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At least 181 records · Page 10

Laser-plasma ion beam booster based on hollow-channel magnetic vortex acceleration

Laser-driven ion acceleration provides ultrashort, high-charge, low-emittance beams, which are desirable for a wide range of high-impact applications. Yet after decades of research, a significant increase in maximum ion energy is still needed. This paper introduces a quality-preserving staging concept for ultraintense ion bunches that is seamlessly applicable from the nonrelativistic plasma source to the relativistic regime. Full three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations prove robustness and capture of a high-charge proton bunch, suitable for readily available and near-term laser facilities.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Prospects for Surrogate Neutron Capture Measurements with Radioactive Ion Beams and GODDESS

Neutron capture reactions are responsible for the synthesis of almost all of the elements heavier than iron through the slow s-process, that proceeds close to the line of stability, and the rapid r-process, with very neutron-rich waiting points. Uncertainties in (n,γ) rates in neutron rich nuclei, especially near closed neu- tron shells, can have significant impact [1] on the predictions of final abundances for different astrophysical scenarios for the r process. Understanding (n,γ) rates on neutron-rich fission fragments is also important for nuclear forensics and stockpile stewardship science. Ratkiewicz et al. [2 and references therein] has recently demonstrated that the (d,pγ) reaction is a valid surrogate for (n,γ), where the formation of the compound nucleus from the breakup of the deuteron has been calculated in a reaction model and the subsequent measured gamma-decay probabilities are reproduced with standard level density and strength functions in a Bayesian approach. In parallel to the surrogate validation efforts, we have demonstrated that the (d,pγ) reaction can be measured in inverse kinematics with Gammasphere ORRUBA: Dual Detectors for Experimental Structure Studies (GODDESS) [3] where the Gammasphere array of Compton-suppressed HPGe detectors is coupled to the Oak Ridge Rutgers University Barrel Array of position-sensitive silicon strip detectors. During the commissioning campaign we measured the (d,pγ) reaction with 134 Xe and 95 Mo beams, the latter to demonstrate the surrogate method in inverse kinematics. The present talk will present preliminary results from this campaign including γ-decay probabilities and prospects for surrogate (n,γ) measurements with 143 Ba fission-fragment beams.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Structural properties and recrystallization effects in ion beam modified B20-type FeGe films

Disordered iron germanium (FeGe) has recently garnered interest as a testbed for a variety of magnetic phenomena as well as for use in magnetic memory and logic applications. This is partially owing to its ability to host skyrmions and antiskyrmions—nanoscale whirlpools of magnetic moments that could serve as information carriers in spintronic devices. In particular, a tunable skyrmion–antiskyrmion system may be created through precise control of the defect landscape in B20-phase FeGe, motivating the development of methods to systematically tune disorder in this material and understand the ensuing structural properties. To this end, we investigate a route for modifying magnetic properties in FeGe. In particular, we irradiate epitaxial B20-phase FeGe films with 2.8 MeV Au 4+ ions, which creates a dispersion of amorphized regions that may preferentially host antiskyrmions at densities controlled by the irradiation fluence. To further tune the disorder landscape, we conduct a systematic electron diffraction study with in situ annealing, demonstrating the ability to recrystallize controllable fractions of the material at temperatures ranging from ~150 to 250°C. Finally, we describe the crystallization kinetics using the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov model, finding that the growth of crystalline grains is consistent with diffusion-controlled one-to-two dimensional growth with a decreasing nucleation rate.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Cold ion beam in a storage ring as a platform for large-scale quantum computers and simulators: Challenges and directions for research and development

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the possibility of constructing a large-scale storage-ring-type ion-trap system capable of storing, cooling, and controlling a large number of ions as a platform for scalable quantum computing (QC) and quantum simulations. In such a trap, the ions form a crystalline beam moving along a circular path with a constant velocity determined by the frequency and intensity of the cooling lasers. In this paper, we consider a large leap forward in terms of the number of ions that serve as qubits in QC, from fewer than 100 available in state of the art linear ion-trap devices today to an order of 10 5 crystallized ions in the storage-ring setup. This new trap design unifies two different concepts: the storage rings of charged particles and the linear ion traps used for QC and mass spectrometry. In this paper, we use the language of particle accelerators to discuss the ion state and dynamics. We outline the differences between the above concepts, analyze challenges of the large ring with a revolving chain of ions, and propose goals for the research and development required to enable future quantum computers with 1000 times more qubits than available today. The challenge of creating such a large-scale quantum system while maintaining the necessary coherence of the qubits and the high fidelity of quantum logic operations is significant. Performing analog quantum simulations may be an achievable initial goal for such a device. Quantum calculations and simulations of complex quantum systems will move forward both the fundamental science and the applied research. Nuclear and particle physics, many-body quantum systems, lattice gauge theories, and nuclear structure calculations are just a few examples in which a large-scale quantum simulation system will become a very powerful tool to move forward our understanding of nature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Correlative electron and ion beam analysis of the electrochemical performances of LiV 3 O 8 cathode films as a function of microstructures

Degradation mechanisms in LiV 3 O 8 cathode films (~500 nm) with different initial microstructures i.e., globular nanocrystals in amorphous matrix and needle-like nanocrystals, synthesized by annealing the cathodes at 150 °C and 300 °C for 6 h are studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES). In addition, a unique in-situ combination of TEM and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) imaging techniques, namely Parallel Ion and Electron beam Spectrometry (PIES) is carried out to measure the 3D distribution of V and Li with nanoscale resolution. These characterization studies focus on correlating the pre- and post-cycling microstructure to observed electrochemical performance. The LiV 3 O 8 cathode film with needle-like nanocrystals (300 °C) shows a higher initial capacity but it degrades rapidly compared to the film with globular nanocrystals embedded in amorphous matrix (150 °C). We observed that LiV 3 O 8 films with needle-like nanocrystals are more susceptible to cathode decohesion and vanadium dissolution than the films with globular nanocrystals embedded in amorphous matrix, explaining the differences in their electrochemical performance. The findings from this study have relevance to the development of thin film electrode microstructures for high capacity and cyclic stability.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Monte Carlo Study of Imaging Plate Response to Laser-Driven Aluminum Ion Beams

We measured the response of BAS-TR imaging plate (IP) to energetic aluminum ions up to 222 MeV, and compared it with predictions from a Monte Carlo simulation code using two different IP response models. Energetic aluminum ions were produced with an intense laser pulse, and the response was evaluated from cross-calibration between CR-39 track detector and IP energy spectrometer. For the first time, we obtained the response function of the BAS-TR IP for aluminum ions with a kinetic energy as high as 222 MeV. On close examination of the two IP response models, we confirm that the exponential model fits our experimental data better. Moreover, we find that the IP sensitivity in the exponential model is nearly constant in this energy range, suggesting that the response function can be determined even with little experimental data.

Won, Junho↗

Oblique propagation and temperature effects on the resonant right-hand ion beam instability

The resonant right-hand instability (RHI) is often the dominant mode driven by reflected ions upstream of Earth’s quasi-parallel bow shock. In the tradition of Peter Gary, this paper further explores the right-hand instability using numerical solutions of the plasma dispersion relation and non-linear kinetic simulations, with parameters inspired by observations from NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. Agreement is found between the ion distributions in the particle-in-cell simulations and Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft data, which show the gyrophase bunching characteristic of the instability. The non-linear structures created by right-hand instability tend to be stronger when the plasma beta is lower. These structures have sizes of around 100 to 200 ion inertial lengths perpendicular to the magnetic field, presenting planet-sized disturbances to the magnetosphere. 2d and 3D hybrid particle-in-cell simulations show that modes with a range of propagation angles oblique to the magnetic field are excited, providing a ground to understand previous statistical studies of observed foreshock waves.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Ion Beam Propagation Through the FNAL LEBT

The Fermilab 750keV injector sends 25mA H- beam for 30µs at a rep-rate of 15Hz. The beam transmission through the FNAL injector is currently less than 50% from the ion source to the entrance of the drift tube linac. Recently it was uncovered that the primary loss point is within the region prior to the RFQ which houses the solenoid focal elements that match the beam to the RFQ. Recent diagnostic measurements indicate that the cause of the transmission efficiency could be the non-linear effects of the solenoid elements on the beam. An aperture restriction was placed just upstream of the first solenoid element to restrict the beam size and reduce the non-linear effects of the solenoid element.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Parallel-plate avalanche counters for heavy-ion beam tracking: History and mysteries

Despite being an old detector concept, position-sensitive parallel-plate avalanche counters (PPACs) remain widely used today for heavy-ion position and timing measurements. In modern rare isotope beam facilities and large-acceptance fragment separators, PPACs are used to characterize beam properties (diagnostics), facilitate beam delivery (tuning), and provide event-by-event beam tracking for particle identification (PID). Most popular particle localization methods in PPAC detectors are based on strip electrodes electrically connected to resistive-chain circuits or delay lines. More exotic systems include optical readouts based on recording electroluminescence light with high-granularity photodetector arrays or high-resolution resistive anode electrodes. PPACs with conventional resistive-chain or delay-line readouts achieve typical position and time resolutions of below 1 mm ( σ ) and around 150 ps ( σ ), respectively. In addition, delay-line systems are capable of counting rates above several hundred kHz for beam areas of a few millimeters square, and around 1 MHz for larger beam sizes. Resistive-chain readouts have limited rates of a few tens of kHz. A review of the operation principles and performance of PPAC detectors is presented in this paper. We will discuss decades-long experience building and operating PPACs developed at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, and then refined at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), mostly focusing on the delay-line readout technique (DLPPAC). We will also discuss problems that arise due to electric discharges at high rates and briefly describe ongoing developments at FRIB. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Physics↗

Generation of focusing ion beams by magnetized electron sheath acceleration

Abstract We present the first 3D fully kinetic simulations of laser driven sheath-based ion acceleration with a kilotesla-level applied magnetic field. The application of a strong magnetic field significantly and beneficially alters sheath based ion acceleration and creates two distinct stages in the acceleration process associated with the time-evolving magnetization of the hot electron sheath. The first stage delivers dramatically enhanced acceleration, and the second reverses the typical outward-directed topology of the sheath electric field into a focusing configuration. The net result is a focusing, magnetic field-directed ion source of multiple species with strongly enhanced energy and number. The predicted improvements in ion source characteristics are desirable for applications and suggest a route to experimentally confirm magnetization-related effects in the high energy density regime. We additionally perform a comparison between 2D and 3D simulation geometry, on which basis we predict the feasibility of observing magnetic field effects under experimentally relevant conditions.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Focused Ion Beam analysis of non radioactive samples [PowerPoint]

The presentation includes various images to illustrate the analysis. Helios G4 Plasma FIB: Xe ion columns mills material 30 times faster than Ga; Options include: Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Wavelength Dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) Electron backscattered Diffraction (EBSD), Time of Flight Sims (ToF SIMS), Inert gas/vacuum sample transfer system; Excels at micromachining and collecting 3D datasets using various detection systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Nanoaperture fabrication in ultra-smooth single-grain gold films with helium ion beam lithography

In this paper, we demonstrate a simple three-step gold thin-film sample preparation process to enhance the morphology and lithographic precision using helium ion based direct-writing. The procedure includes metal deposition, heat treatment and template stripping, which produce smooth monocrystalline gold grains with sizes up to 500 nm and an average surface roughness of 0.267 nm. By using a helium ion microscope, we can fabricate structures with feature sizes less than 20 nm in a 100 nm thick gold film with high-quality sidewalls. We demonstrate the efficacy of this technique by producing high-quality double nanohole (DNH) nanoapertures for single nanoparticle trapping in a single grain of 100 nm thick gold. This procedure can be applied to a wide range of antenna geometries and features that need to be fabricated producing optical and or electronic devices.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Ion beam irradiation of ABO4 compounds with the fergusonite, monazite, scheelite, and zircon structures

The effects of irradiation on CaWO4, SrWO4, BaWO4, YVO4, LaVO4, YNbO4, and LaNbO4 were investigated on thin crystals using 1.0 MeV Kr ions at 50-1000 K. All of the ABO4 compounds can be amorphized with calculated damage cross sections (σa = 1/Fc0) in the range of ~0.30-1.09 × 10-14 cm2 ion-1 at zero Kelvin. The analysis of fluence-temperature data returned critical temperatures for amorphization (Tc) of 311 ± 1, 358 ± 90, 325 ± 19, 415 ± 17, 541 ± 6, 636 ± 26, and 1012 ± 1 K, respectively, for the compounds listed above. Compared with previous in situ irradiation of ABO4 orthophosphate samples using 0.8 MeV Kr ions, the Tc values of LaVO4 and YVO4 are higher than those of LaPO4 and YPO4 by 82 K and 124 K, respectively. The Tc values of the three scheelite structures, CaWO4, SrWO4, and BaWO4, indicate that they are the most radiation tolerant compounds under these conditions. The A-B cation anti-site energies, EfAB, determined by DFT range from 2.48 to 10.58 eV and are highly correlated with the A-B cation ionic radius ratio, rA/rB, but are not correlated with Tc across the different structure types, suggesting that the formation and migration energies of Frenkel defects play a more important role in damage recovery in these compounds. We also discuss the role of cation and anion charge/iconicity as determined by DFT. ABO4 compounds with the zircon structure and B = P or V have a distinct advantage over those with B = Si as the damaged regions do not appear to be significantly affected by polymerization of (PO4) 3- or (VO4) 3- groups which might stabilize the amorphous fraction and ultimately lead to phase separation as observed in zircon (ZrSiO4).

amorphization↗

Influence of substrate composition on size and chemical state of ion beam synthesised Co nanoparticles – Towards fabrication of electrodes for energy devices

A one-step approach to synthesize ultrafine transition metal particles (size < 5 nm) in carbon substrates is highly desirable for fabricating electrodes for energy devices. Herein, cobalt ion implantation into amorphous carbon films (a:C) and hydrogenated amorphous carbon films (a:CH) was explored, with the aim of synthesizing ultrafine metallic cobalt nanoparticles at room temperature. Co ions of 30 keV energy were implanted into the carbon films to achieve a Co areal density of 1.0 ± 0.1 × 10 17 atoms cm -2 . Rutherford backscattering measurements revealed that hydrogenated amorphous carbon films gave a broader Co depth distribution compared to the amorphous carbon films. Further, cross-sectional TEM analysis revealed that hydrogenated carbon films suppressed metallic Co nanoparticle aggregation, leading to the creation of ultrafine Co nanoparticles (size < 5 nm). Co L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements confirmed the formation of predominantly metallic Co nanoparticles by ion implantation. Results conclusively demonstrate that the presence of hydrogen (~ 28 at%) in the carbon matrix facilitates the synthesis of ultrafine metallic Co nanoparticles during Co ion implantation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗