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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.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Phase-space analysis of charged and optical beam transport: Wigner rotation angle

The possibility of using the phase space formalism to establish a correspondence between the dynamical behavior of squeezed states and optical or charged beams, propagating through linear systems, has received a great deal of attention during the last years. In this connection, it has been indicated how optical experiments may be conceived to measure the Wigner rotation angle. In this paper we address the topic within the context of the paraxial propagation of optical or charged beams and suggest a possible experiment for measuring the Wigner angle using an electron beam passing through quadrupoles and drift sections. The analogous optical system is also discussed.

Dattoli, G.↗
DOE OSTI2024

FFA@CEBAF beam transport error and tolerance simulation studies

The Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) is a 12 GeV recirculating electron accelerator at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLAB). Major upgrades to the accelerator are being investigated which include a new 650 MeV injection beamline and state-of-the-art fixed-field alternating (FFA) gradient recirculation arcs. The upgrade will extend the energy of the electron beam to over 20 GeV. In this paper, we provide an error and tolerance simulation study of the amended beam optics transport of the existing accelerator tuned for 22 GeV operation. The study is conducted with the particle tracking codes elegant and Bmad in two parts. In the first part, we treat each section of the accelerator (electromagnetic arcs and linacs) modularly with ideal conditions at the beginning. The second part is a pseudo start-to-end (S2E) simulation with accumulated errors propagating from one beamline to the next.

Accelerator Physics↗
DOE OSTI2026

Customized Bayesian optimization for efficient beam tuning at the facility for rare isotope beams

Bayesian optimization (BO) has recently emerged as a powerful approach for on-line beam tuning, and it is rapidly gaining adoption across accelerator facilities due to its flexibility and efficiency in handling complex optimization tasks. At the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, rapid and reliable tuning is essential to support the delivery of diverse ion species. To improve the practicality of BO in this setting, we implemented several enhancements, including scalarized composite objective construction for multicriteria optimization, asynchronous evaluation for better resource utilization, prior-mean-assisted optimization to accelerate convergence, and a local search strategy for rapid completion of the task. We present the details of these methods, discuss challenges-encountered, and share our experience applying them to specific beam-tuning tasks.

Accelerators & storage rings↗
DOE OSTI2025

Modeling and design of compact, permanent-magnet transport systems for highly divergent, broad energy spread laser-driven proton beams

Laser-driven (LD) ion acceleration has been explored in a newly constructed short focal length laser beamline at the BELLA petawatt facility (interaction point 2, iP2). For applications utilizing such LD ion beams, a beam transport system is required, which for reasons of compactness be ideally contained within 3 m. While they are generated from a micron-scale source, large divergence and energy spread of LD ion beams present a unique challenge to transporting them compared to beams from conventional accelerators. This study gives an overview of proposed compact transport designs using permanent magnets satisfying different requirements depending on the application for the iP2 laser beamline such as radiation biology, material science, and high-energy density science. These designs are optimized for different parameters such as energy spread and peak proton density according to the application’s need. The various designs consist solely of permanent magnet elements, which can provide high magnetic field gradients on a small footprint. While the field strengths are fixed, we have shown that the beam size is able to be tuned effectively by varying the placement of the magnets. The performance of each design was evaluated based on high-order particle tracking simulations of typical LD proton beams. We also examine the ability of certain configurations to tune and select beam energies, critical for specific applications. A more detailed investigation was carried out for a design to deliver 10 MeV LD accelerated ions for radiation biology applications. With these transport system designs, the iP2 laser beamline is ready to house various application experiments.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy Experiment at Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

This manuscript reports on the commissioning of the Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy Experiment (RISE) at the BEam COoler and LAser spectroscopy (BECOLA) facility at Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). The instrument implements the collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy technique for sensitive measurements of isotope shifts and hyperfine structure of short-lived isotopes produced at FRIB. The existing BECOLA beamline was extended to integrate an electrostatic ion-beam bender and an ion detector at ultrahigh vacuum. An injection-seeded titanium-sapphire laser and a multiharmonic pulsed neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser were installed to perform resonant excitation and selective ionization. Commissioning tests were performed to demonstrate the capabilities of the instrument by measuring the hyperfine structure of stable 27 Al produced in an offline ion source. The RISE instrument is ready and operational for future studies of short-lived isotopes at FRIB.

Atomic spectra↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tomography of longitudinal phase space linearization for the generation of attosecond electron bunches

The generation of electron bunches on the attosecond timescale is important for a multitude of accelerator-based applications. Here, we report on a tomographic measurement of the (pre)linearized longitudinal phase space of a low charge 3 MeV electron bunch generated with the 1.6 cell Pegasus photoinjector for the generation of attosecond bunches. The nonlinear correlations in the longitudinal phase space induced by space charge at the photocathode, radiofrequency field curvature of the gun, and vacuum dispersion are compensated using a compact X-band linearizer. Then, the initial and compensated phase of the picosecond electron bunch is precisely reconstructed by neural network assisted tomographic reconstruction from momentum spectra at varying buncher linac phase. Finally, we combine the measured phase space shape with particle tracking simulations to show that electron bunches as short as 941 as develop downstream the beamline.

Beam control↗
DOE OSTI2026

Optics and Systems Design of the Ring-to-Second Target Transport Beam-Line for the SNS Second Target Station

The Second Target Station (STS) project at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is being developed to provide world-leading cold neutron brightness for next-generation neutron scattering experiments. The STS Accelerator Systems (AS) scope includes the design and implementation of the Ring-to-Second Target (RTST) proton beam transport line, which extracts 1.3 GeV proton beam pulses from the existing Ring-to-Beam Transport (RTBT) system and delivers them to the STS target. The RTST design emphasizes operational reliability [high reliability], low activation [minimum activation of components and the tunnel], maintainability, and compatibility with existing SNS infrastructure through extensive reuse of proven RTBT systems and components. The beamline includes a new extraction region, a transport lattice consisting of dipole, quadrupole, and corrector magnets, beam instrumentation systems, vacuum systems, personnel protection systems, and radiation shielding systems. Beam optics and particle tracking studies were performed using PyORBIT to validate extraction trajectories, beam transport, and target beam spot requirements [60–90 cm² beam spot area]. This paper presents the optics design philosophy, extraction system architecture, transport lattice design, instrumentation strategy, vacuum system approach, and radiation protection integration for the RTST beamline. Particle tracking simulations indicate successful beam transport without beam loss under nominal operating conditions. The RTST is designed to transport 1.3 GeV proton beam pulses at repetition rates up to 15 Hz, delivering nominal beam power of 700 kW to the Second Target Station.

Baron, Alex [ORNL]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dynamic motion trajectory control with nanoradian accuracy for multi-element X-ray optical systems via laser interferometry

The past decades have witnessed the development of new X-ray beam sources with brightness growing at a rate surpassing Moore’s law. Current and upcoming diffraction limited and fully coherent X-ray beam sources, including multi-bend achromat based synchrotron sources and high repetition rate X-ray free electron lasers, puts increasingly stringent requirements on stability and accuracy of X-ray optics systems. Parasitic motion errors at sub-micro radian scale in beam transport and beam conditioning optics can lead to significant loss of coherence and brightness delivered from source to experiment. To address this challenge, we incorporated optical metrology based on interferometric length and angle sensing and real-time correction as part of the X-ray optics motion control system. A prototype X-ray optics system was constructed following the optical layout of a tunable X-ray cavity. On-line interferometric metrology enabled dynamical feedback to a motion control system to track and compensate for motion errors. The system achieved sub-microradian scale performance, as multiple optical elements are synchronously and continuously adjusted. This first proof of principle measurement demonstrated both the potential and necessity of incorporating optical metrology as part of the motion control architecture for large scale X-ray optical systems such as monochromators, delay lines, and in particular, X-ray cavity systems to enable the next generation cavity-based X-ray free electron lasers.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

New generation bunch shape monitor for ion accelerators

Measuring longitudinal beam parameters is important for operation and development of high intensity linear accelerators, but it is notoriously difficult for proton and ion beams at non-relativistic energies. The Bunch Shape Monitor (BSM) is a device used for measuring the longitudinal bunch distribution in ion linacs. The existing BSM models have poor electron collection efficiency from the wire and are limited to one-dimensional measurements of the phase coordinate. In response to this problem, we have developed a new generation BSM with improved performance. The proposed design incorporates three major innovations: First, the collection efficiency was improved by adding a focusing field between the wire and the entrance slit, which will also allow measurements over a much wider dynamic range. Second, an improvement in the measurement speed was achieved by sampling longitudinal profiles of multiple energy slices simultaneously, where the BSM wire is placed at the exit of an ion spectrometer so that ions with different energies hit the wire at different horizontal coordinates along the wire. Finally, the design incorporates a motion system that can shift the wire and deflecting cavity together, enabling transverse profile measurements like a wire scanner. Here, in this paper, we will provide the design of the new BSM and report on its beam test results at the Spallation Neutron Source facility in Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Experimental Studies of Nonlinear Integrable Optics with Elliptic Potentials

The stable transport of charged particle beams is the core challenge in designing and operating accelerators. The current paradigm for transverse focusing is based on quadrupole and dipole elements, described as a linear integrable Hamiltonian by Courant and Snyder. The operational limits of high intensity accelerators are often determined by collective instabilities within the beam. Nonlinear elements may be added to suppress certain forms of these collective effects, but restrict the range of stable trajectories. These shortcomings motivate extending to a nonlinear integrable system which can offer the benefits of suppressing collective instabilities without limiting the stable trajectories. Danilov and Nagaitsev proposed a novel nonlinear integrable system with elliptical potentials, which could be implemented as magnetic elements in an accelerator. Such a system has been implemented for practical verification in the integrable optics test accelerator (IOTA), a small storage ring constructed for beam dynamics studies. Electron beam studies in IOTA treat the low-emittance beam as a macroparticle for detailed probing of the expected single particle dynamics. This dissertation details new measurements of the nonlinear integrable system relevant for practical implementation. Turn-by-turn measurements of the kicked beam responses are used for phase space reconstruction and analysis of the predicted nonlinear dynamics. The stability and aperture for various nonlinear configurations are measured with beam losses. Amplitude dependent detuning, a core figure of merit for suppressing instabilities, is measured and compared with high fidelity particle tracking simulations. The synchrotron radiation images of circulating beam allow direct measurements of the topology and lifetime in configurations where nonlinear focusing terms dominate.

Wieland, John [Michigan U.] (ORCID:000000028971852↗
NASA NTRS1989

Handling and analysis of ices in cryostats and glove boxes in view of cometary samples

Comet nucleus sample return mission and other return missions from planets and satellites need equipment for handling and analysis of icy samples at low temperatures under vacuum or protective gas. Two methods are reported which were developed for analysis of small icy samples and which are modified for larger samples in cometary matter simulation experiments (KOSI). A conventional optical cryostat system was modified to allow for transport of samples at 5 K, ion beam irradiation, and measurement in an off-line optical spectrophotometer. The new system consists of a removable window plug containing nozzles for condensation of water and volatiles onto a cold finger. This plug can be removed in a vacuum system, changed against another plug (e.g., with other windows (IR, VIS, VUV) or other nozzles). While open, the samples can be treated under vacuum with cooling by manipulators (cut, removal, sample taking, irradiation with light, photons, or ions). After bringing the plug back, the samples can be moved to another site of analysis. For handling the 30 cm diameter mineral-ice samples from the KOSI experiments an 80x80x80 cm glove box made out of plexiglass was used. The samples were kept in a liquid nitrogen bath, which was filled from the outside. A stream a dry N2 and evaporating gas from the bath purified the glove box from impurity gases and, in particular, H2O, which otherwise would condense onto the samples.

Roessler, K.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Towards Improving luminosity using optics tuning and data-driven methods

The results of Run 24 experiments at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) for improving luminosity using optics tuning are presented in this study. In the first experiment, MADx matching was used to output magnet strengths corresponding to specific s star movements around Interaction Region 8 (IR8). The corresponding Zero Degree Calorimeter (ZDC) signal was measured in place of luminosity, and Bayesian Optimization aids search of optimal movements. It was found that values retrieved from matching were inaccurate, resulting in negative feedback loops. The second experiment focused on calculating accurate s star movements. The matching method was replaced with a linear sensitivity matrix, directly relating optics to power supply, and its null space was used to fit constraints such as hysteresis effects. At the experiment, beam losses were observed at collimators around boundary of IR8, which were fixed for the third experiment. Dynamic mode decomposition was also introduced to improve quality of turn-by-turn (TBT) data as well as accuracy and consistency of optics measurements at IR8. These improvements will be tested in the experiment of next RHIC run for luminosity optimization.

Accelerator Physics↗
NASA NTRS1993

Aerospace devices for magnetic replicas

Retained persistent magnetic field has been studied and improved in the superconductor YBa2Cu3O7 (Y123). During the study, trapped magnetic field, B(t), has been increased by over a factor of 10(exp 5). Methods used to improve magnetic field trapping were principally: (1) the adoption of the Melt Texturing process to increase grain size; (2) the addition of excess Y to disperse deposits of Y2BaCuO5 (Y211) and again increase grain size; (3) irradiation with high energy particles including 1H+, 3He++, 4He++, and fission fragments; and (4) utilizing temperatures below 77 K has also been quantified as a way to increase trapped field. In addition, in our study of B(t), we have found laws governing creep, activation, temperature dependence, creep vs. current flow, etc. In the range 20 K less than or equal to T less than or equal to 65 K, and for B less than 10 Tesla, a simple empirical relationship was found: B(trap) (T2) = B(trap) (T1) ((Tc - T2)/(Tc - T1))squared where Tc is the critical temperature. The highest experimental trapped field was B(trap) = 3.96 Tesla, at 65 K. We believe this to be the highest persistent field ever produced, by any method. A two component model of the persistent currents has been developed. This accurately reproduces the data, using as parameters only the magnitude of a constant surface current, J(s), and a constant volume current J(v). The model successfully predicts B(t) (xyz) for the case of maximum trapped field, for all samples observed. It has also been extended to describe the unsaturated case either zero field cooled, or field cooled. Loss of strap with time has been studied for the critical state (Bt,max), and non critical state (Bt less than Bt,max), for times from a few minutes to a few months, for unirradiated material, for irradiation by 1H+, 3He++, 4He++, high z projectiles, and neutrons, and for all materials used in the overall study. We conclude that: (1) multi Tesla trapped fields are attained; (2) fields over 10 T are achievable; (3) creep is not a large problem; (4) application is feasible to motors, generators, magnets for particle beam optics, separators, levitating bearings, energy storage, shielding, and transportation.

Weinstein, Roy↗
NASA NTRS2002

Ion Dynamic Capture Experiments With The High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT)

To take the first step towards using the energy produced from the matter-antimatter annihilation for propulsion applications, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Propulsion Research Center (PRC) has initiated a research activity examining the storage of low energy antiprotons. The High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT) is an electromagnetic system (Penning-Malmberg design) consisting of a 4 Tesla superconductor, a high voltage electrode confinement system, and an ultra high vacuum test section. It has been designed with an ultimate goal of maintaining 10(exp 12) charged particles with a half-life of 18 days. Currently, this system is being evaluated experimentally using normal matter ions that are cheap to produce, relatively easy to handle, and provide a good indication of overall trap behavior (with the exception of assessing annihilation losses). The ions are produced via a positive hydrogen ion source and transported to HiPAT in a beam line equipped with electrostatic optics. The optics serve to both focus and gate the incoming ions, providing microsecond-timed beam pulses that are dynamically captured by cycling the HiPAT forward containment field like a "trap door". Initial dynamic capture experiments have been successfully performed with beam energy and currents set to 1.9 kV and 23 micro-amps, respectively. At these settings up to 2x10(exp 9) ions have been trapped during a single dynamic cycle.

Martin, James↗
DOE OSTI2024

High energy electron diffraction instrument with tunable camera length

Ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) stands as a powerful technique for real-time observation of structural dynamics at the atomic level. In recent years, the use of MeV electrons from radio frequency guns has been widely adopted to take advantage of the relativistic suppression of the space charge effects that otherwise limit the temporal resolution of the technique. Nevertheless, there is not a clear choice for the optimal energy for a UED instrument. Scaling to beam energies higher than a few MeV does pose significant technical challenges, mainly related to the inherent increase in diffraction camera length associated with the smaller Bragg angles. In this study, we report a solution by using a compact post-sample magnetic optical system to magnify the diffraction pattern from a crystal Au sample illuminated by an 8.2 MeV electron beam. Our method employs, as one of the lenses of the optical system, a triplet of compact, high field gradients (>500 T/m), small-gap (3.5 mm) Halbach permanent magnet quadrupoles. Shifting the relative position of the quadrupoles, we demonstrate tuning the magnification by more than a factor of two, a 6× improvement in camera length, and reciprocal space resolution better than 0.1 Å –1 in agreement with beam transport simulations.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Injection simulations of space charge dominated proton beams in IOTA

A 2.5 MeV proton injector is being constructed for the IOTA ring at Fermilab to study the interaction of nonlinear integrable optics (NIO) with high space charge beams. Space charge in the transport line from the RFQ to the injection location has a significant current dependent effect on the phase space. Simulation studies to support efficient injection of intense bunches into IOTA are presented, included schemes to inject directly into NIO lattices.

Accelerator Physics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Injection simulations of space charge dominated proton beams in IOTA

Injection simulations of space charge dominated proton beams in IOTA ABSTRACT = A 2.5 MeV proton injector has been constructed for the IOTA ring at Fermilab to study the interaction of nonlinear integrable optics (NIO) with high space charge beams. Space charge in the transport line from the RFQ to the injection location has a significant current dependent effect on the phase space. Simulation studies to support efficient injection of intense bunches into IOTA are presented, included schemes to inject directly into NIO lattices.

Wieland, J. [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Injection simulations of space charge dominated proton beams in IOTA

A 2.5 MeV proton injector is being constructed for the IOTA ring at Fermilab to study the interaction of nonlinear integrable optics (NIO) with high space charge beams. Space charge in the transport line from the RFQ to the injection location has a significant current dependent effect on the phase space. Simulation studies to support efficient injection of intense bunches into IOTA are presented, included schemes to inject directly into NIO lattices.

Wieland, J. [Fermilab; Michigan State U.] (ORCID:0↗