electron volt (ZeV = 1021 eV). Such acceleration is linear and does not suffer from the multiple scattering/bending involved in the Fermi acceleration that causes excessive synchrotron radiation loss beyond 1019 eV. This bow wake acceleration was confirmed one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. General relativistic Magneto-hydrodynamics simulations also show the intermittent eruptions of electro-magnetic waves from the innermost region of the accretion disk around a black hole. The production rate of ultra-high energy cosmic rays in M82 starburst galaxy is estimated from its gamma-ray luminosity and is found to be consistent with the observed flux of the northern hot spot by Telescope Array. We will discuss the possible acceleration in an intermediate mass black hole candidate M82 X-1 and the magnetic bending in the cosmological filaments in the local super cluster.
An online, energy-resolving beam profile detector for laser-driven proton beams.
Metzkes, J; Zeil, K; Kraft, S D; Karsch, L; Sobiella, M; Rehwald, M; Obst, L; Schlenvoigt, H-P; Schramm, U
2016-08-01
In this paper, a scintillator-based online beam profile detector for the characterization of laser-driven proton beams is presented. Using a pixelated matrix with varying absorber thicknesses, the proton beam is spatially resolved in two dimensions and simultaneously energy-resolved. A thin plastic scintillator placed behind the absorber and read out by a CCD camera is used as the active detector material. The spatial detector resolution reaches down to ∼4 mm and the detector can resolve proton beam profiles for up to 9 proton threshold energies. With these detector design parameters, the spatial characteristics of the proton distribution and its cut-off energy can be analyzed online and on-shot under vacuum conditions. The paper discusses the detector design, its characterization and calibration at a conventional proton source, as well as the first detector application at a laser-driven proton source.
Particle acceleration in relativistic magnetic flux-merging events
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lyutikov, Maxim; Sironi, Lorenzo; Komissarov, Serguei S.; Porth, Oliver
2017-12-01
Using analytical and numerical methods (fluid and particle-in-cell simulations) we study a number of model problems involving merger of magnetic flux tubes in relativistic magnetically dominated plasma. Mergers of current-carrying flux tubes (exemplified by the two-dimensional `ABC' structures) and zero-total-current magnetic flux tubes are considered. In all cases regimes of spontaneous and driven evolution are investigated. We identify two stages of particle acceleration during flux mergers: (i) fast explosive prompt X-point collapse and (ii) ensuing island merger. The fastest acceleration occurs during the initial catastrophic X-point collapse, with the reconnection electric field of the order of the magnetic field. During the X-point collapse, particles are accelerated by charge-starved electric fields, which can reach (and even exceed) values of the local magnetic field. The explosive stage of reconnection produces non-thermal power-law tails with slopes that depend on the average magnetization . For plasma magnetization 2$ the spectrum power-law index is 2$ ; in this case the maximal energy depends linearly on the size of the reconnecting islands. For higher magnetization, 2$ , the spectra are hard, , yet the maximal energy \\text{max}$ can still exceed the average magnetic energy per particle, , by orders of magnitude (if is not too close to unity). The X-point collapse stage is followed by magnetic island merger that dissipates a large fraction of the initial magnetic energy in a regime of forced magnetic reconnection, further accelerating the particles, but proceeds at a slower reconnection rate.
Rare isotope accelerator project in Korea and its application to high energy density sciences
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chung, M.; Chung, Y. S.; Kim, S. K.; Lee, B. J.; Hoffmann, D. H. H.
2014-01-01
As a national science project, the Korean government has recently established the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) with the goal of conducting world-class research in basic sciences. One of the core facilities for the IBS will be the rare isotope accelerator which can produce high-intensity rare isotope beams to investigate the fundamental properties of nature, and also to support a broad research program in material sciences, medical and biosciences, and future nuclear energy technologies. The construction of the accelerator is scheduled to be completed by approximately 2017. The design of the accelerator complex is optimized to deliver high average beam current on targets, and to maximize the production of rare isotope beams through the simultaneous use of Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) and In-Flight Fragmentation (IFF) methods. The proposed accelerator is, however, not optimal for high energy density science, which usually requires very high peak currents on the target. In this study, we present possible beam-plasma experiments that can be done within the scope of the current accelerator design, and we also investigate possible future extension paths that may enable high energy density science with intense pulsed heavy ion beams.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Loiseau, Jason; Georges, William; Frost, David; Higgins, Andrew
2015-06-01
The incidence angle of a detonation wave is often assumed to weakly influence the terminal velocity of an explosively driven flyer. For explosives heavily loaded with dense additives, this may not be true due to differences in momentum and energy transfer between detonation products, additive particles, and the flyer. For tangential incidence the particles are first accelerated against the flyer via an expansion fan, whereas they are first accelerated by the detonation wave in the normal case. In the current study we evaluate the effect of normal versus tangential incidence on the acceleration of flyers by nitromethane heavily loaded with a variety of additives. Normal detonation was initiated via an explosively driven slapper. Flyer acceleration was measured with heterodyne laser interferometry (PDV). The influence of wave angle is evaluated by comparing the terminal velocity in the two cases (i.e., normal and grazing) for the heavily loaded mixtures. The decrement in flyer velocity correlated primarily with additive volume fraction and had a weak dependence on additive density or particle size. The Gurney energy of the heterogeneous explosive was observed to increase with flyer mass, presumably due to the timescale over which impinging particles could transfer momentum.
Enhanced laser-energy coupling to dense plasmas driven by recirculating electron currents
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gray, R. J.; Wilson, R.; King, M.; Williamson, S. D. R.; Dance, R. J.; Armstrong, C.; Brabetz, C.; Wagner, F.; Zielbauer, B.; Bagnoud, V.; Neely, D.; McKenna, P.
2018-03-01
The absorption of laser energy and dynamics of energetic electrons in dense plasma is fundamental to a range of intense laser-driven particle and radiation generation mechanisms. We measure the total reflected and scattered laser energy as a function of intensity, distinguishing between the influence of pulse energy and focal spot size on total energy absorption, in the interaction with thin foils. We confirm a previously published scaling of absorption with intensity by variation of laser pulse energy, but find a slower scaling when changing the focal spot size. 2D particle-in-cell simulations show that the measured differences arise due to energetic electrons recirculating within the target and undergoing multiple interactions with the laser pulse, which enhances absorption in the case of large focal spots. This effect is also shown to be dependent on the laser pulse duration, the target thickness and the electron beam divergence. The parameter space over which this absorption enhancement occurs is explored via an analytical model. The results impact our understanding of the fundamental physics of laser energy absorption in solids and thus the development of particle and radiation sources driven by intense laser–solid interactions.
Three electron beams from a laser-plasma wakefield accelerator and the energy apportioning question
Yang, X.; Brunetti, E.; Gil, D. Reboredo; Welsh, G. H.; Li, F. Y.; Cipiccia, S.; Ersfeld, B.; Grant, D. W.; Grant, P. A.; Islam, M. R.; Tooley, M. P.; Vieux, G.; Wiggins, S. M.; Sheng, Z. M.; Jaroszynski, D. A.
2017-01-01
Laser-wakefield accelerators are compact devices capable of delivering ultra-short electron bunches with pC-level charge and MeV-GeV energy by exploiting the ultra-high electric fields arising from the interaction of intense laser pulses with plasma. We show experimentally and through numerical simulations that a high-energy electron beam is produced simultaneously with two stable lower-energy beams that are ejected in oblique and counter-propagating directions, typically carrying off 5–10% of the initial laser energy. A MeV, 10s nC oblique beam is ejected in a 30°–60° hollow cone, which is filled with more energetic electrons determined by the injection dynamics. A nC-level, 100s keV backward-directed beam is mainly produced at the leading edge of the plasma column. We discuss the apportioning of absorbed laser energy amongst the three beams. Knowledge of the distribution of laser energy and electron beam charge, which determine the overall efficiency, is important for various applications of laser-wakefield accelerators, including the development of staged high-energy accelerators. PMID:28281679
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Akkermans, J. A. G.; Di Mitri, S.; Douglas, D.; Setija, I. D.
2017-08-01
High gain free electron lasers (FELs) driven by high repetition rate recirculating accelerators have received considerable attention in the scientific and industrial communities in recent years. Cost-performance optimization of such facilities encourages limiting machine size and complexity, and a compact machine can be realized by combining bending and bunch length compression during the last stage of recirculation, just before lasing. The impact of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) on electron beam quality during compression can, however, limit FEL output power. When methods to counteract CSR are implemented, appropriate beam diagnostics become critical to ensure that the target beam parameters are met before lasing, as well as to guarantee reliable, predictable performance and rapid machine setup and recovery. This article describes a beam line for bunch compression and recirculation, and beam switchyard accessing a diagnostic line for EUV lasing at 1 GeV beam energy. The footprint is modest, with 12 m compressive arc diameter and ˜20 m diagnostic line length. The design limits beam quality degradation due to CSR both in the compressor and in the switchyard. Advantages and drawbacks of two switchyard lines providing, respectively, off-line and on-line measurements are discussed. The entire design is scalable to different beam energies and charges.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Smilek, Jan; Hadas, Zdenek
2017-02-01
In this paper we propose the use of principal component analysis to process the measured acceleration data in order to determine the direction of acceleration with the highest variance on given frequency of interest. This method can be used for improving the power generated by inertial energy harvesters. Their power output is highly dependent on the excitation acceleration magnitude and frequency, but the axes of acceleration measurements might not always be perfectly aligned with the directions of movement, and therefore the generated power output might be severely underestimated in simulations, possibly leading to false conclusions about the feasibility of using the inertial energy harvester for the examined application.
Electron heating and acceleration during magnetic reconnection
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dahlin, Joel
2017-10-01
Magnetic reconnection is thought to be an important driver of energetic particles in a variety of astrophysical phenomena such as solar flares and magnetospheric storms. However, the observed fraction of energy imparted to a nonthermal component can vary widely in different regimes. We use kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations to demonstrate the important role of the non-reversing (guide) field in controlling the efficiency of electron acceleration in collisionless reconnection. In reconnection where the guide field is smaller than the reconnecting component, the dominant electron accelerator is a Fermi-type mechanism that preferentially energizes the most energetic particles. In strong guide field reconnection, the field-line contraction that drives the Fermi mechanism becomes weak. Instead, parallel electric fields are primarily responsible for driving electron heating but are ineffective in driving the energetic component of the spectrum. Three-dimensional simulations reveal that the stochastic magnetic field that develops during 3D guide field reconnection plays a vital role in particle acceleration and transport. The reconnection outflows that drive Fermi acceleration also expel accelerating particles from energization regions. In 2D reconnection, electrons are trapped in island cores and acceleration ceases, whereas in 3D the stochastic magnetic field enables energetic electrons to leak out of islands and freely sample regions of energy release. A finite guide field is required to break initial 2D symmetry and facilitate escape from island structures. We show that reconnection with a guide field comparable to the reconnecting field generates the greatest number of energetic electrons, a regime where both (a) the Fermi mechanism is an efficient driver and (b) energetic electrons may freely access acceleration sites. These results have important implications for electron acceleration in solar flares and reconnection-driven dissipation in turbulence.
Shielding analyses for repetitive high energy pulsed power accelerators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jow, H. N.; Rao, D. V.
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) designs, tests and operates a variety of accelerators that generate large amounts of high energy Bremsstrahlung radiation over an extended time. Typically, groups of similar accelerators are housed in a large building that is inaccessible to the general public. To facilitate independent operation of each accelerator, test cells are constructed around each accelerator to shield it from the radiation workers occupying surrounding test cells and work-areas. These test cells, about 9 ft. high, are constructed of high density concrete block walls that provide direct radiation shielding. Above the target areas (radiation sources), lead or steel plates are used to minimize skyshine radiation. Space, accessibility and cost considerations impose certain restrictions on the design of these test cells. SNL Health Physics division is tasked to evaluate the adequacy of each test cell design and compare resultant dose rates with the design criteria stated in DOE Order 5480.11. In response, SNL Health Physics has undertaken an intensive effort to assess existing radiation shielding codes and compare their predictions against measured dose rates. This paper provides a summary of the effort and its results.
Distribution in energies and acceleration times in DSA, and their effect on the cut-off
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Brooks, A.; Protheroe, R. J.
2001-08-01
We have conducted Monte Carlo simulations of diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) to determine the distribution of times since injection taken to reach energy E > E0. This distribution of acceleration times for the case of momentum dependent diffusion is compared with that given by Drury and Forman (1983) based on extrapolation of the exact result (Toptygin 1980) for the case of the diffusion coefficient being independent of momentum. As a result of this distribution we find, as suggested by Drury et al. (1999), that Monte Carlo simulations result in smoother cut-offs and pile-ups in spectra of accelerated particles than expected from simple "box model" treatments of shock acceleration (e.g., Protheroe and Stanev 1999, Drury et al. 1999). This is particularly so for the case synchrotron pile-ups, which we find are replaced by a small bump at an energy about a factor of 2 below the expected cut-off, followed by a smooth cut-off with particles extending to energies well beyond the expected cut-off energy.
Ponderomotive electron acceleration in a silicon-based nanoplasmonic waveguide.
Sederberg, S; Elezzabi, A Y
2014-10-17
Ponderomotive electron acceleration is demonstrated in a semiconductor-loaded nanoplasmonic waveguide. Photogenerated free carriers are accelerated by the tightly confined nanoplasmonic fields and reach energies exceeding the threshold for impact ionization. Broadband (375 nm ≤ λ ≤ 650 nm) white light emission is observed from the nanoplasmonic waveguides. Exponential growth of visible light emission confirms the exponential growth of the electron population, demonstrating the presence of an optical-field-driven electron avalanche. Electron sweeping dynamics are visualized using pump-probe measurements, and a sweeping time of 1.98 ± 0.40 ps is measured. These findings offer a means to harness the potential of the emerging field of ultrafast nonlinear nanoplasmonics.
Andreassi, Maria Grazia; Borghini, Andrea; Pulignani, Silvia; Baffigi, Federica; Fulgentini, Lorenzo; Koester, Petra; Cresci, Monica; Vecoli, Cecilia; Lamia, Debora; Russo, Giorgio; Panetta, Daniele; Tripodi, Maria; Gizzi, Leonida A; Labate, Luca
2016-09-01
Laser-driven electron accelerators are capable of producing high-energy electron bunches in shorter distances than conventional radiofrequency accelerators. To date, our knowledge of the radiobiological effects in cells exposed to electrons using a laser-plasma accelerator is still very limited. In this study, we compared the dose-response curves for micronucleus (MN) frequency and telomere length in peripheral blood lymphocytes exposed to laser-driven electron pulse and X-ray radiations. Additionally, we evaluated the effects on cell survival of in vitro tumor cells after exposure to laser-driven electron pulse compared to electron beams produced by a conventional radiofrequency accelerator used for intraoperative radiation therapy. Blood samples from two different donors were exposed to six radiation doses ranging from 0 to 2 Gy. Relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for micronucleus induction was calculated from the alpha coefficients for electrons compared to X rays (RBE = alpha laser/alpha X rays). Cell viability was monitored in the OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer cell line using trypan blue exclusion assay at day 3, 5 and 7 postirradiation (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 Gy). The RBE values obtained by comparing the alpha values were 1.3 and 1.2 for the two donors. Mean telomere length was also found to be reduced in a significant dose-dependent manner after irradiation with both electrons and X rays in both donors studied. Our findings showed a radiobiological response as mirrored by the induction of micronuclei and shortening of telomere as well as by the reduction of cell survival in blood samples and cancer cells exposed in vitro to laser-generated electron bunches. Additional studies are needed to improve preclinical validation of the radiobiological characteristics and efficacy of laser-driven electron accelerators in the future.
Investigation on target normal sheath acceleration through measurements of ions energy distribution
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Tudisco, S., E-mail: tudisco@lns.infn.it; Cirrone, G. A. P.; Mascali, D.
2016-02-15
An experimental campaign aiming at investigating the ion acceleration mechanisms through laser-matter interaction in femtosecond domain has been carried out at the Intense Laser Irradiation Laboratory facility with a laser intensity of up to 2 × 10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2}. A Thomson parabola spectrometer was used to obtain the spectra of the ions of the different species accelerated. Here, we show the energy spectra of light-ions and we discuss their dependence on structural characteristics of the target and the role of surface and target bulk in the acceleration process.
The solutions and thermodynamic dark energy in the accelerating universe
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Demirel, E. C. Günay
Recently, Tachyonic matter expressed in terms of scalar field is suggested to be the reason of acceleration of the universe as dark energy [1]-[3]. In this study, dynamic solutions and thermodynamic properties of matters such as Tachyonic matters were investigated.
Chromatic energy filter and characterization of laser-accelerated proton beams for particle therapy
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hofmann, Ingo; Meyer-ter-Vehn, Jürgen; Yan, Xueqing; Al-Omari, Husam
2012-07-01
The application of laser accelerated protons or ions for particle therapy has to cope with relatively large energy and angular spreads as well as possibly significant random fluctuations. We suggest a method for combined focusing and energy selection, which is an effective alternative to the commonly considered dispersive energy selection by magnetic dipoles. Our method is based on the chromatic effect of a magnetic solenoid (or any other energy dependent focusing device) in combination with an aperture to select a certain energy width defined by the aperture radius. It is applied to an initial 6D phase space distribution of protons following the simulation output from a Radiation Pressure Acceleration model. Analytical formula for the selection aperture and chromatic emittance are confirmed by simulation results using the TRACEWIN code. The energy selection is supported by properly placed scattering targets to remove the imprint of the chromatic effect on the beam and to enable well-controlled and shot-to-shot reproducible energy and transverse density profiles.
Reduction of angular divergence of laser-driven ion beams during their acceleration and transport
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zakova, M.; Pšikal, Jan; Margarone, Daniele; Maggiore, Mario; Korn, G.
2015-05-01
Laser plasma physics is a field of big interest because of its implications in basic science, fast ignition, medicine (i.e. hadrontherapy), astrophysics, material science, particle acceleration etc. 100-MeV class protons accelerated from the interaction of a short laser pulse with a thin target have been demonstrated. With continuing development of laser technology, greater and greater energies are expected, therefore projects focusing on various applications are being formed, e.g. ELIMAIA (ELI Multidisciplinary Applications of laser-Ion Acceleration). One of the main characteristic and crucial disadvantage of ion beams accelerated by ultra-short intense laser pulses is their large divergence, not suitable for the most of applications. In this paper two ways how to decrease beam divergence are proposed. Firstly, impact of different design of targets on beam divergence is studied by using 2D Particlein-cell simulations (PIC). Namely, various types of targets include at foils, curved foil and foils with diverse microstructures. Obtained results show that well-designed microstructures, i.e. a hole in the center of the target, can produce proton beam with the lowest divergence. Moreover, the particle beam accelerated from a curved foil has lower divergence compared to the beam from a flat foil. Secondly, another proposed method for the divergence reduction is using of a magnetic solenoid. The trajectories of the laser accelerated particles passing through the solenoid are modeled in a simple Matlab program. Results from PIC simulations are used as input in the program. The divergence is controlled by optimizing the magnetic field inside the solenoid and installing an aperture in front of the device.
Basic design considerations for free-electron lasers driven by electron beams from RF accelerators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gover, A.; Freund, H.; Granatstein, V. L.; McAdoo, J. H.; Tang, C.-M.
A design procedure and design criteria are derived for free-electron lasers driven by electron beams from RF accelerators. The procedure and criteria permit an estimate of the oscillation-buildup time and the laser output power of various FEL schemes: with waveguide resonator or open resonator, with initial seed-radiation injection or with spontaneous-emission radiation source, with a linear wiggler or with a helical wiggler. Expressions are derived for computing the various FEL parameters, allowing for the design and optimization of the FEL operational characteristics under ideal conditions or with nonideal design parameters that may be limited by technological or practical constraints. The design procedure enables one to derive engineering curves and scaling laws for the FEL operating parameters. This can be done most conveniently with a computer program based on flowcharts given in the appendices.
Energy Autonomous Wireless Water Meter with Integrated Turbine Driven Energy Harvester
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Becker, P.; Folkmer, B.; Goepfert, R.; Hoffmann, D.; Willmann, A.; Manoli, Y.
2013-12-01
Accurate meter reading is the fundamental task of the home water system for the handling of payments. Meters need to be read correctly, to avoid an effect of adding events that increase unnecessary cost and create customer dissatisfaction. This paper presents a fully integrated wireless, energy autonomous water metering system based on the European Standard EN 13757 "Communication systems for meters and remote reading of meters". The system can be used in multiple water metering scenarios. No maintenance will be required and the system will provide precise and secure data transmission as well as timely and accurate recording of the consumption of water. The identification of any leakages will be improved through the analysis of the actual quantity supplied and recorded by the meters. The system is powered by an energy harvester, based on a water driven turbine wheel that is directly coupled to an electromagnetic energy transducer. The power delivered by the generator is dependent of the amount of flowing water and the pressure in the water pipes. Therefor the power is commonly non-continuous, fluctuant and unstable in the voltage amplitude. To be able to report the meter readings at all times, the system needs to be powered not only in times when the energy harvester delivers energy. Therefor an energy buffer, that stores the harvested energy, is installed to compensate the energy requirement between the actual generator output and the energy consumption of the application. Besides a complete system overview, the presentation will focus on the power management and energy aware battery charging circuitry. The design, fabrication, measuring results and the preparations for field tests in rural and urban environment will be presented and discussed.
Low-Energy Ions Injection and Acceleration at Oblique Shocks with Focused Transport Model
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zuo, P.; Zhang, M.; Feng, X. S.
2017-12-01
There is strong evidence that a small portion of suprathermal particles from hot coronal material or remnants of previous solar energetic particle (SEP) events serve as the source of large SEP events. Here we present a test particle simulation on the injection and acceleration of low-energy suprathermal particles by Laminar nonrelativistic oblique shocks in the framework of the focused transport theory, which is proved to contain all necessary physics of shock acceleration, but avoid the limitation of diffusive shock acceleration (DSA). We first characterize the role of cross-shock potential (CSP) on pickup ions (PUIs) acceleration. The CSP can affect the shape of the spectrum segment at lower energies, but it does not change the spectral index of the final power-law spectrum at high energies. It is found that a stronger CSP jump results in a dramatically improved injection efficiency. Our simulation results also show that the injection efficiency of PUIs is mass-dependent, which is lower for species with a higher mass. The injection efficiency as the function of Mach number, obliquity, injection speed, and shock strength is also calculated. It can be proved that the focused transport theory is an extension of DSA theory with the capability of predicting the efficiency of source particle injection.
Particle trapping and beam transport issues in laser driven accelerators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gwenael, Fubiani; Wim, Leemans; Eric, Esarey
2000-10-01
The LWFA and colliding pulses [1][2] sheme are capable of producing very compact electron bunches where the longitudinal size is much smaller than the transverse size. In this case, even if the electrons are relativistic, space charge force can affect the longitudinal and transverse bunch properties [3][4]. In the Self-modulated regime and the colliding pulse sheme, electrons are trapped from the background plasma and rapidly accelerated. We present theoretical studies of the generation and transport of electron bunches in LWFAs. The space charge effect induced in the bunch is modelled assuming the bunch is ellipsoid like. Beam transport in vacuum, comparison between gaussian and waterbag distribution, comparison between envelope model and PIC simulation will be discussed. This work is supported by the Director, Office of Science, Office of High Energy & Nuclear Physics, High Energy Physics Division, of the U.S Department of Energy, under Contract No. DE-AC03-76SF00098 [1]E.Esarey et al.,IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. PS-24,252 (1996); W.P. Leemans et al, ibidem, 331. [2]D. Umstadter et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 2073 (1996); E.Esarey et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 2682 (1997); C.B Schroeder et al., Phys. Rev. E59, 6037 (1999) [3]DESY M87-161 (1987); DESY M88-013 (1988) [4] R.W. Garnett and T.P Wangler, IEEE Part. Acce. Conf. (1991)
Astrophysical ZeV acceleration in the relativistic jet from an accreting supermassive blackhole
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ebisuzaki, Toshikazu; Tajima, Toshiki
2014-04-01
An accreting supermassive blackhole, the central engine of active galactic nucleus (AGN), is capable of exciting extreme amplitude Alfven waves whose wavelength (wave packet) size is characterized by its clumpiness. The pondermotive force and wakefield are driven by these Alfven waves propagating in the AGN (blazar) jet, and accelerate protons/nuclei to extreme energies beyond Zetta-electron volt (ZeV=1021 eV). Such acceleration is prompt, localized, and does not suffer from the multiple scattering/bending enveloped in the Fermi acceleration that causes excessive synchrotron radiation loss beyond 1019 eV. The production rate of ZeV cosmic rays is found to be consistent with the observed gamma-ray luminosity function of blazars and their time variabilities.
Marceau, Vincent; Varin, Charles; Piché, Michel
2013-03-15
In the study of laser-driven electron acceleration, it has become customary to work within the framework of paraxial wave optics. Using an exact solution to the Helmholtz equation as well as its paraxial counterpart, we perform numerical simulations of electron acceleration with a high-power TM(01) beam. For beam waist sizes at which the paraxial approximation was previously recognized valid, we highlight significant differences in the angular divergence and energy distribution of the electron bunches produced by the exact and the paraxial solutions. Our results demonstrate that extra care has to be taken when working under the paraxial approximation in the context of electron acceleration with radially polarized laser beams.
Low-energy ion acceleration at quasi-perpendicular shocks: Transverse diffusion
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Giacalone, J.; Jokipii, J. R.
1995-01-01
The problem of ion injection and acceleration at quasi perpendicular shocks has been the subject of some debate over the past two decades. It is widely known that these shocks efficiently accelerate particles that are well in the high-energy tail of the distribution. However, the issue of injection, or the acceleration of low-energy ions, has yet to reach a consensus. The fundamental issue is whether there is enough diffusion normal to the magnetic field for the particles to remain near the shock. Since transverse diffusion is a physical process that is not well understood in space plasmas, this is an important, and difficult issue to address. In this report, we will investigate the ion injection problem by performing test particle orbit integrations using synthesized turbulent fields. These fields are fully three-dimensional so that transverse diffusion is possible (cross-field diffusion is not possible in geometries where the electromagnetic fields are less than three dimensional). The synthesized fields are produced by superimposing a three-dimensional wave field on a background field. For completeness, we will compare the results from this model with the more well-established theories, such as the diffusive approximation and scatter-free shock drift acceleration. We will also compare these results with other numerical simulation techniques such as the well known hybrid simulation, and other test-particle calculations in which the shock fields are specified to have less than three dimensions. We will also discuss some recent relevant observations and how these compare with our results.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Celaya, Jose; Saxena, Abhinav; Saha, Sankalita; Goebel, Kai F.
2011-01-01
An approach for predicting remaining useful life of power MOSFETs (metal oxide field effect transistor) devices has been developed. Power MOSFETs are semiconductor switching devices that are instrumental in electronics equipment such as those used in operation and control of modern aircraft and spacecraft. The MOSFETs examined here were aged under thermal overstress in a controlled experiment and continuous performance degradation data were collected from the accelerated aging experiment. Dieattach degradation was determined to be the primary failure mode. The collected run-to-failure data were analyzed and it was revealed that ON-state resistance increased as die-attach degraded under high thermal stresses. Results from finite element simulation analysis support the observations from the experimental data. Data-driven and model based prognostics algorithms were investigated where ON-state resistance was used as the primary precursor of failure feature. A Gaussian process regression algorithm was explored as an example for a data-driven technique and an extended Kalman filter and a particle filter were used as examples for model-based techniques. Both methods were able to provide valid results. Prognostic performance metrics were employed to evaluate and compare the algorithms.
Acceleration of low-energy ions at parallel shocks with a focused transport model
Zuo, Pingbing; Zhang, Ming; Rassoul, Hamid K.
2013-04-10
Here, we present a test particle simulation on the injection and acceleration of low-energy suprathermal particles by parallel shocks with a focused transport model. The focused transport equation contains all necessary physics of shock acceleration, but avoids the limitation of diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) that requires a small pitch angle anisotropy. This simulation verifies that the particles with speeds of a fraction of to a few times the shock speed can indeed be directly injected and accelerated into the DSA regime by parallel shocks. At higher energies starting from a few times the shock speed, the energy spectrum of acceleratedmore » particles is a power law with the same spectral index as the solution of standard DSA theory, although the particles are highly anisotropic in the upstream region. The intensity, however, is different from that predicted by DSA theory, indicating a different level of injection efficiency. It is found that the shock strength, the injection speed, and the intensity of an electric cross-shock potential (CSP) jump can affect the injection efficiency of the low-energy particles. A stronger shock has a higher injection efficiency. In addition, if the speed of injected particles is above a few times the shock speed, the produced power-law spectrum is consistent with the prediction of standard DSA theory in both its intensity and spectrum index with an injection efficiency of 1. CSP can increase the injection efficiency through direct particle reflection back upstream, but it has little effect on the energetic particle acceleration once the speed of injected particles is beyond a few times the shock speed. This test particle simulation proves that the focused transport theory is an extension of DSA theory with the capability of predicting the efficiency of particle injection.« less
The LILIA experiment: Energy selection and post-acceleration of laser generated protons
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Turchetti, Giorgio; Sinigardi, Stefano; Londrillo, Pasquale; Rossi, Francesco; Sumini, Marco; Giove, Dario; De Martinis, Carlo
2012-12-01
The LILIA experiment is planned at the SPARCLAB facility of the Frascati INFN laboratories. We have simulated the laser acceleration of protons, the transport and energy selection with collimators and a pulsed solenoid and the post-acceleration with a compact high field linac. For the highest achievable intensity corresponding to a = 30 over 108 protons at 30 MeV with a 3% spread are selected, and at least107 protons are post-accelerated up to 60 MeV. If a 10 Hz repetition rated can be achieved the delivered dose would be suitable for the treatment of small superficial tumors.
The ram accelerator - A chemically driven mass launcher
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kaloupis, P.; Bruckner, A. P.
1988-01-01
The ram accelerator, a chemically propelled mass driver, is presented as a viable new approach for directly launching acceleration-insensitive payloads into low earth orbit. The propulsion principle is similar to that of a conventional air-breathing ramjet. The cargo vehicle resembles the center-body of a ramjet and travels through a tube filled with a pre-mixed fuel and oxidizer mixture. The launch tube acts as the outer cowling of the ramjet and the combustion process travels with the vehicle. Two drive modes of the ram accelerator propulsion system are described, which when used in sequence are capable of accelerating the vehicle to as high as 10 km/sec. The requirements are examined for placing a 2000 kg vehicle into a 500 km orbit with a minimum of on-board rocket propellant for circularization maneuvers. It is shown that aerodynamic heating during atmospheric transit results in very little ablation of the nose. An indirect orbital insertion scenario is selected, utilizing a three step maneuver consisting of two burns and aerobraking. An on-board propulsion system using storable liquid propellants is chosen in order to minimize propellant mass requirements, and the use of a parking orbit below the desired final orbit is suggested as a means to increase the flexibility of the mass launch concept. A vehicle design using composite materials is proposed that will best meet the structural requirements, and a preliminary launch tube design is presented.
Intense γ ray generated by refocusing laser pulse on wakefield accelerated electrons
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Feng, Jie; Wang, Jinguang; Li, Yifei; Zhu, Changqing; Li, Minghua; He, Yuhang; Li, Dazhang; Wang, Weimin; Chen, Liming
2017-09-01
Ultrafast x/γ ray emission from the combination of laser wake-field acceleration and plasma mirror has been investigated as a promising Thomson scattering source. However, the photon energy and yield of radiation are limited to the intensity of reflected laser pulses. We use the 2D particle in cell simulation to demonstrate that a 75TW driven laser pulse can be refocused on the accelerated electron bunches through a hemispherical plasma mirror with a small f number of 0.25. The energetic electrons with the maximum energy about 350 MeV collide with the reflected laser pulse of a0 = 3.82 at the focal spot, producing high order multi-photon Thomson scattering, and resulting in the scattering spectrum which extends up to 21.2 MeV. Such a high energy γ ray source could be applied to photonuclear reaction and materials science.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Borovskiy, A. V.; Galkin, A. L.; Department of Physics of MBF, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 1 Ostrovitianov Street, Moscow 117997
The new method of calculating energy spectra of accelerated electrons, based on the parameterization by their initial coordinates, is proposed. The energy spectra of electrons accelerated by Gaussian ultra-short relativistic laser pulse at a selected angle to the axis of the optical system focusing the laser pulse in a low density gas are theoretically calculated. The two-peak structure of the electron energy spectrum is obtained. Discussed are the reasons for its appearance as well as an applicability of other models of the laser field.
Ion energy spread and current measurements of the rf-driven multicusp ion source
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lee, Y.; Gough, R. A.; Kunkel, W. B.; Leung, K. N.; Perkins, L. T.; Pickard, D. S.; Sun, L.; Vujic, J.; Williams, M. D.; Wutte, D.
1997-03-01
Axial energy spread and useful beam current of positive ion beams have been carried out using a radio frequency (rf)-driven multicusp ion source. Operating the source with a 13.56 MHz induction discharge, the axial energy spread is found to be approximately 3.2 eV. The extractable beam current of the rf-driven source is found to be comparable to that of filament-discharge sources. With a 0.6 mm diameter extraction aperture, a positive hydrogen ion beam current density of 80 mA/cm2 can be obtained at a rf input power of 2.5 kW. The expected source lifetime is much longer than that of filament discharges.
Magnetic field, reconnection, and particle acceleration in extragalactic jets
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Romanova, M. M.; Lovelace, R. V. E.
1992-01-01
Extra-galactic radio jets are investigated theoretically taking into account that the jet magnetic field is dragged out from the central rotating source by the jet flow. Thus, magnetohydrodynamic models of jets are considered with zero net poloidal current and flux, and consequently a predominantly toroidal magnetic field. The magnetic field naturally has a cylindrical neutral layer. Collisionless reconnection of the magnetic field in the vicinity of the neutral layer acts to generate a non-axisymmetric radial magnetic field. In turn, axial shear-stretching of reconnected toroidal field gives rise to a significant axial magnetic field if the flow energy-density is larger than the energy-density of the magnetic field. This can lead to jets with an apparent longitudinal magnetic field as observed in the Fanaroff-Riley class II jets. In the opposite limit, where the field energy-density is large, the field remains mainly toroidal as observed in Fanaroff-Riley class I jets. Driven collisionless reconnection at neutral layers may lead to acceleration of electrons to relativistic energies in the weak electrostatic field of the neutral layer. A simple model is discussed for particle acceleration at neutral layers in electron/positron and electron/proton plasmas.
Laschinsky, Lydia; Baumann, Michael; Beyreuther, Elke; Enghardt, Wolfgang; Kaluza, Malte; Karsch, Leonhard; Lessmann, Elisabeth; Naumburger, Doreen; Nicolai, Maria; Richter, Christian; Sauerbrey, Roland; Schlenvoigt, Hans-Peter; Pawelke, Jörg
2012-01-01
The notable progress in laser particle acceleration technology promises potential medical application in cancer therapy through compact and cost effective laser devices that are suitable for already existing clinics. Previously, consequences on the radiobiological response by laser driven particle beams characterised by an ultra high peak dose rate have to be investigated. Therefore, tumour and non-malignant cells were irradiated with pulsed laser accelerated electrons at the JETI facility for the comparison with continuous electrons of a conventional therapy LINAC. Dose response curves were measured for the biological endpoints clonogenic survival and residual DNA double strand breaks. The overall results show no significant differences in radiobiological response for in vitro cell experiments between laser accelerated pulsed and clinical used electron beams. These first systematic in vitro cell response studies with precise dosimetry to laser driven electron beams represent a first step toward the long term aim of the application of laser accelerated particles in radiotherapy.
Acceleration of a trailing positron bunch in a plasma wakefield accelerator
Doche, A.; Beekman, C.; Corde, S.; ...
2017-10-27
High gradients of energy gain and high energy efficiency are necessary parameters for compact, cost-efficient and high-energy particle colliders. Plasma Wakefield Accelerators (PWFA) offer both, making them attractive candidates for next-generation colliders. Here in these devices, a charge-density plasma wave is excited by an ultra-relativistic bunch of charged particles (the drive bunch). The energy in the wave can be extracted by a second bunch (the trailing bunch), as this bunch propagates in the wake of the drive bunch. While a trailing electron bunch was accelerated in a plasma with more than a gigaelectronvolt of energy gain, accelerating a trailing positronmore » bunch in a plasma is much more challenging as the plasma response can be asymmetric for positrons and electrons. We report the demonstration of the energy gain by a distinct trailing positron bunch in a plasma wakefield accelerator, spanning nonlinear to quasi-linear regimes, and unveil the beam loading process underlying the accelerator energy efficiency. A positron bunch is used to drive the plasma wake in the experiment, though the quasi-linear wake structure could as easily be formed by an electron bunch or a laser driver. Finally, the results thus mark the first acceleration of a distinct positron bunch in plasma-based particle accelerators.« less
Acceleration of a trailing positron bunch in a plasma wakefield accelerator
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Doche, A.; Beekman, C.; Corde, S.
High gradients of energy gain and high energy efficiency are necessary parameters for compact, cost-efficient and high-energy particle colliders. Plasma Wakefield Accelerators (PWFA) offer both, making them attractive candidates for next-generation colliders. Here in these devices, a charge-density plasma wave is excited by an ultra-relativistic bunch of charged particles (the drive bunch). The energy in the wave can be extracted by a second bunch (the trailing bunch), as this bunch propagates in the wake of the drive bunch. While a trailing electron bunch was accelerated in a plasma with more than a gigaelectronvolt of energy gain, accelerating a trailing positronmore » bunch in a plasma is much more challenging as the plasma response can be asymmetric for positrons and electrons. We report the demonstration of the energy gain by a distinct trailing positron bunch in a plasma wakefield accelerator, spanning nonlinear to quasi-linear regimes, and unveil the beam loading process underlying the accelerator energy efficiency. A positron bunch is used to drive the plasma wake in the experiment, though the quasi-linear wake structure could as easily be formed by an electron bunch or a laser driver. Finally, the results thus mark the first acceleration of a distinct positron bunch in plasma-based particle accelerators.« less
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
England, Joel
2014-06-30
SLAC's Joel England explains how the same fabrication techniques used for silicon computer microchips allowed their team to create the new laser-driven particle accelerator chips. (SLAC Multimedia Communications)
England, Joel
2018-01-16
SLAC's Joel England explains how the same fabrication techniques used for silicon computer microchips allowed their team to create the new laser-driven particle accelerator chips. (SLAC Multimedia Communications)
Chen, Yu; Mu, Xiaojing; Wang, Tao; Ren, Weiwei; Yang, Ya; Wang, Zhong Lin; Sun, Chengliang; Gu, Alex Yuandong
2016-10-14
Here, we report a stable and predictable aero-elastic motion in the flow-driven energy harvester, which is different from flapping and vortex-induced-vibration (VIV). A unified theoretical frame work that describes the flutter phenomenon observed in both "stiff" and "flexible" materials for flow driven energy harvester was presented in this work. We prove flutter in both types of materials is the results of the coupled effects of torsional and bending modes. Compared to "stiff" materials, which has a flow velocity-independent flutter frequency, flexible material presents a flutter frequency that almost linearly scales with the flow velocity. Specific to "flexible" materials, pre-stress modulates the frequency range in which flutter occurs. It is experimentally observed that a double-clamped "flexible" piezoelectric P(VDF-TrFE) thin belt, when driven into the flutter state, yields a 1,000 times increase in the output voltage compared to that of the non-fluttered state. At a fixed flow velocity, increase in pre-stress level of the P(VDF-TrFE) thin belt up-shifts the flutter frequency. In addition, this work allows the rational design of flexible piezoelectric devices, including flow-driven energy harvester, triboelectric energy harvester, and self-powered wireless flow speed sensor.
Developments and applications of accelerator system at the Wakasa Wan Energy Research Center
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hatori, S.; Kurita, T.; Hayashi, Y.; Yamada, M.; Yamada, H.; Mori, J.; Hamachi, H.; Kimura, S.; Shimoda, T.; Hiroto, M.; Hashimoto, T.; Shimada, M.; Yamamoto, H.; Ohtani, N.; Yasuda, K.; Ishigami, R.; Sasase, M.; Ito, Y.; Hatashita, M.; Takagi, K.; Kume, K.; Fukuda, S.; Yokohama, N.; Kagiya, G.; Fukumoto, S.; Kondo, M.
2005-12-01
At the Wakasa Wan Energy Research Center (WERC), an accelerator system with a 5 MV tandem accelerator and a 200 MeV proton synchrotron is used for ion beam analyses and irradiation experiments. The study of cancer therapy with a proton beam is also performed. Therefore, the stable operation and efficient sharing of beam time of the system are required, based on the treatment standard. Recent developments and the operation status of the system put stress on the tandem accelerator operation, magnifying the problems.
MeV electron acceleration at 1 kHz with <10 mJ laser pulses
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Salehi, Fatholah; Goers, Andy; Hine, George; Feder, Linus; Kuk, Donghoon; Miao, Bo; Woodbury, Daniel; Kim, Ki-Yong; Milchberg, Howard
2017-01-01
We demonstrate laser driven acceleration of electrons to MeV-scale energies at 1 kHz repetition rate using <10 mJ pulses focused on near-critical density He and H2 gas jets. Using the H2 gas jet, electron acceleration to 0.5 MeV in 10 fC bunches was observed with laser pulse energy as low as 1.3 mJ. Increasing the pulse energy to 10 mJ, we measure 1pC charge bunches with >1 MeV energy for both He and H gas jets. Such a high repetition rate, high flux ultrafast source has immediate application to time resolved probing of matter for scientific, medical, or security applications, either using the electrons directly or using a high-Z foil converter to generate ultrafast γ-rays. This work is supported by the US Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Siminos, Evangelos; Svedung Wettervik, Benjamin; Grech, Mickael; Fülöp, Tünde
2016-10-01
We study kinetic effects responsible for the transition to relativistic self-induced transparency in the interaction of a circularly-polarized laser-pulse with an overdense plasma and their relation to hole-boring and ion acceleration. It is shown, using particle-in-cell simulations and an analysis of separatrices in single-particle phase-space, that this transition is mediated by the complex interplay of fast electron dynamics and ion motion at the initial stage of the interaction. It thus depends on the ion charge-to-mass ratio and can be controlled by varying the laser temporal profile. Moreover, we find a new regime in which a transition from relativistic transparency to hole-boring occurs dynamically during the course of the interaction. It is shown that, for a fixed laser intensity, this dynamic transition regime allows optimal ion acceleration in terms of both energy and energy spread. This work was supported by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (
A charged particle in a homogeneous magnetic field accelerated by a time-periodic Aharonov-Bohm flux
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Kalvoda, T.; Stovicek, P., E-mail: stovicek@kmlinux.fjfi.cvut.cz
2011-10-15
We consider a nonrelativistic quantum charged particle moving on a plane under the influence of a uniform magnetic field and driven by a periodically time-dependent Aharonov-Bohm flux. We observe an acceleration effect in the case when the Aharonov-Bohm flux depends on time as a sinusoidal function whose frequency is in resonance with the cyclotron frequency. In particular, the energy of the particle increases linearly for large times. An explicit formula for the acceleration rate is derived with the aid of the quantum averaging method, and then it is checked against a numerical solution and a very good agreement is found.more » - Highlights: > A nonrelativistic quantum charged particle on a plane. > A homogeneous magnetic field and a periodically time-dependent Aharonov-Bohm flux. > The quantum averaging method applied to a time-dependent system. > A resonance of the AB flux with the cyclotron frequency. > An acceleration with linearly increasing energy; a formula for the acceleration rate.« less
Modelling of proton acceleration in application to a ground level enhancement
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Afanasiev, A.; Vainio, R.; Rouillard, A. P.; Battarbee, M.; Aran, A.; Zucca, P.
2018-06-01
Context. The source of high-energy protons (above 500 MeV) responsible for ground level enhancements (GLEs) remains an open question in solar physics. One of the candidates is a shock wave driven by a coronal mass ejection, which is thought to accelerate particles via diffusive-shock acceleration. Aims: We perform physics-based simulations of proton acceleration using information on the shock and ambient plasma parameters derived from the observation of a real GLE event. We analyse the simulation results to find out which of the parameters are significant in controlling the acceleration efficiency and to get a better understanding of the conditions under which the shock can produce relativistic protons. Methods: We use the results of the recently developed technique to determine the shock and ambient plasma parameters, applied to the 17 May 2012 GLE event, and carry out proton acceleration simulations with the Coronal Shock Acceleration (CSA) model. Results: We performed proton acceleration simulations for nine individual magnetic field lines characterised by various plasma conditions. Analysis of the simulation results shows that the acceleration efficiency of the shock, i.e. its ability to accelerate particles to high energies, tends to be higher for those shock portions that are characterised by higher values of the scattering-centre compression ratio rc and/or the fast-mode Mach number MFM. At the same time, the acceleration efficiency can be strengthened by enhanced plasma density in the corresponding flux tube. The simulations show that protons can be accelerated to GLE energies in the shock portions characterised by the highest values of rc. Analysis of the delays between the flare onset and the production times of protons of 1 GV rigidity for different field lines in our simulations, and a subsequent comparison of those with the observed values indicate a possibility that quasi-perpendicular portions of the shock play the main role in producing relativistic
Huang, Yu-Ming M; McCammon, J Andrew; Miao, Yinglong
2018-04-10
Through adding a harmonic boost potential to smooth the system potential energy surface, Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) provides enhanced sampling and free energy calculation of biomolecules without the need of predefined reaction coordinates. This work continues to improve the acceleration power and energy reweighting of the GaMD by combining the GaMD with replica exchange algorithms. Two versions of replica exchange GaMD (rex-GaMD) are presented: force constant rex-GaMD and threshold energy rex-GaMD. During simulations of force constant rex-GaMD, the boost potential can be exchanged between replicas of different harmonic force constants with fixed threshold energy. However, the algorithm of threshold energy rex-GaMD tends to switch the threshold energy between lower and upper bounds for generating different levels of boost potential. Testing simulations on three model systems, including the alanine dipeptide, chignolin, and HIV protease, demonstrate that through continuous exchanges of the boost potential, the rex-GaMD simulations not only enhance the conformational transitions of the systems but also narrow down the distribution width of the applied boost potential for accurate energetic reweighting to recover biomolecular free energy profiles.
Acceleration of Particles Near Earth's Bow Shock
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sandroos, A.
2012-12-01
Collisionless shock waves, for example, near planetary bodies or driven by coronal mass ejections, are a key source of energetic particles in the heliosphere. When the solar wind hits Earth's bow shock, some of the incident particles get reflected back towards the Sun and are accelerated in the process. Reflected ions are responsible for the creation of a turbulent foreshock in quasi-parallel regions of Earth's bow shock. We present first results of foreshock macroscopic structure and of particle distributions upstream of Earth's bow shock, obtained with a new 2.5-dimensional self-consistent diffusive shock acceleration model. In the model particles' pitch angle scattering rates are calculated from Alfvén wave power spectra using quasilinear theory. Wave power spectra in turn are modified by particles' energy changes due to the scatterings. The new model has been implemented on massively parallel simulation platform Corsair. We have used an earlier version of the model to study ion acceleration in a shock-shock interaction event (Hietala, Sandroos, and Vainio, 2012).
Harvesting electrical energy from torsional thermal actuation driven by natural convection.
Kim, Shi Hyeong; Sim, Hyeon Jun; Hyeon, Jae Sang; Suh, Dongseok; Spinks, Geoffrey M; Baughman, Ray H; Kim, Seon Jeong
2018-06-07
The development of practical, cost-effective systems for the conversion of low-grade waste heat to electrical energy is an important area of renewable energy research. We here demonstrate a thermal energy harvester that is driven by the small temperature fluctuations provided by natural convection. This harvester uses coiled yarn artificial muscles, comprising well-aligned shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) microfibers, to convert thermal energy to torsional mechanical energy, which is then electromagnetically converted to electrical energy. Temperature fluctuations in a yarn muscle, having a maximum hot-to-cold temperature difference of about 13 °C, were used to spin a magnetic rotor to a peak torsional rotation speed of 3,000 rpm. The electromagnetic energy generator converted the torsional energy to electrical energy, thereby producing an oscillating output voltage of up to 0.81 V and peak power of 4 W/kg, based on SMPU mass.
MMS Observation of Inverse Energy Dispersion in Shock Drift Acceleration Ions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lee, S. H.; Sibeck, D. G.; Hwang, K. J.; Wang, Y.; Silveira, M. D.; Mauk, B.; Cohen, I. J.; Chu, C. S.; Mason, G. M.; Gold, R. E.; Burch, J. L.; Giles, B. L.; Torbert, R. B.; Russell, C. T.; Wei, H.
2016-12-01
The Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) on the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft observed bursts of energetic ions (50 keV-1000 keV) both in the foreshock and in the magnetosheath near the bow shock on December 6, 2015. Three species (protons, helium, and oxygen) exhibit inverse energy dispersions. Angular distributions for all three species indicate acceleration at the perpendicular bow shock. Acceleration that energizes the seed solar population by a factor of 2 and 4 is required for the protons and helium ions, respectively. The energy of the ions increases with θBn (the angle between the IMF and the local shock normal) since the induced electric field that energizes the charged particles increases as θBn increases towards 90°. We compare events upstream and downstream from the bow shock. We compare the MMS observations with those of the solar wind seed populations by the Ultra Low Energy Isotope Spectrometer (ULEIS) instrument on the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) mission and by the WIND 3-D Plamsa and Energetic Particle Experiment.
Acceleration of High Energy Cosmic Rays in the Nonlinear Shock Precursor
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Derzhinsky, F.; Diamond, P. H.; Malkov, M. A.
2006-10-01
The problem of understanding acceleration of very energetic cosmic rays to energies above the 'knee' in the spectrum at 10^15-10^16eV remains one of the great challenges in modern physics. Recently, we have proposed a new approach to understanding high energy acceleration, based on exploiting scattering of cosmic rays by inhomogenities in the compressive nonlinear shock precursor, rather than by scattering across the main shock, as is conventionally assumed. We extend that theory by proposing a mechanism for the generation of mesoscale magnetic fields (krg<1, where rg is the cosmic ray gyroradius). The mechanism is the decay or modulational instability of resonantly generated Alfven waves scattering off ambient density perturbations in the precursors. Such perturbations can be produced by Drury instability. This mechanism leads to the generation of longer wavelength Alfven waves, thus enabling the confinement of higher energy particles. A simplified version of the theory, cast in the form of a Fokker-Planck equation for the Alfven population, will also be presented. This process also limits field generation on rg scales.
Particle acceleration and magnetic field generation in SNR shocks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Suslov, M.; Diamond, P. H.; Malkov, M. A.
2006-04-01
We discuss the diffusive acceleration mechanism in SNR shocks in terms of its potential to accelerate CRs to 10^18 eV, as observations imply. One possibility, currently discussed in the literature, is to resonantly generate a turbulent magnetic field via accelerated particles in excess of the background field. We analyze some problems of this scenario and suggest a different mechanism, which is based on the generation of Alfven waves at the gyroradius scale at the background field level, with a subsequent transfer to longer scales via interaction with strong acoustic turbulence in the shock precursor. The acoustic turbulence in turn, may be generated by Drury instability or by parametric instability of the Alfven (A) waves. The essential idea is an A->A+S decay instability process, where one of the interacting scatterers (i.e. the sound, or S-waves) are driven by the Drury instability process. This rapidly generates longer wavelength Alfven waves, which in turn resonate with high energy CRs thus binding them to the shock and enabling their further acceleration.
Data-driven modeling, control and tools for cyber-physical energy systems
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Behl, Madhur
Energy systems are experiencing a gradual but substantial change in moving away from being non-interactive and manually-controlled systems to utilizing tight integration of both cyber (computation, communications, and control) and physical representations guided by first principles based models, at all scales and levels. Furthermore, peak power reduction programs like demand response (DR) are becoming increasingly important as the volatility on the grid continues to increase due to regulation, integration of renewables and extreme weather conditions. In order to shield themselves from the risk of price volatility, end-user electricity consumers must monitor electricity prices and be flexible in the ways they choose to use electricity. This requires the use of control-oriented predictive models of an energy system's dynamics and energy consumption. Such models are needed for understanding and improving the overall energy efficiency and operating costs. However, learning dynamical models using grey/white box approaches is very cost and time prohibitive since it often requires significant financial investments in retrofitting the system with several sensors and hiring domain experts for building the model. We present the use of data-driven methods for making model capture easy and efficient for cyber-physical energy systems. We develop Model-IQ, a methodology for analysis of uncertainty propagation for building inverse modeling and controls. Given a grey-box model structure and real input data from a temporary set of sensors, Model-IQ evaluates the effect of the uncertainty propagation from sensor data to model accuracy and to closed-loop control performance. We also developed a statistical method to quantify the bias in the sensor measurement and to determine near optimal sensor placement and density for accurate data collection for model training and control. Using a real building test-bed, we show how performing an uncertainty analysis can reveal trends about
Cai, Yao; Hu, Huasi; Lu, Shuangying; Jia, Qinggang
2018-05-01
To minimize the size and weight of a vehicle-mounted accelerator-driven D-T neutron source and protect workers from unnecessary irradiation after the equipment shutdown, a method to optimize radiation shielding material aiming at compactness, lightweight, and low activation for the fast neutrons was developed. The method employed genetic algorithm, combining MCNP and ORIGEN codes. A series of composite shielding material samples were obtained by the method step by step. The volume and weight needed to build a shield (assumed as a coaxial tapered cylinder) were adopted to compare the performance of the materials visually and conveniently. The results showed that the optimized materials have excellent performance in comparison with the conventional materials. The "MCNP6-ACT" method and the "rigorous two steps" (R2S) method were used to verify the activation grade of the shield irradiated by D-T neutrons. The types of radionuclide, the energy spectrum of corresponding decay gamma source, and the variation in decay gamma dose rate were also computed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Albert, F.; Lemos, N.; Shaw, J. L.; King, P. M.; Pollock, B. B.; Goyon, C.; Schumaker, W.; Saunders, A. M.; Marsh, K. A.; Pak, A.; Ralph, J. E.; Martins, J. L.; Amorim, L. D.; Falcone, R. W.; Glenzer, S. H.; Moody, J. D.; Joshi, C.
2018-05-01
A comparative experimental study of betatron x-ray radiation from laser wakefield acceleration in the blowout and self-modulated regimes is presented. Our experiments use picosecond duration laser pulses up to 150 J (self-modulated regime) and 60 fs duration laser pulses up to 10 J (blowout regime), for plasmas with electronic densities on the order of 1019 cm-3. In the self-modulated regime, where betatron radiation has been very little studied compared to the blowout regime, electrons accelerated in the wake of the laser pulse are subject to both the longitudinal plasma and transverse laser electrical fields. As a result, their motion within the wake is relatively complex; consequently, the experimental and theoretical properties of the x-ray source based on self-modulation differ from the blowout regime of laser wakefield acceleration. In our experimental configuration, electrons accelerated up to about 250 MeV and betatron x-ray spectra with critical energies of about 10-20 keV and photon fluxes between 108 and 1010 photons/eV Sr are reported. Our experiments open the prospect of using betatron x-ray radiation for applications, and the source is competitive with current x-ray backlighting methods on multi-kilojoule laser systems.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Xiao, K. D.; Huang, T. W.; Zhou, C. T., E-mail: zcangtao@iapcm.ac.cn
2016-01-15
Laser driven proton acceleration is proposed to be greatly enhanced by using a cone-tube target, which can be easily manufactured by current 3D-print technology. It is observed that energetic electron bunches are generated along the tube and accelerated to a much higher temperature by the combination of ponderomotive force and longitudinal electric field which is induced by the optical confinement of the laser field. As a result, a localized and enhanced sheath field is produced at the rear of the target and the maximum proton energy is about three-fold increased based on the two-dimentional particle-in-cell simulation results. It is demonstratedmore » that by employing this advanced target scheme, the scaling of the proton energy versus the laser intensity is much beyond the normal target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) case.« less
Albert, F.; Lemos, N.; Shaw, J. L.; ...
2017-03-31
We investigate a new regime for betatron x-ray emission that utilizes kilojoule-class picosecond lasers to drive wakes in plasmas. When such laser pulses with intensities of ~ 5 × 1 0 18 W / cm 2 are focused into plasmas with electron densities of ~ 1 × 1 0 19 cm - 3 , they undergo self-modulation and channeling, which accelerates electrons up to 200 MeV energies and causes those electrons to emit x rays. The measured x-ray spectra are fit with a synchrotron spectrum with a critical energy of 10–20 keV, and 2D particle-in-cell simulations were used to modelmore » the acceleration and radiation of the electrons in our experimental conditions« less
Comparison of measured electron energy spectra for six matched, radiotherapy accelerators.
McLaughlin, David J; Hogstrom, Kenneth R; Neck, Daniel W; Gibbons, John P
2018-05-01
This study compares energy spectra of the multiple electron beams of individual radiotherapy machines, as well as the sets of spectra across multiple matched machines. Also, energy spectrum metrics are compared with central-axis percent depth-dose (PDD) metrics. A lightweight, permanent magnet spectrometer was used to measure energy spectra for seven electron beams (7-20 MeV) on six matched Elekta Infinity accelerators with the MLCi2 treatment head. PDD measurements in the distal falloff region provided R 50 and R 80-20 metrics in Plastic Water ® , which correlated with energy spectrum metrics, peak mean energy (PME) and full-width at half maximum (FWHM). Visual inspection of energy spectra and their metrics showed whether beams on single machines were properly tuned, i.e., FWHM is expected to increase and peak height decrease monotonically with increased PME. Also, PME spacings are expected to be approximately equal for 7-13 MeV beams (0.5-cm R 90 spacing) and for 13-16 MeV beams (1.0-cm R 90 spacing). Most machines failed these expectations, presumably due to tolerances for initial beam matching (0.05 cm in R 90 ; 0.10 cm in R 80-20 ) and ongoing quality assurance (0.2 cm in R 50 ). Also, comparison of energy spectra or metrics for a single beam energy (six machines) showed outlying spectra. These variations in energy spectra provided ample data spread for correlating PME and FWHM with PDD metrics. Least-squares fits showed that R 50 and R 80-20 varied linearly and supralinearly with PME, respectively; however, both suggested a secondary dependence on FWHM. Hence, PME and FWHM could serve as surrogates for R 50 and R 80-20 for beam tuning by the accelerator engineer, possibly being more sensitive (e.g., 0.1 cm in R 80-20 corresponded to 2.0 MeV in FWHM). Results of this study suggest a lightweight, permanent magnet spectrometer could be a useful beam-tuning instrument for the accelerator engineer to (a) match electron beams prior to beam commissioning
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Xu, Tong; Chen, Min, E-mail: minchen@sjtu.edu.cn; Li, Fei-Yu
2014-01-06
We study incoherent Thomson scattering between an ultrashort laser pulse and an electron beam accelerated from a laser wakefield. The energy chirp effects of the accelerated electron beam on the final radiation spectrum bandwidth are investigated. It is found that the scattered X-ray radiation has the minimum spectrum width and highest intensity as electrons are accelerated up to around the dephasing point. Furthermore, it is proposed that the electron acceleration process inside the wakefield can be studied by use of 90° Thomson scattering. The dephasing position and beam energy chirp can be deduced from the intensity and bandwidth of themore » scattered radiation.« less
Particle Acceleration at the Sun and in the Heliosphere
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Reames, Donald V.
1999-01-01
Energetic particles are accelerated in rich profusion at sites throughout the heliosphere. They come from solar flares in the low corona, from shock waves driven outward by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), from planetary magnetospheres and bow shocks. They come from corotating interaction regions (CIRs) produced by high-speed streams in the solar wind, and from the heliospheric termination shock at the outer edge of the heliospheric cavity. We sample all these populations near Earth, but can distinguish them readily by their element and isotope abundances, ionization states, energy spectra, angular distributions and time behavior. Remote spacecraft have probed the spatial distributions of the particles and examined new sources in situ. Most acceleration sources can be "seen" only by direct observation of the particles; few photons are produced at these sites. Wave-particle interactions are an essential feature in acceleration sources and, for shock acceleration, new evidence of energetic-proton-generated waves has come from abundance variations and from local cross-field scattering. Element abundances often tell us the physics the source plasma itself, prior to acceleration. By comparing different populations, we learn more about the sources, and about the physics of acceleration and transport, than we can possibly learn from one source alone.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Jang, Hyojae, E-mail: lkcom@ibs.re.kr; Jin, Hyunchang; Jang, Ji-Ho
2016-02-15
A heavy ion accelerator, RAON is going to be built by Rare Isotope Science Project in Korea. Its target is to accelerate various stable ions such as uranium, proton, and xenon from electron cyclotron resonance ion source and some rare isotopes from isotope separation on-line. The beam shaping, charge selection, and modulation should be applied to the ions from these ion sources because RAON adopts a superconducting linear accelerator structure for beam acceleration. For such treatment, low energy beam transport, radio frequency quadrupole, and medium energy beam transport (MEBT) will be installed in injector part of RAON accelerator. Recently, developmentmore » of a prototype of stripline beam position monitor (BPM) to measure the position of ion beams in MEBT section is under way. In this presentation, design of stripline, electromagnetic (EM) simulation results, and RF measurement test results obtained from the prototyped BPM will be described.« less
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jin, Hyunchang; Jang, Ji-Ho; Jang, Hyojae; Jeon, Dong-O.
2015-12-01
In RAON heavy ion accelerator, beams generated by superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECR-IS) or Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) system are accelerated by lower energy superconducting linac and high energy superconducting linac. The accelerated beams are used in the high energy experimental hall which includes bio-medical and muon-SR facilities, after passing through the high energy beam transport lines. At the targets of those two facilities, the stable and small beams meeting the requirements rigorously are required in the transverse plane. Therefore the beams must be safely sent to the targets and simultaneously satisfy the two requirements, the achromatic condition and the mid-plane symmetric condition, of the targets. For this reason, the lattice design of the high energy beam transport lines in which the long deflecting sections are included is considered as a significant issue in the RAON accelerator. In this paper, we will describe the calculated beam optics satisfying the conditions and present the result of particle tracking simulations with the designed lattice of the high energy beam transport lines in the RAON accelerator. Also, the orbit distortion caused by the machine imperfections and the orbit correction with correctors will be discussed.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Shin, Young Min; Green, A.; Lumpkin, A. H.
2016-09-16
A short bunch of relativistic particles or a short-pulse laser perturbs the density state of conduction electrons in a solid crystal and excites wakefields along atomic lattices in a crystal. Under a coupling condition the wakes, if excited, can accelerate channeling particles with TeV/m acceleration gradients in principle since the density of charge carriers (conduction electrons) in solids n 0 = ~ 10 20 – 10 23 cm -3 is significantly higher than what can be obtained in gaseous plasma. Nanostructures have some advantages over crystals for channeling applications of high power beams. The dechanneling rate can be reduced andmore » the beam acceptance increased by the large size of the channels. For beam-driven acceleration, a bunch length with a sufficient charge density would need to be in the range of the plasma wavelength to properly excite plasma wakefields, and channeled particle acceleration with the wakefields must occur before the ions in the lattices move beyond the restoring threshold. In the case of the excitation by short laser pulses, the dephasing length is appreciably increased with the larger channel, which enables channeled particles to gain sufficient amounts of energy. This paper describes simulation analyses on beam- and laser (X-ray)-driven accelerations in effective nanotube models obtained from Vsim and EPOCH codes. Experimental setups to detect wakefields are also outlined with accelerator facilities at Fermilab and NIU. In the FAST facility, the electron beamline was successfully commissioned at 50 MeV and it is being upgraded toward higher energies for electron accelerator R&D. The 50 MeV injector beamline of the facility is used for X-ray crystal-channeling radiation with a diamond target. It has been proposed to utilize the same diamond crystal for a channeling acceleration POC test. Another POC experiment is also designed for the NIU accelerator lab with time-resolved electron diffraction. Recently, a stable generation of single
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Brantov, A. V., E-mail: brantov@lebedev.ru; Bychenkov, V. Yu., E-mail: bychenk@lebedev.ru
2015-06-15
Optimal regimes of proton acceleration in the interaction of short high-power laser pulses with thin foils and low-density targets are determined by means of 3D numerical simulation. It is demonstrated that the maximum proton energy can be increased by using low-density targets in which ions from the front surface of the target are accelerated most efficiently. It is shown using a particular example that, for the same laser pulse, the energy of protons accelerated from a low-density target can be increased by one-third as compared to a solid-state target.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sakai, Jun-Ichi
1992-01-01
We present a model for high-energy solar flares to explain prompt proton and electron acceleration, which occurs around moving X-point magnetic field during the implosion phase of the current sheet. We derive the electromagnetic fields during the strong implosion phase of the current sheets, which is driven by the converging flow derived from the magnetohydrodynamic equations. It is shown that both protons and electrons can be promptly (within 1 second) accelerated to approximately 70 MeV and approximately 200 MeV, respectively. This acceleration mechanism can be applicable for the impulsive phase of the gradual gamma ray and proton flares (gradual GR/P flare), which have been called two-ribbon flares.
Proton acceleration by a pair of successive ultraintense femtosecond laser pulses
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ferri, J.; Senje, L.; Dalui, M.; Svensson, K.; Aurand, B.; Hansson, M.; Persson, A.; Lundh, O.; Wahlström, C.-G.; Gremillet, L.; Siminos, E.; DuBois, T. C.; Yi, L.; Martins, J. L.; Fülöp, T.
2018-04-01
We investigate the target normal sheath acceleration of protons in thin aluminum targets irradiated at a relativistic intensity by two time-separated ultrashort (35 fs) laser pulses. When the full-energy laser pulse is temporally split into two identical half-energy pulses, and using target thicknesses of 3 and 6 μm, we observe experimentally that the second half-pulse boosts the maximum energy and charge of the proton beam produced by the first half-pulse for time delays below ˜0.6-1 ps. Using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we examine the variation of the proton energy spectra with respect to the time-delay between the two pulses. We demonstrate that the expansion of the target front surface caused by the first pulse significantly enhances the hot-electron generation by the second pulse arriving after a few hundreds of fs time delay. This enhancement, however, does not suffice to further accelerate the fastest protons driven by the first pulse once three-dimensional quenching effects have set in. This implies a limit to the maximum time delay that leads to proton energy enhancement, which we theoretically determine.
Accelerator physics and technology challenges of very high energy hadron colliders
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shiltsev, Vladimir D.
2015-08-01
High energy hadron colliders have been in the forefront of particle physics for more than three decades. At present, international particle physics community considers several options for a 100 TeV proton-proton collider as a possible post-LHC energy frontier facility. The method of colliding beams has not fully exhausted its potential but has slowed down considerably in its progress. This paper briefly reviews the accelerator physics and technology challenges of the future very high energy colliders and outlines the areas of required research and development towards their technical and financial feasibility.
Accelerator physics and technology challenges of very high energy hadron colliders
Shiltsev, Vladimir D.
2015-08-20
High energy hadron colliders have been in the forefront of particle physics for more than three decades. At present, international particle physics community considers several options for a 100 TeV proton–proton collider as a possible post-LHC energy frontier facility. The method of colliding beams has not fully exhausted its potential but has slowed down considerably in its progress. This article briefly reviews the accelerator physics and technology challenges of the future very high energy colliders and outlines the areas of required research and development towards their technical and financial feasibility.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Smoller, Joel; Temple, Blake; Vogler, Zeke
2017-11-01
We identify the condition for smoothness at the centre of spherically symmetric solutions of Einstein's original equations without the cosmological constant or dark energy. We use this to derive a universal phase portrait which describes general, smooth, spherically symmetric solutions near the centre of symmetry when the pressure p=0. In this phase portrait, the critical k=0 Friedmann space-time appears as a saddle rest point which is unstable to spherical perturbations. This raises the question as to whether the Friedmann space-time is observable by redshift versus luminosity measurements looking outwards from any point. The unstable manifold of the saddle rest point corresponding to Friedmann describes the evolution of local uniformly expanding space-times whose accelerations closely mimic the effects of dark energy. A unique simple wave perturbation from the radiation epoch is shown to trigger the instability, match the accelerations of dark energy up to second order and distinguish the theory from dark energy at third order. In this sense, anomalous accelerations are not only consistent with Einstein's original theory of general relativity, but are a prediction of it without the cosmological constant or dark energy.
Smoller, Joel; Temple, Blake; Vogler, Zeke
2017-11-01
We identify the condition for smoothness at the centre of spherically symmetric solutions of Einstein's original equations without the cosmological constant or dark energy. We use this to derive a universal phase portrait which describes general, smooth, spherically symmetric solutions near the centre of symmetry when the pressure p =0. In this phase portrait, the critical k =0 Friedmann space-time appears as a saddle rest point which is unstable to spherical perturbations. This raises the question as to whether the Friedmann space-time is observable by redshift versus luminosity measurements looking outwards from any point. The unstable manifold of the saddle rest point corresponding to Friedmann describes the evolution of local uniformly expanding space-times whose accelerations closely mimic the effects of dark energy. A unique simple wave perturbation from the radiation epoch is shown to trigger the instability, match the accelerations of dark energy up to second order and distinguish the theory from dark energy at third order. In this sense, anomalous accelerations are not only consistent with Einstein's original theory of general relativity, but are a prediction of it without the cosmological constant or dark energy.
An online, energy-resolving beam profile detector for laser-driven proton beams
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Metzkes, J.; Rehwald, M.; Obst, L.
In this paper, a scintillator-based online beam profile detector for the characterization of laser-driven proton beams is presented. Using a pixelated matrix with varying absorber thicknesses, the proton beam is spatially resolved in two dimensions and simultaneously energy-resolved. A thin plastic scintillator placed behind the absorber and read out by a CCD camera is used as the active detector material. The spatial detector resolution reaches down to ∼4 mm and the detector can resolve proton beam profiles for up to 9 proton threshold energies. With these detector design parameters, the spatial characteristics of the proton distribution and its cut-off energymore » can be analyzed online and on-shot under vacuum conditions. The paper discusses the detector design, its characterization and calibration at a conventional proton source, as well as the first detector application at a laser-driven proton source.« less
Enhanced betatron radiation by steering a laser-driven plasma wakefield with a tilted shock front
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yu, Changhai; Liu, Jiansheng; Wang, Wentao; Li, Wentao; Qi, Rong; Zhang, Zhijun; Qin, Zhiyong; Liu, Jiaqi; Fang, Ming; Feng, Ke; Wu, Ying; Ke, Lintong; Chen, Yu; Wang, Cheng; Xu, Yi; Leng, Yuxin; Xia, Changquan; Li, Ruxin; Xu, Zhizhan
2018-03-01
We have experimentally realized a scheme to enhance betatron radiation by manipulating transverse oscillation of electrons in a laser-driven plasma wakefield with a tilted shock front (TSF). Very brilliant betatron x-rays have been produced with significant enhancement both in photon yield and peak energy but almost maintain the e-beam energy spread and charge. Particle-in-cell simulations indicate that the accelerated electron beam (e beam) can acquire a very large transverse oscillation amplitude with an increase in more than 10-fold, after being steered into the deflected wakefield due to the refraction of the driving laser at the TSF. Spectral broadening of betatron radiation can be suppressed owing to the small variation in the peak energy of the low-energy-spread e beam in a plasma wiggler regime. It is demonstrated that the e-beam generation, refracting, and wiggling can act as a whole to realize the concurrence of monoenergetic e beams and bright x-rays in a compact laser-wakefield accelerator.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Derishev, E.; Aharonian, F.
We show that, in the presence of radiation field, relativistic bulk flows can very quikly accelerate protons and electrons up to the energies limited either by Hillas criterion or by synchrotron losses. Unlike the traditional approach, we take advantage of continuous photon-induced conversion of charged particle species to neutral ones, and vice versa (proton-neutron or electron-photon). Such a conversion, though it leads to considerable energy losses, allows accelerated particles to increase their energies in each scattering by a factor roughly equal to the bulk Lorentz factor, thus avoiding the need in slow and relatively inefficient diffusive acceleration. The optical depth of accelerating region with respect to inelastic photon-induced reactions (pair production for electrons and photomeson reactions for protons) should be a substancial fraction of unity. Remarkably, self-tuning of the optical depth is automatically achieved as long as the photon density depends on the distance along the bulk flow. This mechanism can work in Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs), microquasars, or any other object with relativistic bulk flows embedded in radiation-reach environment. Both GRBs and AGNs turn out to be capable of producing 1020 eV cosmic rays.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Turner, D. L.; Fennell, J. F.; Blake, J. B.; Clemmons, J. H.; Mauk, B. H.; Cohen, I. J.; Jaynes, A. N.; Craft, J. V.; Wilder, F. D.; Baker, D. N.; Reeves, G. D.; Gershman, D. J.; Avanov, L. A.; Dorelli, J. C.; Giles, B. L.; Pollock, C. J.; Schmid, D.; Nakamura, R.; Strangeway, R. J.; Russell, C. T.; Artemyev, A. V.; Runov, A.; Angelopoulos, V.; Spence, H. E.; Torbert, R. B.; Burch, J. L.
2016-08-01
We present multipoint observations of earthward moving dipolarization fronts and energetic particle injections from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission with a focus on electron acceleration. From a case study during a substorm on 02 August 2015, we find that electrons are only accelerated over a finite energy range, from a lower energy threshold at 7-9 keV up to an upper energy cutoff in the hundreds of keV range. At energies lower than the threshold energy, electron fluxes decrease, potentially due to precipitation by strong parallel electrostatic wavefields or initial sources in the lobes. Electrons at energies higher than the threshold are accelerated cumulatively by a series of impulsive magnetic dipolarization events. This case demonstrates how the upper energy cutoff increases, in this case from 130 keV to >500 keV, with each dipolarization/injection during sustained activity. We also present a simple model accounting for these energy limits that reveals that electron energization is dominated by betatron acceleration.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Turner, D. L.; Fennell, J. F.; Blake, J. B.; Clemmons, J. H.; Mauk, B. H.; Cohen, I. J.; Jaynes, A. N.; Craft, J. V.; Wilder, F. D.; Baker, D. N.;
2016-01-01
We present multipoint observations of earthward moving dipolarization fronts and energetic particle injections from NASAs Magnetospheric Multiscale mission with a focus on electron acceleration. From a case study during a substorm on 02 August 2015, we find that electrons are only accelerated over a finite energy range, from a lower energy threshold at approx. 7-9 keV up to an upper energy cutoff in the hundreds of keV range. At energies lower than the threshold energy, electron fluxes decrease, potentially due to precipitation by strong parallel electrostatic wavefields or initial sources in the lobes. Electrons at energies higher than the threshold are accelerated cumulatively by a series of impulsive magnetic dipolarization events. This case demonstrates how the upper energy cutoff increases, in this case from approx. 130 keV to >500 keV, with each depolarization/injection during sustained activity. We also present a simple model accounting for these energy limits that reveals that electron energization is dominated by betatron acceleration.
Wootton, Kent P.; Wu, Ziran; Cowan, Benjamin M.; ...
2016-06-02
Acceleration of electrons using laser-driven dielectric microstructures is a promising technology for the miniaturization of particle accelerators. Achieving the desired GV m –1 accelerating gradients is possible only with laser pulse durations shorter than ~1 ps. In this Letter, we present, to the best of our knowledge, the first demonstration of acceleration of relativistic electrons at a dielectric microstructure driven by femtosecond duration laser pulses. Furthermore, using this technique, an electron accelerating gradient of 690±100 MV m –1 was measured—a record for dielectric laser accelerators.
Universal Pinning Energy Barrier for Driven Domain Walls in Thin Ferromagnetic Films
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jeudy, V.; Mougin, A.; Bustingorry, S.; Savero Torres, W.; Gorchon, J.; Kolton, A. B.; Lemaître, A.; Jamet, J.-P.
2016-07-01
We report a comparative study of magnetic field driven domain wall motion in thin films made of different magnetic materials for a wide range of field and temperature. The full thermally activated creep motion, observed below the depinning threshold, is shown to be described by a unique universal energy barrier function. Our findings should be relevant for other systems whose dynamics can be modeled by elastic interfaces moving on disordered energy landscapes.
Clark, Timothy Darren; Sandblom, E; Hinch, S G; Patterson, D A; Frappell, P B; Farrell, A P
2010-06-01
Monitoring the physiological status and behaviour of free-swimming fishes remains a challenging task, although great promise stems from techniques such as biologging and biotelemetry. Here, implanted data loggers were used to simultaneously measure heart rate (f (H)), visceral temperature, and a derivation of acceleration in two groups of wild adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) held at two different water speeds (slow and fast). Calibration experiments performed with individual fish in a swim tunnel respirometer generated strong relationships between acceleration, f (H), tail beat frequency and energy expenditure over a wide range of swimming velocities. The regression equations were then used to estimate the overall energy expenditure of the groups of fish held at different water speeds. As expected, fish held at faster water speeds exhibited greater f (H) and acceleration, and correspondingly a higher estimated energy expenditure than fish held at slower water speeds. These estimates were consistent with gross somatic energy density of fish at death, as determined using proximate analyses of a dorsal tissue sample. Heart rate alone and in combination with acceleration, rather than acceleration alone, provided the most accurate proxies for energy expenditure in these studies. Even so, acceleration provided useful information on the behaviour of fish and may itself prove to be a valuable proxy for energy expenditure under different environmental conditions, using a different derivation of the acceleration data, and/or with further calibration experiments. These results strengthen the possibility that biologging or biotelemetry of f (H) and acceleration may be usefully applied to migrating sockeye salmon to monitor physiology and behaviour, and to estimate energy use in the natural environment.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, W. P.; Shen, B. F.; Xu, Z. Z.
2017-05-01
The accelerating gradient of a proton beam is crucial for stable radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) because the multi-dimensional instabilities increase γ times slower in the relativistic region. In this paper, a shape-tailored laser is proposed to significantly accelerate the ions in a controllable high accelerating gradient. In this method, the fastest ions initially rest in the middle of the foil are controlled to catch the compressed electron layer at the end of the hole-boring stage, thus the light-sail stage can start as soon as possible. Then the compressed electron layer is accelerated tightly together with the fastest ions by the shaped laser intensity, which further increases the accelerating gradient in the light-sail stage. Such tailored pulse may be beneficial for the RPA driven by the 10-fs 10 petawatt laser in the future.
Boosting laser-ion acceleration with multi-picosecond pulses
Yogo, A.; Mima, K.; Iwata, N.; Tosaki, S.; Morace, A.; Arikawa, Y.; Fujioka, S.; Johzaki, T.; Sentoku, Y.; Nishimura, H.; Sagisaka, A.; Matsuo, K.; Kamitsukasa, N.; Kojima, S.; Nagatomo, H.; Nakai, M.; Shiraga, H.; Murakami, M.; Tokita, S.; Kawanaka, J.; Miyanaga, N.; Yamanoi, K.; Norimatsu, T.; Sakagami, H.; Bulanov, S. V.; Kondo, K.; Azechi, H.
2017-01-01
Using one of the world most powerful laser facility, we demonstrate for the first time that high-contrast multi-picosecond pulses are advantageous for proton acceleration. By extending the pulse duration from 1.5 to 6 ps with fixed laser intensity of 1018 W cm−2, the maximum proton energy is improved more than twice (from 13 to 33 MeV). At the same time, laser-energy conversion efficiency into the MeV protons is enhanced with an order of magnitude, achieving 5% for protons above 6 MeV with the 6 ps pulse duration. The proton energies observed are discussed using a plasma expansion model newly developed that takes the electron temperature evolution beyond the ponderomotive energy in the over picoseconds interaction into account. The present results are quite encouraging for realizing ion-driven fast ignition and novel ion beamlines. PMID:28211913
Undulator-Based Laser Wakefield Accelerator Electron Beam Energy Spread and Emittance Diagnostic
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Bakeman, M. S.; University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV 89557; Van Tilborg, J.
The design and current status of experiments to couple the Tapered Hybrid Undulator (THUNDER) to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) laser plasma accelerator (LPA) to measure electron beam energy spread and emittance are presented.
Neutron imaging with the short-pulse laser driven neutron source at the TRIDENT Laser Facility
Guler, Nevzat; Volegov, Petr Lvovich; Favalli, Andrea; ...
2016-10-17
Emerging approaches to short-pulse laser-driven neutron production offer a possible gateway to compact, low cost, and intense broad spectrum sources for a wide variety of applications. They are based on energetic ions, driven by an intense short-pulse laser, interacting with a converter material to produce neutrons via breakup and nuclear reactions. Recent experiments performed with the high-contrast laser at the Trident laser facility of Los Alamos National Laboratory have demonstrated a laser-driven ion acceleration mechanism operating in the regime of relativistic transparency, featuring a volumetric laser-plasma interaction. This mechanism is distinct from previously studied ones that accelerate ions at themore » laser-target surface. The Trident experiments produced an intense beam of deuterons with an energy distribution extending above 100 MeV. This deuteron beam, when directed at a beryllium converter, produces a forward-directed neutron beam with ~5x10 9 n/sr, in a single laser shot, primarily due to deuteron breakup. The neutron beam has a pulse duration on the order of a few nanoseconds with an energy distribution extending from a few hundreds of keV to almost 80 MeV. For the experiments on neutron-source spot-size measurements, our gated neutron imager was setup to select neutrons in the energy range of 2.5 to 35 MeV. The spot size of neutron emission at the converter was measured by two different imaging techniques, using a knife-edge and a penumbral aperture, in two different experimental campaigns. The neutron-source spot size is measured ~1 mm for both experiments. The measurements and analysis reported here give a spatial characterization for this type of neutron source for the first time. In addition, the forward modeling performed provides an empirical estimate of the spatial characteristics of the deuteron ion-beam. Finally, these experimental observations, taken together, provide essential yet unique data to benchmark and verify theoretical
Neutron imaging with the short-pulse laser driven neutron source at the TRIDENT Laser Facility
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Guler, Nevzat; Volegov, Petr Lvovich; Favalli, Andrea
Emerging approaches to short-pulse laser-driven neutron production offer a possible gateway to compact, low cost, and intense broad spectrum sources for a wide variety of applications. They are based on energetic ions, driven by an intense short-pulse laser, interacting with a converter material to produce neutrons via breakup and nuclear reactions. Recent experiments performed with the high-contrast laser at the Trident laser facility of Los Alamos National Laboratory have demonstrated a laser-driven ion acceleration mechanism operating in the regime of relativistic transparency, featuring a volumetric laser-plasma interaction. This mechanism is distinct from previously studied ones that accelerate ions at themore » laser-target surface. The Trident experiments produced an intense beam of deuterons with an energy distribution extending above 100 MeV. This deuteron beam, when directed at a beryllium converter, produces a forward-directed neutron beam with ~5x10 9 n/sr, in a single laser shot, primarily due to deuteron breakup. The neutron beam has a pulse duration on the order of a few nanoseconds with an energy distribution extending from a few hundreds of keV to almost 80 MeV. For the experiments on neutron-source spot-size measurements, our gated neutron imager was setup to select neutrons in the energy range of 2.5 to 35 MeV. The spot size of neutron emission at the converter was measured by two different imaging techniques, using a knife-edge and a penumbral aperture, in two different experimental campaigns. The neutron-source spot size is measured ~1 mm for both experiments. The measurements and analysis reported here give a spatial characterization for this type of neutron source for the first time. In addition, the forward modeling performed provides an empirical estimate of the spatial characteristics of the deuteron ion-beam. Finally, these experimental observations, taken together, provide essential yet unique data to benchmark and verify theoretical
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sledneva, A. S.; Kobets, V. V.
2017-06-01
The linear electron accelerator based on the LINAC - 800 accelerator imported from the Netherland is created at Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in the framework of the project on creation of the Testbed with an electron beam of a linear accelerator with an energy up to 250 MV. Currently two accelerator stations with a 60 MV energy of a beam are put in operation and the work is to put the beam through accelerating section of the third accelerator station. The electron beam with an energy of 23 MeV is used for testing the crystals (BaF2, CsI (native), and LYSO) in order to explore the opportunity to use them in particle detectors in experiments: Muon g-2, Mu2e, Comet, whose preparation requires a detailed study of the detectors properties such as their irradiation by the accelerator beams.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kroon, John J.; Becker, Peter A.; Finke, Justin D.
2018-01-01
The γ-ray flares from the Crab Nebula observed by AGILE and Fermi-LAT between 2007 and 2013 reached GeV photon energies and lasted several days. The strongest emission, observed during the 2011 April “superflare”, exceeded the quiescent level by more than an order of magnitude. These observations challenge the standard models for particle acceleration in pulsar wind nebulae, because the radiating electrons have energies exceeding the classical radiation-reaction limit for synchrotron emission. Particle-in-cell simulations have suggested that the classical synchrotron limit can be exceeded if the electrons also experience electrostatic acceleration due to shock-driven magnetic reconnection. In this paper, we revisit the problem using an analytic approach based on solving a fully time-dependent electron transport equation describing the electrostatic acceleration, synchrotron losses, and escape experienced by electrons in a magnetically confined plasma “blob” as it encounters and passes through the pulsar wind termination shock. We show that our model can reproduce the γ-ray spectra observed during the rising and decaying phases of each of the two sub-flare components of the 2011 April superflare. We integrate the spectrum for photon energies ≥slant 100 MeV to obtain the light curve for the event, which also agrees with the observations. We find that strong electrostatic acceleration occurs on both sides of the termination shock, driven by magnetic reconnection. We also find that the dominant mode of particle escape changes from diffusive escape to advective escape as the blob passes through the shock.
Electron beam accelerator with magnetic pulse compression and accelerator switching
Birx, Daniel L.; Reginato, Louis L.
1988-01-01
An electron beam accelerator comprising an electron beam generator-injector to produce a focused beam of .gtoreq.0.1 MeV energy electrons; a plurality of substantially identical, aligned accelerator modules to sequentially receive and increase the kinetic energies of the beam electrons by about 0.1-1 MeV per module. Each accelerator module includes a pulse-forming network that delivers a voltage pulse to the module of substantially .gtoreq.0.1-1 MeV maximum energy over a time duration of .ltoreq.1 .mu.sec.
Electron beam accelerator with magnetic pulse compression and accelerator switching
Birx, Daniel L.; Reginato, Louis L.
1987-01-01
An electron beam accelerator comprising an electron beam generator-injector to produce a focused beam of .gtoreq.0.1 MeV energy electrons; a plurality of substantially identical, aligned accelerator modules to sequentially receive and increase the kinetic energies of the beam electrons by about 0.1-1 MeV per module. Each accelerator module includes a pulse-forming network that delivers a voltage pulse to the module of substantially 0.1-1 MeV maximum energy over a time duration of .ltoreq.1 .mu.sec.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stygar, W. A.; Awe, T. J.; Bailey, J. E.; Bennett, N. L.; Breden, E. W.; Campbell, E. M.; Clark, R. E.; Cooper, R. A.; Cuneo, M. E.; Ennis, J. B.; Fehl, D. L.; Genoni, T. C.; Gomez, M. R.; Greiser, G. W.; Gruner, F. R.; Herrmann, M. C.; Hutsel, B. T.; Jennings, C. A.; Jobe, D. O.; Jones, B. M.; Jones, M. C.; Jones, P. A.; Knapp, P. F.; Lash, J. S.; LeChien, K. R.; Leckbee, J. J.; Leeper, R. J.; Lewis, S. A.; Long, F. W.; Lucero, D. J.; Madrid, E. A.; Martin, M. R.; Matzen, M. K.; Mazarakis, M. G.; McBride, R. D.; McKee, G. R.; Miller, C. L.; Moore, J. K.; Mostrom, C. B.; Mulville, T. D.; Peterson, K. J.; Porter, J. L.; Reisman, D. B.; Rochau, G. A.; Rochau, G. E.; Rose, D. V.; Rovang, D. C.; Savage, M. E.; Sceiford, M. E.; Schmit, P. F.; Schneider, R. F.; Schwarz, J.; Sefkow, A. B.; Sinars, D. B.; Slutz, S. A.; Spielman, R. B.; Stoltzfus, B. S.; Thoma, C.; Vesey, R. A.; Wakeland, P. E.; Welch, D. R.; Wisher, M. L.; Woodworth, J. R.
2015-11-01
We have developed conceptual designs of two petawatt-class pulsed-power accelerators: Z 300 and Z 800. The designs are based on an accelerator architecture that is founded on two concepts: single-stage electrical-pulse compression and impedance matching [Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 10, 030401 (2007)]. The prime power source of each machine consists of 90 linear-transformer-driver (LTD) modules. Each module comprises LTD cavities connected electrically in series, each of which is powered by 5-GW LTD bricks connected electrically in parallel. (A brick comprises a single switch and two capacitors in series.) Six water-insulated radial-transmission-line impedance transformers transport the power generated by the modules to a six-level vacuum-insulator stack. The stack serves as the accelerator's water-vacuum interface. The stack is connected to six conical outer magnetically insulated vacuum transmission lines (MITLs), which are joined in parallel at a 10-cm radius by a triple-post-hole vacuum convolute. The convolute sums the electrical currents at the outputs of the six outer MITLs, and delivers the combined current to a single short inner MITL. The inner MITL transmits the combined current to the accelerator's physics-package load. Z 300 is 35 m in diameter and stores 48 MJ of electrical energy in its LTD capacitors. The accelerator generates 320 TW of electrical power at the output of the LTD system, and delivers 48 MA in 154 ns to a magnetized-liner inertial-fusion (MagLIF) target [Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010)]. The peak electrical power at the MagLIF target is 870 TW, which is the highest power throughout the accelerator. Power amplification is accomplished by the centrally located vacuum section, which serves as an intermediate inductive-energy-storage device. The principal goal of Z 300 is to achieve thermonuclear ignition; i.e., a fusion yield that exceeds the energy transmitted by the accelerator to the liner. 2D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations
Cumulative neutrino background from quasar-driven outflows
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Wang, Xiawei; Loeb, Abraham, E-mail: xiawei.wang@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: aloeb@cfa.harvard.edu
2016-12-01
Quasar-driven outflows naturally account for the missing component of the extragalactic γ-ray background through neutral pion production in interactions between protons accelerated by the forward outflow shock and interstellar protons. We study the simultaneous neutrino emission by the same protons. We adopt outflow parameters that best fit the extragalactic γ-ray background data and derive a cumulative neutrino background of ∼ 10{sup −7} GeV cm{sup −2} s{sup −1} sr{sup −1} at neutrino energies E {sub ν} ∼> 10 TeV, which naturally explains the most recent IceCube data without tuning any free parameters. The link between the γ-ray and neutrino emission frommore » quasar outflows can be used to constrain the high-energy physics of strong shocks at cosmological distances.« less
Acceleration modules in linear induction accelerators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, Shao-Heng; Deng, Jian-Jun
2014-05-01
The Linear Induction Accelerator (LIA) is a unique type of accelerator that is capable of accelerating kilo-Ampere charged particle current to tens of MeV energy. The present development of LIA in MHz bursting mode and the successful application into a synchrotron have broadened LIA's usage scope. Although the transformer model is widely used to explain the acceleration mechanism of LIAs, it is not appropriate to consider the induction electric field as the field which accelerates charged particles for many modern LIAs. We have examined the transition of the magnetic cores' functions during the LIA acceleration modules' evolution, distinguished transformer type and transmission line type LIA acceleration modules, and re-considered several related issues based on transmission line type LIA acceleration module. This clarified understanding should help in the further development and design of LIA acceleration modules.
Accelerating Clean Energy Commercialization. A Strategic Partnership Approach
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Adams, Richard; Pless, Jacquelyn; Arent, Douglas J.
Technology development in the clean energy and broader clean tech space has proven to be challenging. Long-standing methods for advancing clean energy technologies from science to commercialization are best known for relatively slow, linear progression through research and development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D); and characterized by well-known valleys of death for financing. Investment returns expected by traditional venture capital investors have been difficult to achieve, particularly for hardware-centric innovations, and companies that are subject to project finance risks. Commercialization support from incubators and accelerators has helped address these challenges by offering more support services to start-ups; however, more effort ismore » needed to fulfill the desired clean energy future. The emergence of new strategic investors and partners in recent years has opened up innovative opportunities for clean tech entrepreneurs, and novel commercialization models are emerging that involve new alliances among clean energy companies, RDD&D, support systems, and strategic customers. For instance, Wells Fargo and Company (WFC) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have launched a new technology incubator that supports faster commercialization through a focus on technology development. The incubator combines strategic financing, technology and technical assistance, strategic customer site validation, and ongoing financial support.« less
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Strelnikov, Kuzma
2010-01-01
There is increasing focus on the neurophysiological underpinnings of brain activations, giving birth to an emerging branch of neuroscience--neuroenergetics. However, no common definition of "brain activation" exists thus far. In this article, we define brain activation as the information-driven reorganization of energy flows in a population of…
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Turner, Drew Lawson; Fennell, J. F.; Blake, J. B.
Here, we present multipoint observations of earthward moving dipolarization fronts and energetic particle injections from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission with a focus on electron acceleration. From a case study during a substorm on 02 August 2015, we find that electrons are only accelerated over a finite energy range, from a lower energy threshold at ~7–9 keV up to an upper energy cutoff in the hundreds of keV range. At energies lower than the threshold energy, electron fluxes decrease, potentially due to precipitation by strong parallel electrostatic wavefields or initial sources in the lobes. Electrons at energies higher than the thresholdmore » are accelerated cumulatively by a series of impulsive magnetic dipolarization events. This case demonstrates how the upper energy cutoff increases, in this case from ~130 keV to >500 keV, with each dipolarization/injection during sustained activity. We also present a simple model accounting for these energy limits that reveals that electron energization is dominated by betatron acceleration.« less
Turner, Drew Lawson; Fennell, J. F.; Blake, J. B.; ...
2016-08-01
Here, we present multipoint observations of earthward moving dipolarization fronts and energetic particle injections from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission with a focus on electron acceleration. From a case study during a substorm on 02 August 2015, we find that electrons are only accelerated over a finite energy range, from a lower energy threshold at ~7–9 keV up to an upper energy cutoff in the hundreds of keV range. At energies lower than the threshold energy, electron fluxes decrease, potentially due to precipitation by strong parallel electrostatic wavefields or initial sources in the lobes. Electrons at energies higher than the thresholdmore » are accelerated cumulatively by a series of impulsive magnetic dipolarization events. This case demonstrates how the upper energy cutoff increases, in this case from ~130 keV to >500 keV, with each dipolarization/injection during sustained activity. We also present a simple model accounting for these energy limits that reveals that electron energization is dominated by betatron acceleration.« less
Data-Driven Learning of Total and Local Energies in Elemental Boron
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Deringer, Volker L.; Pickard, Chris J.; Csányi, Gábor
2018-04-01
The allotropes of boron continue to challenge structural elucidation and solid-state theory. Here we use machine learning combined with random structure searching (RSS) algorithms to systematically construct an interatomic potential for boron. Starting from ensembles of randomized atomic configurations, we use alternating single-point quantum-mechanical energy and force computations, Gaussian approximation potential (GAP) fitting, and GAP-driven RSS to iteratively generate a representation of the element's potential-energy surface. Beyond the total energies of the very different boron allotropes, our model readily provides atom-resolved, local energies and thus deepened insight into the frustrated β -rhombohedral boron structure. Our results open the door for the efficient and automated generation of GAPs, and other machine-learning-based interatomic potentials, and suggest their usefulness as a tool for materials discovery.
Data-Driven Learning of Total and Local Energies in Elemental Boron.
Deringer, Volker L; Pickard, Chris J; Csányi, Gábor
2018-04-13
The allotropes of boron continue to challenge structural elucidation and solid-state theory. Here we use machine learning combined with random structure searching (RSS) algorithms to systematically construct an interatomic potential for boron. Starting from ensembles of randomized atomic configurations, we use alternating single-point quantum-mechanical energy and force computations, Gaussian approximation potential (GAP) fitting, and GAP-driven RSS to iteratively generate a representation of the element's potential-energy surface. Beyond the total energies of the very different boron allotropes, our model readily provides atom-resolved, local energies and thus deepened insight into the frustrated β-rhombohedral boron structure. Our results open the door for the efficient and automated generation of GAPs, and other machine-learning-based interatomic potentials, and suggest their usefulness as a tool for materials discovery.
Reduction of beam corkscrew motion on the ETAII linear induction accelerator
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Turner, W.C.; Allen, S.L.; Brand, H.R.
1990-09-04
The ETAII linear induction accelerator (6MeV, 3kA, 70ns) is designed to drive a microwave free electron laser (FEL) and demonstrate the front end accelerator technology for a shorter wavelength FEL. Performance to date has been limited by beam corkscrew motion that is driven by energy sweep and misalignment of the solenoidal focusing magnets. Modifications to the pulse power distribution system and magnetic alignment are expected to reduce the radius of corkscrew motion from its present value of 1 cm to less than 1 mm. The modifications have so far been carried out on the first 2.7 MeV (injector plus 20more » accelerator cells) and experiments are beginning. In this paper we will present calculations of central flux line alignment, beam corkscrew motion and beam brightness that are anticipated with the modified ETAII. 10 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.« less
Electron beam accelerator with magnetic pulse compression and accelerator switching
Birx, D.L.; Reginato, L.L.
1984-03-22
An electron beam accelerator is described comprising an electron beam generator-injector to produce a focused beam of greater than or equal to .1 MeV energy electrons; a plurality of substantially identical, aligned accelerator modules to sequentially receive and increase the kinetic energies of the beam electron by about .1-1 MeV per module. Each accelerator module includes a pulse-forming network that delivers a voltage pulse to the module of substantially .1-1 MeV maximum energy over a time duration of less than or equal to 1 ..mu..sec.
Harmonic ratcheting for fast acceleration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cook, N.; Brennan, J. M.; Peggs, S.
2014-04-01
A major challenge in the design of rf cavities for the acceleration of medium-energy charged ions is the need to rapidly sweep the radio frequency over a large range. From low-power medical synchrotrons to high-power accelerator driven subcritical reactor systems, and from fixed focus alternating gradient accelerators to rapid cycling synchrotrons, there is a strong need for more efficient, and faster, acceleration of protons and light ions in the semirelativistic range of hundreds of MeV/u. A conventional way to achieve a large, rapid frequency sweep (perhaps over a range of a factor of 6) is to use custom-designed ferrite-loaded cavities. Ferrite rings enable the precise tuning of the resonant frequency of a cavity, through the control of the incremental permeability that is possible by introducing a pseudoconstant azimuthal magnetic field. However, rapid changes over large permeability ranges incur anomalous behavior such as the "Q-loss" and "f-dot" loss phenomena that limit performance while requiring high bias currents. Notwithstanding the incomplete understanding of these phenomena, they can be ameliorated by introducing a "harmonic ratcheting" acceleration scheme in which two or more rf cavities take turns accelerating the beam—one turns on when the other turns off, at different harmonics—so that the radio frequency can be constrained to remain in a smaller range. Harmonic ratcheting also has straightforward performance advantages, depending on the particular parameter set at hand. In some typical cases it is possible to halve the length of the cavities, or to double the effective gap voltage, or to double the repetition rate. This paper discusses and quantifies the advantages of harmonic ratcheting in general. Simulation results for the particular case of a rapid cycling medical synchrotron ratcheting from harmonic number 9 to 2 show that stability and performance criteria are met even when realistic engineering details are taken into consideration.
Metzkes, J; Karsch, L; Kraft, S D; Pawelke, J; Richter, C; Schürer, M; Sobiella, M; Stiller, N; Zeil, K; Schramm, U
2012-12-01
In recent years, a new generation of high repetition rate (~10 Hz), high power (~100 TW) laser systems has stimulated intense research on laser-driven sources for fast protons. Considering experimental instrumentation, this development requires online diagnostics for protons to be added to the established offline detection tools such as solid state track detectors or radiochromic films. In this article, we present the design and characterization of a scintillator-based online detector that gives access to the angularly resolved proton distribution along one spatial dimension and resolves 10 different proton energy ranges. Conceived as an online detector for key parameters in laser-proton acceleration, such as the maximum proton energy and the angular distribution, the detector features a spatial resolution of ~1.3 mm and a spectral resolution better than 1.5 MeV for a maximum proton energy above 12 MeV in the current design. Regarding its areas of application, we consider the detector a useful complement to radiochromic films and Thomson parabola spectrometers, capable to give immediate feedback on the experimental performance. The detector was characterized at an electrostatic Van de Graaff tandetron accelerator and tested in a laser-proton acceleration experiment, proving its suitability as a diagnostic device for laser-accelerated protons.
Laser-driven x-ray and neutron source development for industrial applications of plasma accelerators
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Brenner, C. M.; Mirfayzi, S. R.; Rusby, D. R.; Armstrong, C.; Alejo, A.; Wilson, L. A.; Clarke, R.; Ahmed, H.; Butler, N. M. H.; Haddock, D.; Higginson, A.; McClymont, A.; Murphy, C.; Notley, M.; Oliver, P.; Allott, R.; Hernandez-Gomez, C.; Kar, S.; McKenna, P.; Neely, D.
2016-01-01
Pulsed beams of energetic x-rays and neutrons from intense laser interactions with solid foils are promising for applications where bright, small emission area sources, capable of multi-modal delivery are ideal. Possible end users of laser-driven multi-modal sources are those requiring advanced non-destructive inspection techniques in industry sectors of high value commerce such as aerospace, nuclear and advanced manufacturing. We report on experimental work that demonstrates multi-modal operation of high power laser-solid interactions for neutron and x-ray beam generation. Measurements and Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations show that neutron yield is increased by a factor ~2 when a 1 mm copper foil is placed behind a 2 mm lithium foil, compared to using a 2 cm block of lithium only. We explore x-ray generation with a 10 picosecond drive pulse in order to tailor the spectral content for radiography with medium density alloy metals. The impact of using >1 ps pulse duration on laser-accelerated electron beam generation and transport is discussed alongside the optimisation of subsequent bremsstrahlung emission in thin, high atomic number target foils. X-ray spectra are deconvolved from spectrometer measurements and simulation data generated using the GEANT4 Monte Carlo code. We also demonstrate the unique capability of laser-driven x-rays in being able to deliver single pulse high spatial resolution projection imaging of thick metallic objects. Active detector radiographic imaging of industrially relevant sample objects with a 10 ps drive pulse is presented for the first time, demonstrating that features of 200 μm size are resolved when projected at high magnification.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Alejo, A.; Gwynne, D.; Doria, D.; Ahmed, H.; Carroll, D. C.; Clarke, R. J.; Neely, D.; Scott, G. G.; Borghesi, M.; Kar, S.
2016-10-01
Ongoing developments in laser-driven ion acceleration warrant appropriate modifications to the standard Thomson Parabola Spectrometer (TPS) arrangement in order to match the diagnostic requirements associated to the particular and distinctive properties of laser-accelerated beams. Here we present an overview of recent developments by our group of the TPS diagnostic aimed to enhance the capability of diagnosing multi-species high-energy ion beams. In order to facilitate discrimination between ions with same Z/A, a recursive differential filtering technique was implemented at the TPS detector in order to allow only one of the overlapping ion species to reach the detector, across the entire energy range detectable by the TPS. In order to mitigate the issue of overlapping ion traces towards the higher energy part of the spectrum, an extended, trapezoidal electric plates design was envisaged, followed by its experimental demonstration. The design allows achieving high energy-resolution at high energies without sacrificing the lower energy part of the spectrum. Finally, a novel multi-pinhole TPS design is discussed, that would allow angularly resolved, complete spectral characterization of the high-energy, multi-species ion beams.
Acceleration Modes and Transitions in Pulsed Plasma Accelerators
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Polzin, Kurt A.; Greve, Christine M.
2018-01-01
Pulsed plasma accelerators typically operate by storing energy in a capacitor bank and then discharging this energy through a gas, ionizing and accelerating it through the Lorentz body force. Two plasma accelerator types employing this general scheme have typically been studied: the gas-fed pulsed plasma thruster and the quasi-steady magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) accelerator. The gas-fed pulsed plasma accelerator is generally represented as a completely transient device discharging in approximately 1-10 microseconds. When the capacitor bank is discharged through the gas, a current sheet forms at the breech of the thruster and propagates forward under a j (current density) by B (magnetic field) body force, entraining propellant it encounters. This process is sometimes referred to as detonation-mode acceleration because the current sheet representation approximates that of a strong shock propagating through the gas. Acceleration of the initial current sheet ceases when either the current sheet reaches the end of the device and is ejected or when the current in the circuit reverses, striking a new current sheet at the breech and depriving the initial sheet of additional acceleration. In the quasi-steady MPD accelerator, the pulse is lengthened to approximately 1 millisecond or longer and maintained at an approximately constant level during discharge. The time over which the transient phenomena experienced during startup typically occur is short relative to the overall discharge time, which is now long enough for the plasma to assume a relatively steady-state configuration. The ionized gas flows through a stationary current channel in a manner that is sometimes referred to as the deflagration-mode of operation. The plasma experiences electromagnetic acceleration as it flows through the current channel towards the exit of the device. A device that had a short pulse length but appeared to operate in a plasma acceleration regime different from the gas-fed pulsed plasma
Analyses of transients for an 800 MW-class accelerator driven transmuter with fertile-free fuels
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Maschek, Werner; Suzuki, Tohru; Chen, Xue-Nong; Rineiski, Andrei; Matzerath Boccaccini, Claudia; Mori, Magnus; Morita, Koji
2006-06-01
In the FUTURE Program, the development and application of fertile-free fuels for Accelerator Driven Transmuters (ADTs) has been advanced. To assess the reactor performance and safety behavior of an ADT with so-called dedicated fuels, various transient cases for an 800 MW-class Pb/Bi-cooled ADT were investigated using the SIMMER-III code. The FUTURE ADT also served as vehicle to develop and test ideas on a safety concept for such transmuters. After an extensive ranking procedure, a CERCER fuel with an MgO matrix and a CERMET fuel with a Mo-92 matrix were chosen. The transient scenarios shown here are: spurious beam trip (BT), unprotected loss of flow (ULOF) and unprotected blockage accident (UBA). Since the release of fission gas and helium after cladding failure could induce a significant positive reactivity, the gas-blowdown was investigated for the transient scenarios. The present analyses showed that power excursions could be avoided by the fuel sweep-out from the core under severe accident conditions.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tournes, C.; Aucouturier, J.; Arnaud, B.; Brasile, J. P.; Convert, G.; Simon, M.
1992-07-01
A current-driven wiggler is the cornerstone of an innovative, compact, high-efficiency, transportable tunable free-electron laser (FEL), the feasibility of which is currently being evaluated by Thomson-CSF. The salient advantages are: compactness of the FEL, along with the possibility to accelerate the beam through several successive passes through the accelerating section (the number of passes being defined by the final wavelength of the radiation; i.e. visible, MWIR, LWIR); the wiggler can be turned off and be transparent to the beam until the last pass. Wiggler periodicities as small as 5 mm can be achieved, hence contributing to FEL compactness. To achieve overall efficiencies in the range of 10% at visible wavelengths, not only the wiggler periodicity must be variable, but the strength of the magnetic field of each period can be adjusted separately and fine-tuned versus time during the macropulse, so as to take into account the growing contribution of the wave energy in the cavity to the total ponderomotive force. The salient theoretical point of this design is the optimization of the parameters defining each period of the wiggler for each micropacket of the macropulse. The salient technology point is the mechanical and thermal design of the wiggler which allows the required high currents to achieve magnetic fields up to 2T.
Chen, Yu; Mu, Xiaojing; Wang, Tao; Ren, Weiwei; Yang, Ya; Wang, Zhong Lin; Sun, Chengliang; Gu, Alex Yuandong
2016-01-01
Here, we report a stable and predictable aero-elastic motion in the flow-driven energy harvester, which is different from flapping and vortex-induced-vibration (VIV). A unified theoretical frame work that describes the flutter phenomenon observed in both “stiff” and “flexible” materials for flow driven energy harvester was presented in this work. We prove flutter in both types of materials is the results of the coupled effects of torsional and bending modes. Compared to “stiff” materials, which has a flow velocity-independent flutter frequency, flexible material presents a flutter frequency that almost linearly scales with the flow velocity. Specific to “flexible” materials, pre-stress modulates the frequency range in which flutter occurs. It is experimentally observed that a double-clamped “flexible” piezoelectric P(VDF-TrFE) thin belt, when driven into the flutter state, yields a 1,000 times increase in the output voltage compared to that of the non-fluttered state. At a fixed flow velocity, increase in pre-stress level of the P(VDF-TrFE) thin belt up-shifts the flutter frequency. In addition, this work allows the rational design of flexible piezoelectric devices, including flow-driven energy harvester, triboelectric energy harvester, and self-powered wireless flow speed sensor. PMID:27739484
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Fredrickson, C. D.
1978-01-01
Various resource data are presented showing that geothermal energy has the potential of satisfying a singificant part of California's increasing energy needs. General factors slowing the development of geothermal energy in California are discussed and required actions to accelerate its progress are presented. Finally, scenarios for developing the most promising prospects in the state directed at timely on-line power are given. Specific actions required to realize each of these individual scenarios are identified.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gauduel, Y. A.
2017-05-01
A major challenge of spatio-temporal radiation biomedicine concerns the understanding of biophysical events triggered by an initial energy deposition inside confined ionization tracks. This contribution deals with an interdisciplinary approach that concerns cutting-edge advances in real-time radiation events, considering the potentialities of innovating strategies based on ultrafast laser science, from femtosecond photon sources to advanced techniques of ultrafast TW laser-plasma accelerator. Recent advances of powerful TW laser sources ( 1019 W cm-2) and laser-plasma interactions providing ultra-short relativistic particle beams in the energy domain 5-200 MeV open promising opportunities for the development of high energy radiation femtochemistry (HERF) in the prethermal regime of secondary low-energy electrons and for the real-time imaging of radiation-induced biomolecular alterations at the nanoscopic scale. New developments would permit to correlate early radiation events triggered by ultrashort radiation sources with a molecular approach of Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE). These emerging research developments are crucial to understand simultaneously, at the sub-picosecond and nanometric scales, the early consequences of ultra-short-pulsed radiation on biomolecular environments or integrated biological entities. This innovating approach would be applied to biomedical relevant concepts such as the emerging domain of real-time nanodosimetry for targeted pro-drug activation and pulsed radio-chimiotherapy of cancers.
Local expansion flows of galaxies: quantifying acceleration effect of dark energy
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chernin, A. D.; Teerikorpi, P.
2013-08-01
The nearest expansion flow of galaxies observed around the Local group is studied as an archetypical example of the newly discovered local expansion flows around groups and clusters of galaxies in the nearby Universe. The flow is accelerating due to the antigravity produced by the universal dark energy background. We introduce a new acceleration measure of the flow which is the dimensionless ``acceleration parameter" Q (x) = x - x-2 depending on the normalized distance x only. The parameter is zero at the zero-gravity distance x = 1, and Q(x) ∝ x, when x ≫ 1. At the distance x = 3, the parameter Q = 2.9. Since the expansion flows have a self-similar structure in normalized variables, we expect that the result is valid as well for all the other expansion flows around groups and clusters of galaxies on the spatial scales from ˜ 1 to ˜ 10 Mpc everywhere in the Universe.
Ultrashort laser pulse driven inverse free electron laser accelerator experiment
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Moody, J. T.; Anderson, S. G.; Anderson, G.
In this paper we discuss the ultrashort pulse high gradient Inverse Free Electron laser accelerator experiment carried out at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory which demonstrated gra- dients exceeding 200 MV/m using a 4 TW 100 fs long 800 nm Ti:Sa laser pulse. Due to the short laser and electron pulse lengths, synchronization was determined to be one of the main challenges in this experiment. This made necessary the implementation of a single-shot, non destructive, electro-optic sampling based diagnostics to enable time-stamping of each laser accelerator shot with < 100 fs accuracy. The results of this experiment are expected tomore » pave the way towards the development of future GeV-class IFEL accelerators.« less
Ultrashort laser pulse driven inverse free electron laser accelerator experiment
Moody, J. T.; Anderson, S. G.; Anderson, G.; ...
2016-02-29
In this paper we discuss the ultrashort pulse high gradient Inverse Free Electron laser accelerator experiment carried out at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory which demonstrated gra- dients exceeding 200 MV/m using a 4 TW 100 fs long 800 nm Ti:Sa laser pulse. Due to the short laser and electron pulse lengths, synchronization was determined to be one of the main challenges in this experiment. This made necessary the implementation of a single-shot, non destructive, electro-optic sampling based diagnostics to enable time-stamping of each laser accelerator shot with < 100 fs accuracy. The results of this experiment are expected tomore » pave the way towards the development of future GeV-class IFEL accelerators.« less
Kaneda, Koichi; Ohgi, Yuji; Tanaka, Chiaki; Burkett, Brendan
2014-01-01
The aim of this study was to develop an estimation equation for energy expenditure during water walking based on the acceleration and walking speed. Cross-validation study. Fifty participants, males (n=29, age: 27-73) and females (n=21, age: 33-70) volunteered for this study. Based on their physical condition water walking was conducted at three self-selected walking speeds from a range of: 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 m/min. Energy expenditure during each trial was calculated. During water walking, an accelerometer was attached to the occipital region and recorded three-dimensional accelerations at 100 Hz. A stopwatch was used for timing the participant's walking speed. The estimation model for energy expenditure included three components; (i) resting metabolic rate, (ii) internal energy expenditure for moving participants' body, and (iii) external energy expenditure due to water drag force. When comparing the measured and estimated energy expenditure with the acceleration data being the third component of the estimation model, high correlation coefficients were found in both male (r=0.73) and female (r=0.77) groups. When walking speeds were applied to the third component of the model, higher correlation coefficients were found (r=0.82 in male and r=0.88 in female). Good agreements of the developed estimation model were found in both methods, regardless of gender. This study developed a valid estimation model for energy expenditure during water walking by using head acceleration and walking speed. Copyright © 2013 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Origin Of Most Cosmic Rays: The Acceleration By E(parallel)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Colgate, Stirling A.; Li, H.
2008-03-01
We suggest a universal view of the origin of almost all cosmic rays. We propose that nearly every accelerated CRs was initially part of the parallel current that maintains most all force-free, twisted magnetic fields. We point out the greatest fraction of the free energy of magnetic fields in the universe likely resides in force-free fields as opposed to force-bounded ones, because the velocity of twisting, the ponder motive force, is small compared to local Alven speed. We suggest that these helical fields and the particles that they accelerate are distributed nearly uniformly and consequently are near space-filling with some notable exceptions. Charged particles are accelerated by the E( parallel to the magnetic field B) produced by the dissipation of the free energy of these fields by the progressive diffusive loss of "run-away" accelerated current-carrying charged particles from the "core" of the helical fields. Such diffusive loss is first identified as reconnection, but instead potentiates a much larger irreversible loss of highly accelerated anisotropic run-away current carrier particles. We suggest, as in fusion confinement experiments, that there exists a universal, highly robust, diffusion coefficient, D, resulting in D 1% of Bohm diffusion, as has been found in all confinement experiments, possibly driven by drift waves and, or collision-less, tearing modes. The consequential current carrier loss along the resulting tangled field lines is sufficient to account for the energy, number and spectrum of nearly all CR acceleration, both galactic as well as extra galactic. The spectrum is determined by a loss fraction dn/n -dE/E where dn D E-3/2 resulting in dn/dE = E/E0-2.5 up to 1022 ev. Only mass accretion onto SMBHs can supply the energy necessary, 1060 ergs, to fill the IGM with a CR spectrum of Γ 2.6. (Supported by the DOE)
Acceleration of black hole universe
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhang, T. X.; Frederick, C.
2014-01-01
Recently, Zhang slightly modified the standard big bang theory and developed a new cosmological model called black hole universe, which is consistent with Mach's principle, governed by Einstein's general theory of relativity, and able to explain all observations of the universe. Previous studies accounted for the origin, structure, evolution, expansion, and cosmic microwave background radiation of the black hole universe, which grew from a star-like black hole with several solar masses through a supermassive black hole with billions of solar masses to the present state with hundred billion-trillions of solar masses by accreting ambient matter and merging with other black holes. This paper investigates acceleration of the black hole universe and provides an alternative explanation for the redshift and luminosity distance measurements of type Ia supernovae. The results indicate that the black hole universe accelerates its expansion when it accretes the ambient matter in an increasing rate. In other words, i.e., when the second-order derivative of the mass of the black hole universe with respect to the time is positive . For a constant deceleration parameter , we can perfectly explain the type Ia supernova measurements with the reduced chi-square to be very close to unity, χ red˜1.0012. The expansion and acceleration of black hole universe are driven by external energy.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fernandez, Juan C.
2016-10-01
Laser-plasma interactions in the novel regime of relativistically-induced transparency have been harnessed to generate efficiently intense ion beams with average energies exceeding 10 MeV/nucleon (>100 MeV for protons) at ``table-top'' scales. We have discovered and utilized a self-organizing scheme that exploits persisting self-generated plasma electric ( 0.1 TV/m) and magnetic ( 104 Tesla) fields to reduce the ion-energy (Ei) spread after the laser exits the plasma, thus separating acceleration from spread reduction. In this way we routinely generate aluminum and carbon beams with narrow spectral peaks at Ei up to 310 MeV and 220 MeV, respectively, with high efficiency ( 5%). The experimental demonstration has been done at the LANL Trident laser with 0.12 PW, high-contrast, 0.65 ps Gaussian laser pulses irradiating planar foils up to 250 nm thick. In this regime, Ei scales empirically with laser intensity (I) as I 1 / 2. Our progress is enabled by high-fidelity, massive computer simulations of the experiments. This work advances next-generation compact accelerators suitable for new applications. E . g ., a carbon beam with Ei 400 MeV and 10% energy spread is suitable for fast ignition (FI) of compressed DT. The observed scaling suggests that is feasible with existing target fabrication and PW-laser technologies, using a sub-ps laser pulse with I 2.5 ×1021 W/cm2. These beams have been used on Trident to generate warm-dense matter at solid-densities, enabling us to investigate its equation of state and mixing of heterogeneous interfaces purely by plasma effects distinct from hydrodynamics. They also drive an intense neutron-beam source with great promise for important applications such as active interrogation of shielded nuclear materials. Considerations on controlling ion-beam divergence for their increased utility are discussed. Funded by the LANL LDRD program.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shin, Y. M.; Green, A.; Lumpkin, A. H.; Thurman-Keup, R. M.; Shiltsev, V.; Zhang, X.; Farinella, D. M.-A.; Taborek, P.; Tajima, T.; Wheeler, J. A.; Mourou, G.
2017-03-01
A short bunch of relativistic particles, or a short-pulse laser, perturb the density state of conduction electrons in a solid crystal and excite wakefields along atomic lattices in a crystal. Under a coupling condition between a driver and plasma, the wakes, if excited, can accelerate channeling particles with TeV/m acceleration gradients [1], in principle, since the density of charge carriers (conduction electrons) in solids n0 = 1020 - 1023 cm-3 is significantly higher than what was considered above in gaseous plasma. Nanostructures have some advantages over crystals for channeling applications of high power beams. The de-channeling rate can be reduced and the beam acceptance increased by the large size of the channels. For beam-driven acceleration, a bunch length with a sufficient charge density would need to be in the range of the plasma wavelength to properly excite plasma wakefields, and channeled particle acceleration with the wakefields must occur before the ions in the lattices move beyond the restoring threshold. In the case of the excitation by short laser pulses, the dephasing length is appreciably increased with the larger channel, which enables channeled particles to gain sufficient amounts of energy. This paper describes simulation analyses on beam- and laser (X-ray)-driven accelerations in effective nanotube models obtained from the Vsim and EPOCH codes. Experimental setups to detect wakefields are also outlined with accelerator facilities at Fermilab and Northern Illinois University (NIU). In the FAST facility, the electron beamline was successfully commissioned at 50 MeV, and it is being upgraded toward higher energies for electron accelerator R&D. The 50 MeV injector beamline of the facility is used for X-ray crystal-channeling radiation with a diamond target. It has been proposed to utilize the same diamond crystal for a channeling acceleration proof-of-concept (POC). Another POC experiment is also designed for the NIU accelerator lab with time
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Ritz, Steve; Jeltema, Tesla
One of the greatest mysteries in modern cosmology is the fact that the expansion of the universe is observed to be accelerating. This acceleration may stem from dark energy, an additional energy component of the universe, or may indicate that the theory of general relativity is incomplete on cosmological scales. The growth rate of large-scale structure in the universe and particularly the largest collapsed structures, clusters of galaxies, is highly sensitive to the underlying cosmology. Clusters will provide one of the single most precise methods of constraining dark energy with the ongoing Dark Energy Survey (DES). The accuracy of themore » cosmological constraints derived from DES clusters necessarily depends on having an optimized and well-calibrated algorithm for selecting clusters as well as an optical richness estimator whose mean relation and scatter compared to cluster mass are precisely known. Calibrating the galaxy cluster richness-mass relation and its scatter was the focus of the funded work. Specifically, we employ X-ray observations and optical spectroscopy with the Keck telescopes of optically-selected clusters to calibrate the relationship between optical richness (the number of galaxies in a cluster) and underlying mass. This work also probes aspects of cluster selection like the accuracy of cluster centering which are critical to weak lensing cluster studies.« less
Pope, K.E.
1958-01-01
This patent relates to an improved acceleration integrator and more particularly to apparatus of this nature which is gyrostabilized. The device may be used to sense the attainment by an airborne vehicle of a predetermined velocitv or distance along a given vector path. In its broad aspects, the acceleration integrator utilizes a magnetized element rotatable driven by a synchronous motor and having a cylin drical flux gap and a restrained eddy- current drag cap deposed to move into the gap. The angular velocity imparted to the rotatable cap shaft is transmitted in a positive manner to the magnetized element through a servo feedback loop. The resultant angular velocity of tae cap is proportional to the acceleration of the housing in this manner and means may be used to measure the velocity and operate switches at a pre-set magnitude. To make the above-described dcvice sensitive to acceleration in only one direction the magnetized element forms the spinning inertia element of a free gyroscope, and the outer housing functions as a gimbal of a gyroscope.
Accelerated model of lupus autoimmunity and vasculopathy driven by toll-like receptor 7/9 imbalance.
Liu, Yudong; Seto, Nickie L; Carmona-Rivera, Carmelo; Kaplan, Mariana J
2018-01-01
Activation of endosomal toll-like receptor (TLR)7 or TLR9 has been proposed as a critical step for the initiation and development of SLE. Traditional spontaneous lupus models normally introduce multiple risk alleles, thereby adding additional confounding factors. In the induced lupus models, the role of TLR9 remains unclear. In the present study, we explored the role of an imbalance between TLR7 and TLR9 pathways in the pathogenesis of lupus and its associated vasculopathy using the imiquimod model in TLR9 KO/B6 background. Wild type (WT) and Tlr9 -/- mice were epicutaneously treated with imiquimod cream 5% on both ears three times per week for indicated times. At euthanasia, mice were analysed for organ involvement, endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, serum autoantibodies, and innate and adaptive immune responses. Compared with the lupus-like phenotype that develops in imiquimod-treated WT mice, Tlr9 -/- mice exposed to imiquimod have increased severity of autoimmunity features and inflammatory phenotype that develops at earlier stages. These abnormalities are characterised by enhanced TLR7 expression and immune activation, increased immune complex deposition, Th1 T cells and dendritic cell kidney infiltration and significant impairments in endothelial function. Modulation of TLR7 expression was observed in the Tlr9 -/- mice. These findings further underscore the protective role of TLR9 in TLR7-driven autoimmunity and also in the development of vasculopathy, further strengthening the importance of tightly manipulating TLRs in putative therapeutic strategies. This study provides a new model of accelerated lupus phenotype driven by danger-associated molecular patterns.
Low Energy Accelerators for Cargo Inspection
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tang, Chuanxiang
Cargo inspection by X-rays has become essential for seaports and airports. With the emphasis on homeland security issues, the identification of dangerous things, such as explosive items and nuclear materials, is the key feature of a cargo inspection system. And new technologies based on dual energy X-rays, neutrons and monoenergetic X-rays have been studied to achieve sufficiently good material identification. An interpretation of the principle of X-ray cargo inspection technology and the features of X-ray sources are presented in this article. As most of the X-ray sources are based on RF electron linear accelerators (linacs), we give a relatively detailed description of the principle and characteristics of linacs. Cargo inspection technologies based on neutron imaging, neutron analysis, nuclear resonance fluorescence and computer tomography are also mentioned here. The main vendors and their products are summarized at the end of the article.
A photovoltaic-driven and energy-autonomous CMOS implantable sensor.
Ayazian, Sahar; Akhavan, Vahid A; Soenen, Eric; Hassibi, Arjang
2012-08-01
An energy-autonomous, photovoltaic (PV)-driven and MRI-compatible CMOS implantable sensor is presented. On-chip P+/N-well diode arrays are used as CMOS-compatible PV cells to harvest μW's of power from the light that penetrates into the tissue. In this 2.5 mm × 2.5 mm sub-μW integrated system, the in-vivo physiological signals are first measured by using a subthreshold ring oscillator-based sensor, the acquired data is then modulated into a frequency-shift keying (FSK) signal, and finally transmitted neuromorphically to the skin surface by using a pair of polarized electrodes.
Chromospheric-coronal coupling during solar flares: Current systems and particle acceleration
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Winglee, Robert M.; Mckean, M. E.; Dulk, G. A.
1989-01-01
Two-dimensional (three velocity) electrostatic particle simulations are used to investigate the particle heating and acceleration associated with the impulsive phase of a solar flare. A crossfield current in the high corona (which is presumably driven by reconnection processes) is used to initiate the flare. Due to the differential motion of the electrons and ions, currents, and associated quasi-static electric fields are generated with the primary current and balancing return current being on adjacent field lines. These currents extend from the corona down into the chromosphere. Electrons can be accelerated to energies exceeding 100 keV on short time scales via the quasi-static fields and wave-particle interactions. The spectra of these electrons has a broken power-law distribution which hardens in time. The spatially separate primary and return currents are closed by the cross-field acceleration of the ambient ions into the primary current regions. These ions are then accelerated upwards into the corona by the same quasi-static electric field accelerating the electrons downwards. This acceleration can account for the broadened stationary and weak blue shifted component seen in soft x ray line emissions and enhancements in heavy ion abundances seen in the solar wind in associations with solar flares.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Buren, Mandula; Jian, Yongjun; Zhao, Yingchun; Chang, Long
2018-05-01
In this paper we analytically investigate the electroviscous effect and electrokinetic energy conversion in the time periodic pressure-driven flow of an incompressible viscous Newtonian liquid through a parallel-plate nanochannel with surface charge-dependent slip. Analytical and semi-analytical solutions for electric potential, velocity and streaming electric field are obtained and are utilized to compute electrokinetic energy conversion efficiency. The results show that velocity amplitude and energy conversion efficiency are reduced when the effect of surface charge on slip length is considered. The surface charge effect increases with zeta potential and ionic concentration. In addition, the energy conversion efficiency is large when the ratio of channel half-height to the electric double layer thickness is small. The boundary slip results in a large increase in energy conversion. Higher values of the frequency of pressure pulsation lead to higher values of the energy conversion efficiency. We also obtain the energy conversion efficiency in constant pressure-driven flow and find that the energy conversion efficiency in periodical pressure-driven flow becomes larger than that in constant pressure-driven flow when the frequency is large enough.
Laser-plasma accelerator-based single-cycle attosecond undulator source
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tibai, Z.; Tóth, Gy.; Nagyváradi, A.; Sharma, A.; Mechler, M. I.; Fülöp, J. A.; Almási, G.; Hebling, J.
2018-06-01
Laser-plasma accelerators (LPAs), producing high-quality electron beams, provide an opportunity to reduce the size of free-electron lasers (FELs) to only a few meters. A complete system is proposed here, which is based on FEL technology and consists of an LPA, two undulators, and other magnetic devices. The system is capable to generate carrier-envelope phase stable attosecond pulses with engineered waveform. Pulses with up to 60 nJ energy and 90-400 attosecond duration in the 30-120 nm wavelength range are predicted by numerical simulation. These pulses can be used to investigate ultrafast field-driven electron dynamics in matter.
On square-wave-driven stochastic resonance for energy harvesting in a bistable system
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Su, Dongxu, E-mail: sudx@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Zheng, Rencheng; Nakano, Kimihiko
Stochastic resonance is a physical phenomenon through which the throughput of energy within an oscillator excited by a stochastic source can be boosted by adding a small modulating excitation. This study investigates the feasibility of implementing square-wave-driven stochastic resonance to enhance energy harvesting. The motivating hypothesis was that such stochastic resonance can be efficiently realized in a bistable mechanism. However, the condition for the occurrence of stochastic resonance is conventionally defined by the Kramers rate. This definition is inadequate because of the necessity and difficulty in estimating white noise density. A bistable mechanism has been designed using an explicit analyticalmore » model which implies a new approach for achieving stochastic resonance in the paper. Experimental tests confirm that the addition of a small-scale force to the bistable system excited by a random signal apparently leads to a corresponding amplification of the response that we now term square-wave-driven stochastic resonance. The study therefore indicates that this approach may be a promising way to improve the performance of an energy harvester under certain forms of random excitation.« less
Wang, Yuhao; Li, Xin; Xu, Kai; Ren, Fengbo; Yu, Hao
2017-04-01
Compressive sensing is widely used in biomedical applications, and the sampling matrix plays a critical role on both quality and power consumption of signal acquisition. It projects a high-dimensional vector of data into a low-dimensional subspace by matrix-vector multiplication. An optimal sampling matrix can ensure accurate data reconstruction and/or high compression ratio. Most existing optimization methods can only produce real-valued embedding matrices that result in large energy consumption during data acquisition. In this paper, we propose an efficient method that finds an optimal Boolean sampling matrix in order to reduce the energy consumption. Compared to random Boolean embedding, our data-driven Boolean sampling matrix can improve the image recovery quality by 9 dB. Moreover, in terms of sampling hardware complexity, it reduces the energy consumption by 4.6× and the silicon area by 1.9× over the data-driven real-valued embedding.
Wilson, S M; Hinch, S G; Eliason, E J; Farrell, A P; Cooke, S J
2013-03-01
This study is the first to calibrate acceleration transmitters with energy expenditure using a vertebrate model species. We quantified the relationship between acoustic accelerometer output and oxygen consumption across a range of swim speeds and water temperatures for Harrison River adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). First, we verified that acceleration transmitters with a sampling frequency of 10 Hz could be used as a proxy for movement in sockeye salmon. Using a mixed effects model, we determined that tailbeat frequency and acceleration were positively correlated (p<0.0001), independent of tag ID. Acceleration (p<0.0001) was positively related to swim speed while fork length (p=0.051) was negatively related to swim speed. Oxygen consumption and accelerometer output (p<0.0001) had a positive linear relationship and were temperature dependent (p<0.0001). There were no differences in swim performance (F(2,12)=1.023, p=0.820) or oxygen consumption (F(1,12)=0.054, p=0.332) between tagged and untagged individuals. Five tagged fish were released into the Fraser River estuary and manually tracked. Of the five fish, three were successfully tracked for 1h. The above relationships were used to determine that the average swim speed was 1.25±0.03 body lengths s(-1) and cost of transport was 3.39±0.17 mg O(2) kg(-1)min(-1), averaged across the three detected fish. Acceleration transmitters can be effectively used to remotely evaluate fine-scale behavior and estimate energy consumption of adult Pacific salmon throughout their homeward spawning migration. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Quasars in miniature: new insights into particle acceleration from X-ray binaries
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Markoff, Sera
2013-04-01
A variety of astronomical objects routinely accelerate particles to high energy, with the maximum possible energy per particle typically limited by the size of the system and magnetic field strength. For that reason, much attention has focused on the massive jets of relativistic plasma ejected from supermassive black holes in Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), which are at least theoretically capable of producing particles (cosmic rays) up to a whopping 10{20 }eV. However neither how these jets are formed or function, nor how exactly they accelerate particles, is well understood. While we do not expect the mechanisms for particle acceleration in stellar remnant black holes within X-ray binaries (XRBs) to be particularly different than in other sources, XRBs do offer some unique insights. Primarily, jets very similar to those in AGN come and go on timescales of weeks to months, while often monitored simultaneously across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Through such observations we have been able to probe the processes by which jets not only build up dynamically, but also at what point the jets begin to accelerate particles, providing hints about the necessary conditions and efficiencies. Because the physics of accretion-driven processes such as jets seems to scale predictably with black hole mass, we can also potentially apply what we are learning in these smaller systems to the same phenomena AGN, giving us a new handle on several longstanding questions. I will review our current understanding of particle acceleration in XRBs, as well as the increasing body of evidence suggesting that XRBs indeed seem to represent scaled-down (and thus handily faster evolving) versions of the much more powerful AGN. I will also touch on how accelerated particles from XRBs may contribute significantly to the low-energy Galactic cosmic ray distribution, with local impact on gas chemistry and star formation.
Operational Characteristics of an Accelerator Driven Fissile Solution System
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Kimpland, Robert Herbert
Operational characteristics represent the set of responses that a nuclear system exhibits during normal operation. Operators rely on this behavior to assess the status of the system and to predict the consequences of off-normal events. These characteristics largely refer to the relationship between power and system operating conditions. The static and dynamic behavior of a chain-reacting system, operating at sufficient power, is primarily governed by reactivity effects. The science of reactor physics has identified and evaluated a number of such effects, including Doppler broadening and shifts in the thermal neutron spectrum. Often these reactivity effects are quantified in the formmore » of feedback coefficients that serve as coupling coefficients relating the neutron population and the physical mechanisms that drive reactivity effects, such as fissile material temperature and density changes. The operational characteristics of such nuclear systems usually manifest themselves when perturbations between system power (neutron population) and system operating conditions arise. Successful operation of such systems requires the establishment of steady equilibrium conditions. However, prior to obtaining the desired equilibrium (steady-state) conditions, an approach from zero-power (startup) must occur. This operational regime may possess certain limiting system conditions that must be maintained to achieve effective startup. Once steady-state is achieved, a key characteristic of this operational regime is the level of stability that the system possesses. Finally, a third operational regime, shutdown, may also possess limiting conditions of operation that must be maintained. This report documents the operational characteristics of a “generic” Accelerator Driven Fissile Solution (ADFS) system during the various operational regimes of startup, steady-state operation, and shutdown. Typical time-dependent behavior for each operational regime will be illustrated, and
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Albert, Felicie
2017-05-01
Betatron x-ray radiation, driven by electrons from laser-wakefield acceleration, has unique properties to probe high energy density (HED) plasmas and warm dense matter. Betatron radiation is produced when relativistic electrons oscillate in the plasma wake of a laser pulse. Its properties are similar to those of synchrotron radiation, with a 1000 fold shorter pulse. This presentation will focus on the experimental challenges and results related to the development of betatron radiation in the self modulated regime of laser wakefield acceleration. We observed multi keV Betatron x-rays from a self-modulated laser wakefield accelerator. The experiment was performed at the Jupiter Laser Facility, LLNL, by focusing the Titan short pulse beam (4-150 J, 1 ps) onto the edge of a Helium gas jet at electronic densities around 1019 cm-3. For the first time on this laser system, we used a long focal length optic, which produced a laser normalized potential a0 in the range 1-3. Under these conditions, electrons are accelerated by the plasma wave created in the wake of the light pulse. As a result, intense Raman satellites, which measured shifts depend on the electron plasma density, were observed on the laser spectrum transmitted through the target. Electrons with energies up to 200 MeV, as well as Betatron x-rays with critical energies around 20 keV, were measured. OSIRIS 2D PIC simulations confirm that the electrons gain energy both from the plasma wave and from their interaction with the laser field.
Energy-resolved coherent diffraction from laser-driven electronic motion in atoms
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shao, Hua-Chieh; Starace, Anthony F.
2017-10-01
We investigate theoretically the use of energy-resolved ultrafast electron diffraction to image laser-driven electronic motion in atoms. A chirped laser pulse is used to transfer the valence electron of the lithium atom from the ground state to the first excited state. During this process, the electronic motion is imaged by 100-fs and 1-fs electron pulses in energy-resolved diffraction measurements. Simulations show that the angle-resolved spectra reveal the time evolution of the energy content and symmetry of the electronic state. The time-dependent diffraction patterns are further interpreted in terms of the momentum transfer. For the case of incident 1-fs electron pulses, the rapid 2 s -2 p quantum beat motion of the target electron is imaged as a time-dependent asymmetric oscillation of the diffraction pattern.
Efficient Solar-Thermal Energy Harvest Driven by Interfacial Plasmonic Heating-Assisted Evaporation.
Chang, Chao; Yang, Chao; Liu, Yanming; Tao, Peng; Song, Chengyi; Shang, Wen; Wu, Jianbo; Deng, Tao
2016-09-07
The plasmonic heating effect of noble nanoparticles has recently received tremendous attention for various important applications. Herein, we report the utilization of interfacial plasmonic heating-assisted evaporation for efficient and facile solar-thermal energy harvest. An airlaid paper-supported gold nanoparticle thin film was placed at the thermal energy conversion region within a sealed chamber to convert solar energy into thermal energy. The generated thermal energy instantly vaporizes the water underneath into hot vapors that quickly diffuse to the thermal energy release region of the chamber to condense into liquids and release the collected thermal energy. The condensed water automatically flows back to the thermal energy conversion region under the capillary force from the hydrophilic copper mesh. Such an approach simultaneously realizes efficient solar-to-thermal energy conversion and rapid transportation of converted thermal energy to target application terminals. Compared to conventional external photothermal conversion design, the solar-thermal harvesting device driven by the internal plasmonic heating effect has reduced the overall thermal resistance by more than 50% and has demonstrated more than 25% improvement of solar water heating efficiency.
Miao, Yinglong; Feher, Victoria A; McCammon, J Andrew
2015-08-11
A Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) approach for simultaneous enhanced sampling and free energy calculation of biomolecules is presented. By constructing a boost potential that follows Gaussian distribution, accurate reweighting of the GaMD simulations is achieved using cumulant expansion to the second order. Here, GaMD is demonstrated on three biomolecular model systems: alanine dipeptide, chignolin folding, and ligand binding to the T4-lysozyme. Without the need to set predefined reaction coordinates, GaMD enables unconstrained enhanced sampling of these biomolecules. Furthermore, the free energy profiles obtained from reweighting of the GaMD simulations allow us to identify distinct low-energy states of the biomolecules and characterize the protein-folding and ligand-binding pathways quantitatively.
Production of high energy protons with hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Robinson, A. P. L.
The possibility of producing energetic protons with energies in the range of 100-200 MeV via hole-boring (HB) radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) at intensities around 10{sup 21} W cm{sup -2} is reexamined. It is found that hole-boring RPA can occur well below the relativistically corrected critical density in numerical simulations, with average proton energies in good agreement with established formulas. This suggests that protons in this energy range can be produced via HB RPA at around 10{sup 21} W cm{sup -2}. It is also shown that the prospects of doing this could be improved by using lasers of the same intensitymore » but longer wavelength.« less
Accelerating Energy Efficiency in Indian Data Centers. Final Report for Phase I Activities
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Ganguly, Suprotim; Raje, Sanyukta; Kumar, Satish
This report documents Phase 1 of the “Accelerating Energy Efficiency in Indian Data Centers” initiative to support the development of an energy efficiency policy framework for Indian data centers. The initiative is being led by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)-U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and under the guidance of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). It is also part of the larger Power and Energy Efficiency Working Group of the US-India Bilateral Energy Dialogue. The initiative consists of two phases: Phase 1 (November 2014 – Septembermore » 2015) and Phase 2 (October 2015 – September 2016).« less
Khorshidi, Abdollah
2017-01-01
The reactor has increased its area of application into medicine especially boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT); however, accelerator-driven neutron sources can be used for therapy purposes. The present study aimed to discuss an alternative method in BNCT functions by a small cyclotron with low current protons based on Karaj cyclotron in Iran. An epithermal neutron spectrum generator was simulated with 30 MeV proton energy for BNCT purposes. A low current of 300 μA of the proton beam in spallation target concept via 9Be target was accomplished to model neutron spectrum using 208Pb moderator around the target. The graphite reflector and dual layer collimator were planned to prevent and collimate the neutrons produced from proton interactions. Neutron yield per proton, energy distribution, flux, and dose components in the simulated head phantom were estimated by MCNPX code. The neutron beam quality was investigated by diverse filters thicknesses. The maximum epithermal flux transpired using Fluental, Fe, Li, and Bi filters with thicknesses of 7.4, 3, 0.5, and 4 cm, respectively; as well as the epithermal to thermal neutron flux ratio was 161. Results demonstrated that the induced neutrons from a low energy and low current proton may be effective in tumor therapy using 208Pb moderator with average lethargy and also graphite reflector with low absorption cross section to keep the generated neutrons. Combination of spallation-based BNCT and proton therapy can be especially effective, if a high beam intensity cyclotron becomes available.
Consistent Adjoint Driven Importance Sampling using Space, Energy and Angle
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Peplow, Douglas E.; Mosher, Scott W; Evans, Thomas M
2012-08-01
For challenging radiation transport problems, hybrid methods combine the accuracy of Monte Carlo methods with the global information present in deterministic methods. One of the most successful hybrid methods is CADIS Consistent Adjoint Driven Importance Sampling. This method uses a deterministic adjoint solution to construct a biased source distribution and consistent weight windows to optimize a specific tally in a Monte Carlo calculation. The method has been implemented into transport codes using just the spatial and energy information from the deterministic adjoint and has been used in many applications to compute tallies with much higher figures-of-merit than analog calculations. CADISmore » also outperforms user-supplied importance values, which usually take long periods of user time to develop. This work extends CADIS to develop weight windows that are a function of the position, energy, and direction of the Monte Carlo particle. Two types of consistent source biasing are presented: one method that biases the source in space and energy while preserving the original directional distribution and one method that biases the source in space, energy, and direction. Seven simple example problems are presented which compare the use of the standard space/energy CADIS with the new space/energy/angle treatments.« less
Radiatively driven relativistic jets in Schwarzschild space-time
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Vyas, Mukesh K.; Chattopadhyay, Indranil
2018-06-01
Context. Aims: We carry out a general relativistic study of radiatively driven conical fluid jets around non-rotating black holes and investigate the effects and significance of radiative acceleration, as well as radiation drag. Methods: We apply relativistic equations of motion in curved space-time around a Schwarzschild black hole for axis-symmetric one-dimensional jet in steady state, plying through the radiation field of the accretion disc. Radiative moments are computed using information of curved space-time. Slopes of physical variables at the sonic points are found using L'Hôpital's rule and employing Runge-Kutta's fourth order method to solve equations of motion. The analysis is carried out using the relativistic equation of state of the jet fluid. Results: The terminal speed of the jet depends on how much thermal energy is converted into jet momentum and how much radiation momentum is deposited onto the jet. Many classes of jet solutions with single sonic points, multiple sonic points, as well as those having radiation driven internal shocks are obtained. Variation of all flow variables along the jet-axis has been studied. Highly energetic electron-proton jets can be accelerated by intense radiation to terminal Lorentz factors γT 3. Moderate terminal speed vT 0.5 is obtained for moderately luminous discs. Lepton dominated jets may achieve γT 10. Conclusions: Thermal driving of the jet itself and radiation driving by accretion disc photons produce a wide-ranging jet solutions starting from moderately strong jets to the relativistic ones. Interplay of intensity, the nature of the radiation field, and the energetics of the jet result in a variety of jet solutions. We show that radiation field is able to induce steady shocks in jets, one of the criteria to explain high-energy power-law emission observed in spectra of some of the astrophysical objects.
A liposome-based energy conversion system for accelerating the multi-enzyme reactions.
Matsumoto, Ryuhei; Kakuta, Masaya; Sugiyama, Taiki; Goto, Yoshio; Sakai, Hideki; Tokita, Yuichi; Hatazawa, Tsuyonobu; Tsujimura, Seiya; Shirai, Osamu; Kano, Kenji
2010-11-14
We report the first example of a liposome-based energy conversion system that is useful for entrapping enzymes and NAD coenzyme to accelerate multi-step enzymatic reactions. The liposome generates a much higher catalytic current compared with the non-liposome system, which is in good consistency with numerical simulations.
First demonstration of multi-MeV proton acceleration from a cryogenic hydrogen ribbon target
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Kraft, Stephan; Obst, Lieselotte; Metzkes-Ng, Josefine
We show efficient laser driven proton acceleration up to 14 MeV from a 50 μm thick cryogenic hydrogen ribbon. Pulses of the short pulse laser ELFIE at LULI with a pulse length of ≈ 350 fs at an energy of 8 J per pulse are directed onto the target. The results were then compared to proton spectra from metal and plastic foils with different thicknesses and show a similar good performance both in maximum energy as well as in proton number. Thus, this target type is a promising candidate for experiments with high repetition rate laser systems.
First demonstration of multi-MeV proton acceleration from a cryogenic hydrogen ribbon target
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kraft, Stephan D.; Obst, Lieselotte; Metzkes-Ng, Josefine; Schlenvoigt, Hans-Peter; Zeil, Karl; Michaux, Sylvain; Chatain, Denis; Perin, Jean-Paul; Chen, Sophia N.; Fuchs, Julien; Gauthier, Maxence; Cowan, Thomas E.; Schramm, Ulrich
2018-04-01
We show efficient laser driven proton acceleration up to 14 MeV from a 62 μm thick cryogenic hydrogen ribbon. Pulses of the short pulse laser ELFIE at LULI with a pulse length of ≈350 fs at an energy of 8 J per pulse are directed onto the target. The results are compared to proton spectra from metal and plastic foils with different thicknesses and show a similarly good performance both in maximum energy as well as in proton number. Thus, this target type is a promising candidate for experiments with high repetition rate laser systems.
First demonstration of multi-MeV proton acceleration from a cryogenic hydrogen ribbon target
Kraft, Stephan; Obst, Lieselotte; Metzkes-Ng, Josefine; ...
2018-02-09
We show efficient laser driven proton acceleration up to 14 MeV from a 50 μm thick cryogenic hydrogen ribbon. Pulses of the short pulse laser ELFIE at LULI with a pulse length of ≈ 350 fs at an energy of 8 J per pulse are directed onto the target. The results were then compared to proton spectra from metal and plastic foils with different thicknesses and show a similar good performance both in maximum energy as well as in proton number. Thus, this target type is a promising candidate for experiments with high repetition rate laser systems.