Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “High gradient acceleration”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 451 records · Page 25

Analysis of field errors for LARP Nb 3 Sn HQ03 quadrupole magnet

The U.S. LHC Accelerator Research Program, in close collaboration with CERN, has developed three generations of high-gradient quadrupole (HQ) Nb 3 Sn model magnets, to support the development of the 150 mm aperture Nb 3 Sn quadrupole magnets for the High-Luminosity LHC. The latest generation, HQ03, featured coils with better uniformity of coil dimensions and properties than the earlier generations. We tested the HQ03 magnet at FNAL, including the field quality study. The profiles of low-order harmonics along the magnet aperture observed at 15 kA, 1.9 K can be traced back to the assembled coil pack before the magnet assembly. Based on the measured harmonics in the magnet center region, the coil block positioning tolerance was analyzed and compared with earlier HQ01 and HQ02 magnets to correlate with coil and magnet fabrication. Our study the capability of correcting the low-order non-allowed field errors, magnetic shims were installed in HQ03. Furthermore, the expected shim contribution agreed well with the calculation. For the persistent-current effect, the measured a4 can be related to 4% higher in the strand magnetization of one coil with respect to the other three coils. Lastly, we compare the field errors due to the inter-strand coupling currents between HQ03 and HQ02.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

A vectorized, finite-volume, adaptive-grid algorithm for Navier-Stokes calculations

An adaptive grid, finite-volume method has been used to solve the Navier-Stokes equations for complete (forebody and afterbody) flowfields around blunt bodies. The code, which is applicable for axisymmetric or two-dimensional flows, allows the mesh to adjust during the computation to provide a closer spacing of mesh points in regions of high gradients, thus minimizing the number of required computational points. The solution technique is explicit, utilizing a maximum time-step advancement at each grid point to accelerate convergence to the steady state. The code has been fully vectorized for efficient solution on the CYBER 203 computer. A very flexible rezoning routine is used to concentrate mesh points anywhere in the field, either by a user-defined weighting function or by allowing high gradient regions to adjust the grid. The grid adjustment routine is implicit in nature and represents a very small portion of the total computational cost. Currently, the code runs in approximately 0.000016 seconds per grid point per iteration.

Gnoffo, P. A.↗

Multi-metallic conduction cooled superconducting radio-frequency cavity with high thermal stability

Superconducting radio-frequency cavities are commonly used in modern particle accelerators for applied and fundamental research. Such cavities are typically made of high-purity, bulk Nb and with cooling by a liquid helium bath at a temperature of ~2 K. The size, cost and complexity of operating a particle accelerator with a liquid helium refrigerator make the current cavity technology not favorable for use in industrial-type accelerators. We have developed a multi-metallic 1.495 GHz elliptical cavity conductively cooled by a cryocooler. The cavity has a ~2 µm thick layer of Nb 3 Sn on the inner surface, exposed to the rf field, deposited on a ~3 mm thick bulk Nb shell and a bulk Cu shell, of thickness $\geqslant\! 5$ mm deposited on the outer surface by electroplating. A bolt-on Cu plate 1.27 cm thick was used to thermally connect the cavity equator to the second stage of a Gifford-McMahon cryocooler with a nominal capacity of 2 W at 4.2 K. The cavity was tested initially in liquid helium at 4.3 K and reached a peak surface magnetic field of ~36 mT with a quality factor of 2 × 10 9 . The cavity cooled by the cryocooler achieved a peak surface magnetic field of ~29 mT, equivalent to an accelerating gradient of 6.5 MV m –1 . The conduction-cooled cavity could be operated in continuous-wave with as high as 5 W dissipation in the cavity for 1 h without any thermal breakdown, because of the Cu outer layer with high thermal conductivity. This result represents a paradigm shift in the technology of superconducting accelerator cavities.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Ultra-high quality factors in superconducting niobium cavities in ambient magnetic fields up to 190 mG

Ambient magnetic field, if trapped in the penetration depth, leads to the residual resistance and therefore sets the limit for the achievable quality factors in superconducting niobium resonators for particle accelerators. Here, we show that a complete expulsion of the magnetic flux can be performed and leads to: (1) record quality factors Q > 2 × 10{sup 11} up to accelerating gradient of 22 MV/m; (2) Q ∼ 3 × 10{sup 10} at 2 K and 16 MV/m in up to 190 mG magnetic fields. This is achieved by large thermal gradients at the normal/superconducting phase front during the cooldown. Our findings open up a way to ultra-high quality factors at low temperatures and show an alternative to the sophisticated magnetic shielding implemented in modern superconducting accelerators.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Preparations for a high gradient inverse free electron laser experiment at Brookhaven national laboratory

Preparations for an inverse free electron laser experiment at Brookhaven National Laboratory's Accelerator Test Facilty are presented. Details of the experimental setup including beam and laser transport optics are first discussed. Next, the driving laser pulse structure is investigated and initial diagnostics are explored and compared to simulations. Finally, planned improvements to the experimental setup are discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Vacuum RF Breakdown of Accelerating Cavities in Multi-Tesla Magnetic Fields

Ionization cooling of intense muon beams requires the operation of high-gradient, normal-conducting RF structures within multi-Tesla magnetic fields. The application of strong magnetic fields has been shown to lead to an increase in vacuum RF breakdown. This phenomenon imposes operational (i.e. gradient) limitations on cavities in ionization cooling channels, and has a bearing on the design and operation of other RF structures as well, such as photocathodes and klystrons. We present recent results from Fermilab's MuCool Test Area (MTA), in which 201 and 805 MHz cavities were operated at high power both with and without the presence of multi-Tesla magnetic fields. We present an analysis of damage due to breakdown in these cavities, as well as measurements related to dark current and their relation to a conceptual model describing breakdown phenomena.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

The Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility at 12 GeV

This review paper describes the energy-upgraded Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) accelerator. This superconducting linac has achieved 12 GeV beam energy by adding 11 new high-performance cryomodules containing 88 superconducting cavities that have operated cw at an average accelerating gradient of 20 MV / m . After reviewing the attributes and performance of the previous 6 GeV CEBAF accelerator, we discuss the upgraded CEBAF accelerator system in detail with particular attention paid to the new beam acceleration systems. In addition to doubling the acceleration in each linac, the upgrade included improving the beam recirculation magnets, adding more helium cooling capacity to allow the newly installed modules to run cold, adding a new experimental hall, and improving numerous other accelerator components. We review several of the techniques deployed to operate and analyze the accelerator performance and document system operating experience and performance. In the final portion of the document, we present much of the current planning regarding projects to improve accelerator performance and enhance operating margins, and our plans for ensuring CEBAF operates reliably into the future. For the benefit of potential users of CEBAF, the performance and quality measures for the beam delivered to each of the experimental halls are summarized in the Appendix. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

SU-F-BRF-08: Conformal Mapping-Based 3D Surface Matching and Registration

Purpose: Recently, non-rigid 3D surface matching and registration has been used extensively in engineering and medicine. However, matching 3D surfaces undergoing non-rigid deformation accurately is still a challenging mathematical problem. In this study, we present a novel algorithm to address this issue by introducing intrinsic symmetry to the registration Methods: Our computational algorithm for symmetric conformal mapping is divided into three major steps: 1) Finding the symmetric plane; 2) Finding feature points; and 3) Performing cross registration. The key strategy is to preserve the symmetry during the conformal mapping, such that the image on the parameter domain is symmetric and the area distortion factor on the parameter image is also symmetric. Several novel algorithms were developed using different conformal geometric tools. One was based on solving Riemann-Cauchy equation and the other one employed curvature flow Results: Our algorithm was implemented using generic C++ on Windows XP and used conjugate gradient search optimization for acceleration. The human face 3D surface images were acquired using a high speed 3D scanner based on the phase-shifting method. The scanning speed was 30 frames/sec. The image resolution for each frame was 640 × 480. For 3D human face surfaces with different expressions, postures, and boundaries, our algorithms were able to produce consistent result on the texture pattern on the overlapping region Conclusion: We proposed a novel algorithm to improve the robustness of conformal geometric methods by incorporating the symmetric information into the mapping process. To objectively evaluate its performance, we compared it with most existing techniques. Experimental results indicated that our method outperformed all the others in terms of robustness. The technique has a great potential in real-time patient monitoring and tracking in image-guided radiation therapy.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Conduction Cooling of a Niobium SRF Cavity Using a Cryocooler

Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavities are the primary choice for accelerating charged particles in high-energy research accelerators. Institutions like Fermilab use SRF cavities because they enable significantly higher gradients and quality factors than normal-conducting RF cavities and DC voltage cavities. To cool the SRF cavities to low temperatures (typically around 2 K), liquid helium refrigerators are used. Producing and maintaining the necessary liquid helium requires large, elaborate cryogenic plants involving dewars, compressors, expansion engines, and recyclers. The cost, complexity, and space required for such plants is part of the reason that industry has not yet adopted SRF-based accelerators. At the Illinois Accelerator Research Center (IARC) at Fermilab, our team seeks to make SRF technology accessible not only to large research accelerators, but to industry as well. If we eliminate the complexity associated with liquid helium plants, SRF-based industrial accelerators may finally become a reality. One way to do this is to eliminate the use of liquid helium baths altogether and develop a brand-new cooling technique for SRF cavities: conduction cooling using a cryocooler. Recent advances in SRF technology have made it possible to operate SRF cavities at 4 K, a temperature easily achievable using commercial cryocoolers. Our IARC team is taking advantage of this technology to cool SRF cavities.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Cryogenic testing of the 2.1 GHz five-cell superconducting RF cavity with a photonic band gap coupler cell

We present results from cryogenic tests of the multi-cell superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavity with a photonic band gap (PBG) coupler cell. Achieving high average beam currents is particularly desirable for future light sources and particle colliders based on SRF energy-recovery-linacs (ERLs). Beam current in ERLs is limited by the beam break-up instability, caused by parasitic higher order modes (HOMs) interacting with the beam in accelerating cavities. A PBG cell incorporated in an accelerating cavity can reduce the negative effect of HOMs by providing a frequency selective damping mechanism, thus allowing significantly higher beam currents. The multi-cell cavity was designed and fabricated of niobium. Two cryogenic (vertical) tests were conducted. The high unloaded Q-factor was demonstrated at a temperature of 4.2 K at accelerating gradients up to 3 MV/m. The measured value of the unloaded Q-factor was 1.55 × 10<8>, in agreement with prediction.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Physically and chemically smooth cesium-antimonide photocathodes on single crystal strontium titanate substrates

The performance of x-ray free electron lasers and ultrafast electron diffraction experiments is largely dependent on the brightness of electron sources from photoinjectors. Here, the maximum brightness from photoinjectors at a particular accelerating gradient is limited by the mean transverse energy (MTE) of electrons emitted from photocathodes. For high quantum efficiency (QE) cathodes like alkali-antimonide thin films, which are essential to mitigate the effects of non-linear photoemission on MTE, the smallest possible MTE and, hence, the highest possible brightness are limited by the nanoscale surface roughness and chemical inhomogeneity. In this work, we show that high QE Cs 3 Sb films grown on lattice-matched strontium titanate (STO) substrates have a factor of 4 smoother, chemically uniform surfaces compared to those traditionally grown on disordered Si surfaces. We perform simulations to calculate roughness induced MTE based on measured topographical and surface-potential variations on the Cs 3 Sb films grown on STO and show that these variations are small enough to have no consequential impact on the MTE and, hence, the brightness.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Progress on a Cavity with Beryllium Walls for Muon Ionization Cooling Channel R&D.

The Muon Accelerator Program (MAP) collaboration is working to develop an ionization cooling channel for muon beams. An ionization cooling channel requires the operation of high-gradient, normal-conducting RF cavities in multi-Tesla solenoidal magnetic fields. However, experiments conducted at Fermilab?s MuCool Test Area (MTA) show that increasing the solenoidal field strength reduces the maximum achievable cavity gradient. This gradient limit is characterized by an RF breakdown process that has caused significant damage to copper cavity interiors. The damage may be caused by field-emitted electrons, focused by the solenoidal magnetic field onto small areas of the inner cavity surface. Local heating may then induce material fatigue and surface damage. Fabricating a cavity with beryllium walls would mitigate this damage due to beryllium?s low density, low thermal expansion, and high electrical and thermal conductivity. We address the design and fabrication of a pillbox RF cavity with beryllium walls, in order to evaluate the performance of high-gradient cavities in strong magnetic fields.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Study on Electropolishing of N-Doped Niobium Surfaces and 650 MHz Cavity for High-Gradient Performance

This presentation provides an overview of the latest studies on electropolishing (EP) of nitrogen-doped niobium surfaces and 650 MHz cavities. The first study focuses on optimizing EP parameters to achieve a pit-free surface on N-doped niobium, highlighting the effects of process conditions on surface pitting and suggesting strategies for mitigation. The second study investigates the EP of 650 MHz cavities to achieve high-gradient performance comparable to that of 1.3 GHz niobium SRF cavities. Additionally, an example of a 650 MHz single-cell cavity is presented, demonstrating its record-high gradient achieved through optimized EP conditions.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Simulations of laser-wakefield acceleration with external electron-bunch injection for REGAE experiments at DESY

We present particle-in-cell simulations for future laser-plasma wakefield experiments with external bunch injection at the REGAE accelerator facility at DESY, Hamburg, Germany. Two effects have been studied in detail: emittance evolution of electron bunches externally injected into a wake, and longitudinal bunch compression inside the wakefield. Results show significant transverse emittance growth during the injection process, if the electron bunch is not matched to its intrinsic betatron motion inside the wakefield. This might introduce the necessity to include beam-matching sections upstream of each plasma-accelerator section with fundamental implications on the design of staged laser wakefield accelerators. When externally injected at the zero-field crossing of the laser-driven wake, the electron bunch may undergo significant compression in longitudinal direction and be accelerated simultaneously due to the gradient in the acting force. The mechanism would allow for production of single high-energy, ultra-short (on the order of one femtosecond) bunches at REGAE. The optimal conditions for maximal bunch compression are discussed in the presented studies.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Investigation of longitudinal proton acceleration in exploded targets irradiated by intense short-pulse laser

It was recently shown that a promising way to accelerate protons in the forward direction to high energies is to use under-dense or near-critical density targets instead of solids. Simulations have revealed that the acceleration process depends on the density gradients of the plasma target. Indeed, under certain conditions, the most energetic protons are predicted to be accelerated by a collisionless shock mechanism that significantly increases their energy. We report here the results of a recent experiment dedicated to the study of longitudinal ion acceleration in partially exploded foils using a high intensity (∼5 × 10{sup 18} W/cm{sup 2}) picosecond laser pulse. We show that protons accelerated using targets having moderate front and rear plasma gradients (up to ∼8 μm gradient length) exhibit similar maximum proton energy and number compared to proton beams that are produced, in similar laser conditions, from solid targets, in the well-known target normal sheath acceleration regime. Particle-In-Cell simulations, performed in the same conditions as the experiment and consistent with the measurements, allow laying a path for further improvement of this acceleration scheme.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Ultimate Gradient Limitation in Niobium Superconducting Accelerating Cavities

The present study is addressed to the theoretical description of the ultimate gradient limitation in SRF cavities. Our intent is to exploit experimental data to confirm models which provide feed-backs on how to improve the current state-of-art. New theoretical insight on the cavities limiting factor can be suitable to improve the quench field of N-doped cavities, and therefore to take advantage of high Q 0 at high gradients.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Modeling the LLRF Control of a Multi-Cavity RF Station for Project-X

Fermilab’s High Intensity Neutrino Source (HINS), the 325 MHz low energy section of Project X consists of an RFQ, 18 copper cavities and a section of superconducting spoke resonator cavities, all driven by a single 2.5 MW klystron. Each cavity has a high power ferrite vector modulator which provides individual RF power control. This paper proposes a scheme that optimizes RF drive and vector modulator control. The different gradients, acceleration phase angles, unloaded Q’s and beam loading are taken into account to optimize the cavities detuning angles, forward power, and loaded Q’s. This scheme makes an efficient use of the klystron’s high bandwidth ability to modulate the forward power, hence minimizing the burden on the high power vector modulator during the RF pulse. The proposed method is explained in details, a parameter sensitivity analysis is performed and the impact on the total power consumption for the RF station is calculated.

Branlard, J.↗