Compendium of Instrumentation Frontier Whitepapers on Technologies for Snowmass 2013
This is a collection of white papers that represent progress in 2013 related to beam test facilities.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
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The Machine Protection System for the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology Facility
The Machine Protection System (MPS) for the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology Facility (FAST) has been implemented and tested. The system receives signals from several subsystems and devices which conveys the relevant status needed to the safely operate the accelerator. Logic decisions are made based on these inputs and some predefined user settings which in turn controls the gate signal to the laser of the photo injector. The inputs of the system have a wide variety of signal types, encoding methods and urgencies for which the system is designed to accommodate. The MPS receives fast shutdown (FSD) signals generated by the beam loss system and inhibits the beam or reduces the beam intensity within a macropulse when the beam losses at several places along the accelerator beam line are higher than acceptable values. TTL or relay contact signals from the vacuum system, toroids, magnet systems etc., are chosen with polarities that ensure safe operation of the accelerator from unintended events such as cable disconnection in the harsh industrial environment of the experimental hall. A RS422 serial communication scheme is used to interface the operation permit generator module and a large number of movable devices each reporting multi-bit status. The system also supports operations at user defined lower beam levels for system conunissioning. The machine protection system is implemented with two commercially available off-the-shelf VMEbus based modules with on board FPGA devices. The system is monitored and controlled via the VMEbus by a single board CPU
Wu, Jinyuan↗
Recent Progress on Radiation Damage Studies at RaDIATE
Recent major accelerator facilities have been limited in beam power by production target and beam window survivability, where radiation damage to their constituent materials has been identified as the most cross-cutting challenge facing these high power target facilities. The RaDIATE collaboration, Radiation Damage In Accelerator Target Environments, was formed in 2012 to address this challenge by bringing together experts from the fields of nuclear materials and accelerator target facilities. The collaboration conducted high intensity proton beam irradiation of test specimens at the Brookhaven Linac Isotope Producer (BLIP) facility at BNL, where the specimens, including candidate materials for various beam intercepting device applications, were provided by participating accelerator facilities. Post-Irradiation Examination (PIE) of the irradiated specimens is being conducted at participating nuclear/fusion research institutions with appropriate ``hot-cell'' facilities, such as Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).The recent collaboration work also includes efforts to provide the samples irradiated at BLIP to in-beam thermal shock test at CERN's HiRadMat facility. It will be the first examination to observe how the radiation-damaged material will behave when exposed to actual beam loading conditions. In this talk up-to-date status of these experiments, PIEs, and prospect for the works conducted by the RaDIATE collaboration are over-viewed.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
Measurements of Prompt Radiation-Induced Conductivity of Pyralux®
In this report, measurements of the prompt radiation-induced conductivity (RIC) in 3 mil samples of Pyralux® are presented as a function of dose rate, pulse width, and applied bias. The experiments were conducted with the Medusa linear accelerator (LINAC) located at the Little Mountain Test Facility (LMTF) near Ogden, UT. The nominal electron energy for the LINAC is 20 MeV. Prompt conduction current data were obtained for dose rates ranging from ~2 x 10 9 rad(Si)/s to ~1.1 x 10 11 rad(Si)/s and for nominal pulse widths of 50 ns and 500 ns. At a given dose rate, the applied bias across the samples was stepped between -1500 V and 1500 V. Calculated values of the prompt RIC varied between 1.39x10 -8 Ω -1 · m -1 and 2.67x10 -7 Ω -1 · m -1 and the prompt RIC coefficient varied between 1.25x10 -18 Ω -1 · m -1 /(rad/s) and 1.93x10 -17 Ω -1 · m -1 /(rad/s).
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Magnetic and Mechanical Analysis of a Large Aperture 15 T Cable Test Facility Dipole Magnet
The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science (SC), is funding a large bore “Cable Test Facility Magnet” for testing advanced cables and inserts in high transverse field. This is a joint effort between the Office of High Energy Physics (HEP) and the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES). The background field magnet for this facility is being developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) while the cryostat and test facility will be located and operated by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL). The Nb 3 Sn dipole magnet, which will provide the transverse background field, is designed to generate a field of 15 T in a 100 × 150 mm bore at 1.9 K. The conceptual design of a block-type dipole with flared ends and a structure based on key-and-bladder technology will be introduced. The results of the magnetic and mechanical analysis will be presented.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Experimental study of transient liquid motion in orbiting spacecraft
The results are presented of a twofold study of transient liquid motion such as that which will be experienced during orbital maneuvers by space tug. A test program was conducted in a low-g test facility involving twenty-two drops. Biaxial, low-g accelerations were applied to an instrumented, model propellant tank during free-fall testing, and forces exerted during liquid reorientation were measured and recorded. Photographic records of the liquid reorientation were also made. The test data were used to verify a mechanical analog which portrays the liquid as a point mass moving on an ellipsoidal constraint surface. The mechanical analog was coded into a FORTRAN IV digital computer program: LAMPS, Large AMPlitude Slosh. Test/analytical correlation indicates that the mechanical analog is capable of predicting the overall force trends measured during testing.
Berry, R. L.↗
Measurements of Decay and Snapback in Nb₃Sn Accelerator Magnets at Fermilab
In recent years, Fermilab has been executing an inten-sive R&D program on Nb₃Sn accelerator magnets. This program has included dipole and quadrupole models and demonstrators for various programs and projects, including the HL-LHC accelerator upgrade project. A systematic study of the field decay and snapback during the injection portion of a simulated accelerator cycle was executed at the Fermilab Magnet Test Facility. This paper summarizes the recent measurements of the MQXFS1 short quadrupole model and discusses the results of some previously measured Nb₃Sn magnets at CERN
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Time-Dependent Behavior of High-Strength Kevlar and Vectran Webbing
High-strength Kevlar and Vectran webbings are currently being used by both NASA and industry as the primary load-bearing structure in inflatable space habitation modules. The time-dependent behavior of high-strength webbing architectures is a vital area of research that is providing critical material data to guide a more robust design process for this class of structures. This paper details the results of a series of time-dependent tests on 1-inch wide webbing including an initial set of comparative tests between specimens that underwent realtime and accelerated creep at 65 and 70% of their ultimate tensile strength. Variability in the ultimate tensile strength of the webbings is investigated and compared with variability in the creep life response. Additional testing studied the effects of load and displacement rate, specimen length and the time-dependent effects of preconditioning the webbings. The creep test facilities, instrumentation and test procedures are also detailed. The accelerated creep tests display consistently longer times to failure than their real-time counterparts; however, several factors were identified that may contribute to the observed disparity. Test setup and instrumentation, grip type, loading scheme, thermal environment and accelerated test postprocessing along with material variability are among these factors. Their effects are discussed and future work is detailed for the exploration and elimination of some of these factors in order to achieve a higher fidelity comparison.
Jones, Thomas C.↗
Performance of a coarsely pixelated LAPPD photosensor for the SoLID gas Cherenkov detectors
The SoLID spectrometer's gas Cherenkov counters require photosensors that operate in a high luminosity and high background environment. The reference design features arrays of 9 or 16 tiled multi-anode photomultipliers (MaPMTs), distributed across 32 sectors, to serve the light-gas and heavy-gas Cherenkov counters, respectively. To assess the viability of a pixelated INCOM Large Area Picosecond Photodetector (LAPPD TM ) as an alternative photosensor to replace MaPMT arrays in either detector, we evaluated its performance under realistic SoLID running conditions in Hall C at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab). The results of this test confirmed that the coarse-pixelated (2.5 × 2.5 cm 2 pixel size) LAPPD is capable of handling the total projected signal and background rates of the three pillar SoLID experiments. The tested photosensor detected Cherenkov signals with the capability of separating single-electron events from pair production events while rejecting background. Although the design was not aimed at ring-imaging Cherenkov detectors, Cherenkov disk images were captured in two different gas radiators. Through a direct comparison with a GEANT4 simulation, we confirmed the experimental performance of the LAPPD.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
Closing the Accuracy Gap in Tandem Photovoltaic Testing: An Accessible and Efficient Spectral Tuning Method Using LED-Based Simulators for Research Laboratories and Industry
Accurate performance calibration of multijunction (MJ) solar cells is critical for advancing this technology toward large-scale terrestrial application, yet existing testing methods developed by photovoltaics calibration laboratories remain prohibitively complex and resource intensive for most research laboratories. Current approaches rely on expensive multisource simulators and/or intricate spectral tuning algorithms, limiting accessibility and hindering standardized comparisons of emerging MJ technologies such as perovskite-based tandems. This paper introduces a streamlined spectral irradiance adjustment method for light-emitting diode (LED)-based solar simulators, which are increasingly adopted in the photovoltaics community due to their versatility and cost-effectiveness. The method we present bins LED channels into groups based on the number of junctions of the MJ photovoltaic device under test (DUT) and their corresponding band gaps and incorporates an automated tuning algorithm that eliminates the need to adjust each channel’s irradiance individually. This tuning algorithm requires the relative spectral responsivities of both the DUT and a broadband reference cell, as well as a calibrated spectroradiometer. Measurement validation across various MJ devices, including III-V and perovskite/silicon tandems, demonstrates excellent agreement within 1% with well-established xenon-tungsten multisource simulators and associated tuning algorithms. By enabling precise spectral tuning with readily available equipment and a simple tuning algorithm, our approach bridges the measurement accuracy gap between research laboratories and accredited testing facilities, fostering more reliable device comparisons and accelerating the translation of MJ technologies into real-world energy systems.
14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
Performance Portability of Molecular Docking Miniapp On Leadership Computing Platforms
Rapidly changing computer architectures, such as those found at high-performance computing (HPC) facilities, present the need for mini-applications (miniapps) that capture essential algorithms used in large applications to test program performance and portability, aiding transitions to new systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled a flurry of activity in computational drug discovery, including the use of supercomputers and GPU acceleration for massive virtual screens for therapeutics. Recent work targeting COVID-19 at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) used the GPU-accelerated program AutoDock-GPU to screen billions of compounds on the Summit supercomputer. In this paper we present the development of a new miniapp, miniAutoDock-GPU, that can be used to evaluate the performance and portability of GPU-accelerated protein-ligand docking programs on different computer architectures. These tests are especially relevant as facilities transition from petascale systems and prepare for upcoming exascale systems that will use a variety of GPU vendors. The key calculations, namely, the Lamarckian genetic algorithm combined with a local search using a Solis-Wets based random optimization algorithm, are implemented. We developed versions of the miniapp using several different programming models for GPU acceleration, including a version using the CUDA runtime API for NVIDIA GPUs, and the Kokkos middle-ware API which is facilitated by C++ template libraries. A third version, currently in progress, uses the HIP programming model. These efforts will help facilitate the transition to exascale systems for this important emerging HPC application, as well as its use on a wide range of heterogeneous platforms.
Thavappiragasam, Mathialakan↗
Quiet Clean Short-haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE); acoustic performance of a 50.8-cm (20 inch) diameter variable pitch fan and inlet, test results and analysis, volume 1
Tests were run both in forward and in reverse thrust modes with a bellmouth inlet, five accelerating inlets (one hard wall and four treated) with a design throat Mach number of 0.79 at the takeoff condition, and four low Mach inlets (one hard wall and three treated) with a design throat Mach number of 0.6 at the takeoff condition. Unsuppressed and suppressed inlet radiated noise levels were measured at conditions representative of QCSEE takeoff, approach, and reverse thrust operations. Measured aerodynamic performance of the accelerating inlet is also included. The test objectives, facility, configurations, are described as well as the data analysis, results, and comparisons.
Bilwakesh, K. R.↗
Performance and optimization of a derated ion thruster for auxiliary propulsion
The characteristics and implications of use of a derated ion thruster for north-south stationkeeping (NSSK) propulsion are discussed. A derated thruster is a 30 cm diameter primary propulsion ion thruster operated at highly throttled conditions appropriate to NSSK functions. The performance characteristics of a 30 cm ion thruster are presented, emphasizing throttled operation at low specific impulse and high thrust-to-power ratio. Performance data and component erosion are compared to other NSSK ion thrusters. Operations benefits derived from the performance advantages of the derated approach are examined assuming an INTELSAt 7-type spacecraft. Minimum ground test facility pumping capabilities required to maintain facility enhanced accelerator grid erosion at acceptable levels in a lifetest are quantified as a function of thruster operating condition. Approaches to reducing the derated thruster mass and volume are also discussed.
Patterson, Michael J.↗
Performance and optimization of a 'derated' ion thruster for auxiliary propulsion
This paper discusses the characteristics and implications of use of a derated ion thruster for north-south-stationkeeping (NSSK) propulsion. A derated thruster is a 30-cm diameter primary propulsion ion thruster operated at highly throttled conditions appropriate to NSSK functions. The performance characteristics of a 30-cm ion thruster are presented, emphasizing throttled operation at low specific impulse and high thrust-to-power ratio. Performance data and component erosion are compared to other NSSK ion thrusters. Operations benefits derived from the performance advantages of the derated approach are examined assuming an Intelsat VII-type spacecraft. Minimum ground test facility pumping capabilities required to maintain facility enhanced accelerator grid erosion at acceptable levels in a lifetest are quantified as a function of thruster operating condition. Novel approaches to reducing the derated thruster mass and volume are also discussed.
Patterson, Michael J.↗
Single-Event Testing of the Texas Instruments SNV54LVC00AW Quadruple 2-Input Positive-NAND Gates
The purpose of this testing was to characterize the Texas Instruments SNV54LVC00AW for single-event latchup (SEL) in support of a NASA GSFC flight program. The SNV54LVC00A quadruple 2-input positive-NAND gate. These devices were tested at the Berkeley Accelerator Space Effects (BASE) Facility at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) where they were irradiated with the 10 MeV/amu heavy ion cocktail.
Campola, Michael↗
Counting Calories: Light Yield Studies with ADRIANO2 Calorimeter Prototype
Precision in measuring particle energies is crucial to understand the intricacies of high-energy physics beyond the standard model. For the REDTOP experiment to detect η/η´ mesons potentially decaying into dark-matter particles not yetdiscovered, it is essential to have accurate measurements through sophisticated and innovative detector technology built with special properties. The ADRIANO2 (A Dual Readout Integrally Active Non-segmented Option) Calorimeter Prototype plays a pivotal role in advancing detection capabilities, offering the potential to enhance the particle identification procedure. This study delves into the characterization of the ADRIANO2 prototype’s light yield with the ultimate goal of contributing to broader high-energy physics objectives. To estimate the light yield for the ADRIANO2 prototype, we must calibrate the light sensors as well as collect data from beams of known properties. Several prototypes of the ADRIANO2 detector have been tested at the Mtest Facility at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in the last few years. This paper attempts to summarize the calibration of one such ADRIANO2 prototype to estimate its experimental performance.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
The SNS Moderator Demonstration Facility
We describe a moderator demonstration facility at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). We will use the Beam Test Facility (BTF) at SNS to provide a moderator neutronics test stand with which we will verify the performance gains expected from the innovative moderator concepts central to the SNS Second Target Station. These concepts include large-volume para-hydrogen moderators and high-brightness moderators, as well as new moderator materials. The BTF provides a test facility for the new Radio-Frequency Quadrupole accelerator (RFQ) to be installed at SNS and produce a pulsed H− beam of 2.5 MeV energy. We will add to the BTF a beam chopper similar to that already used in the SNS at the RFQ exit, various beam transport components, a neutron-producing target, a cryogenic moderator test stand, a reflector-shielding assembly, and a performance assessment neutron beamline.
Iverson, Erik B.↗
Mu2e Fast Extinction Monitor Tests Using Cherenkov Light from Quartz Cells
This is a technical scope of work (TSW) between the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and the experimenters of Norther Illinois University and Lewis University who have committed to participate in beam tests to be carried out during the 2013-2014 Fermilab Test Beam Facility program.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗