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DOE OSTI2021

Realization of a high luminosity muon beam at the Jefferson Lab

The proton is the major component of the visible matter of our universe, so being able to determine its fundamental properties, such as its charge radius, is of vital importance. In recent years, several experiments have been performed for the accurate measurement of the proton radius with different experimental techniques. The main and most common are based on two different techniques: ep scattering and Lamb shift spectroscopy of regular hydrogen atoms. The latter can also be performed on muonic hydrogen atoms with a significant improvement in accuracy. Recent measurements that use this method have highlighted a discrepancy between the results obtained with the diffusion of electrons and those obtained with the spectroscopic technique leading to the so-called ?proton radius puzzle?. The explanation of why this difference between the measured values exists is still a matter of discussion. The last attempt to address the puzzle was the PRad Experiment. It was performed with a unique experimental setup that gave the scientists an excellent control on the systematic errors that are usually present in electron-proton scattering experiments. This has significantly increased the precision of the measurement, bringing it in the same area as the spectroscopic ones done on muonic hydrogen atoms, which are considered the most precise. However, to solve the puzzle once and for all, even more precise electron scattering measurements are needed. Alternatively, new methods can be used, such as eg. muon-proton scattering at low transferred momenta in order to lower the systematic errors that comes with the measurement. This thesis tries to address this problem by studying the set up of an intense muon beam at the Jefferson Laboratory (JLab) that can be used to carry out a high-precision m ? p scattering experiment. Using Montecarlo simulations I studied the muon production resulting from the interaction of the primary electron beam with the beam-dump at JLab Hall-A. The simulations were performed using the FLUKA package via the FLAIR graphical interface. In this study, I modified an existing geometry (built for the ?Beam Dump eXperiment?) and performed several studies in order to optimize the muon beam parameters. In order to estimate the beam intensity, I studied the muon generation and transportation through the concrete bunker surrounding the Hall-A beam-dump. Detailed studies on muon attenuation and dispersion at different depth allowed me to track the beam profile in space and momentum as a function of the distance from the beam-dump. Last, but not least, I studied a possible tagging system for the muon beam. The tagging system will allow us to know with good precision (O(1=1000)) the energy of each muon of the beam. Based on the results obtained, I created an event generator that incorporates the detailed description of the muon beam (energy, position, emittance) useful to define and optimize the experimental setup for a future measurement of the proton radius at the JLab.

Fulci, Antonino↗

DOE OSTI2022

Integrating a ponderomotive guiding center algorithm into a quasi-static particle-in-cell code based on azimuthal mode decomposition

High fidelity modeling of plasma based acceleration (PBA) requires the use of three dimensional, fully nonlinear, and kinetic descriptions based on the particle-in-cell (PIC) method. In PBA an intense particle beam or laser (driver) propagates through a tenuous plasma whereby it excites a plasma wave wake. Three-dimensional PIC algorithms based on the quasi-static approximation (QSA) have been successfully applied to efficiently model the interaction between relativistic charged particle beams and plasma. In a QSA PIC algorithm, the plasma response to a charged particle beam or laser driver is calculated based on forces from the driver and self-consistent forces from the QSA form of Maxwell's equations. These fields are then used to advance the charged particle beam or laser forward by a large time step. Since the time step is not limited by the regular Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) condition that constrains a standard 3D fully electromagnetic PIC code, a 3D QSA PIC code can achieve orders of magnitude speedup in performance. Recently, a new hybrid QSA PIC algorithm that combines another speedup technique known as an azimuthal Fourier decomposition has been proposed and implemented. This hybrid algorithm decomposes the electromagnetic fields, charge and current density into azimuthal harmonics and only the Fourier coefficients need to be updated, which can reduce the algorithmic complexity of a 3D code to that of a 2D code. Modeling the laser-plasma interaction in a full 3D electromagnetic PIC algorithm is very computationally expensive due the enormous disparity of physical scales to be resolved. In the QSA the laser is modeled using the ponderomotive guiding center (PGC) approach. We describe how to implement a PGC algorithm compatible for the QSA PIC algorithms based on the azimuthal mode expansion. Here this algorithm permits time steps orders of magnitude larger than the cell size and it can be asynchronously parallelized. Details on how this is implemented into the QSA PIC code that utilizes an azimuthal mode expansion, QPAD, are also described. Benchmarks and comparisons between a fully 3D explicit PIC code (OSIRIS), as well as a few examples related to laser wakefield acceleration, are presented.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2025

Studies for the selection of fully contained muon neutrino CC events in the ICARUS T600 detector at Fermilab

The ICARUS T600 LAr-TPC detector has started its new physics runs in June 2022 at Fermilab within the SBN program. This detector is recording neutrino interactions from the Booster BNB neutrino beam in order to definitively clarify the open questions related to the possible existence of sterile neutrinos, as suggested by numerous observed experimental anomalies. In addition the neutrinos events recorded from the NuMI off-axis beam are under study in order to perform neutrino-Argon cross section measurements. At Fermilab, ICARUS is facing a challenging experimental condition: the detector is presently installed essentially at Earth surface where cosmic ray particles can become a serious source of background for the neutrino event search. This condition makes it necessary to deploy suitable automatic tools for the identification, selection, and measurement of the neutrino events among the millions of events triggered by cosmics. In this contribution, two automatic selection procedures devoted to the identification of fully contained muon neutrino interactions in the BNB neutrino beam will be presented, together with the first results of their application on simulated and on recently recorded events in the T600 detector.

Farnese, Christian [INFN, Padua] (ORCID:0000000163↗

DOE OSTI2025

Studies for the Selection of Fully Contained Muon Neutrino CC Events in the ICARUS T600 Detector at Fermilab

Farnese, Christian [INFN, Padua]↗

DOE OSTI2023

Mending cracks atom-by-atom in rutile TiO2 with electron beam radiolysis

Abstract Rich electron-matter interactions fundamentally enable electron probe studies of materials such as scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Inelastic interactions often result in structural modifications of the material, ultimately limiting the quality of electron probe measurements. However, atomistic mechanisms of inelastic-scattering-driven transformations are difficult to characterize. Here, we report direct visualization of radiolysis-driven restructuring of rutile TiO 2 under electron beam irradiation. Using annular dark field imaging and electron energy-loss spectroscopy signals, STEM probes revealed the progressive filling of atomically sharp nanometer-wide cracks with striking atomic resolution detail. STEM probes of varying beam energy and precisely controlled electron dose were found to constructively restructure rutile TiO 2 according to a quantified radiolytic mechanism. Based on direct experimental observation, a “two-step rolling” model of mobile octahedral building blocks enabling radiolysis-driven atomic migration is introduced. Such controlled electron beam-induced radiolytic restructuring can be used to engineer novel nanostructures atom-by-atom.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2020

Optical Design and Characterization of 40-GHz Detector and Module for the BICEP Array

Families of cosmic inflation models predict a primordial gravitational-wave background that imprints B-mode polarization pattern in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). High-sensitivity instruments with wide frequency coverage and well-controlled systematic errors are needed to constrain the faint B-mode amplitude. We have developed antenna-coupled transition edge sensor arrays for high-sensitivity polarized CMB observations over a wide range of millimeter-wave bands. BICEP array, the latest phase of the BICEP/Keck experiment series, is a multi-receiver experiment designed to search for inflationary B-mode polarization to a precision σ(r) between 0.002 and 0.004 after 3 full years of observations, depending on foreground complexity and the degree of lensing removal. We describe the electromagnetic design and measured performance of BICEP array’s low-frequency 40-GHz detector, their packaging in focal plane modules, and optical characterization including efficiency and beam matching between polarization pairs. We summarize the design and simulated optical performance, including an approach to improve the optical efficiency due to mismatch losses. Here, we report the measured beam maps for a new broadband corrugation design to minimize beam differential ellipticity between polarization pairs caused by interactions with the module housing frame, which helps minimize polarized beam mismatch that converts CMB temperature to polarization (T→P) anisotropy in CMB maps.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of directional muon beams generated at the Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator

We present the detection of directional muon beams produced using a PW laser facility at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The muon source is a multi-GeV electron beam generated in a laser-plasma accelerator interacting with a high- converter target. The GeV photons resulting from the interaction are converted into a high-flux, directional muon beam via pair production. By employing scintillators to capture delayed events, we were able to identify the produced muons and characterize the source. Using theoretical knowledge of the muon production process combined with simulations that are in excellent agreement with the experiments, we demonstrate that laser-plasma accelerators have the capability of generating electron beams with characteristics suitable to produce GeV-scale muons that offer unique advantages with respect to the cosmic background. Laser-plasma-accelerator-based muon sources can therefore enhance muon imaging applications thanks to their compactness, directionality, and high yields, which reduce the exposure time by orders of magnitude compared to cosmic ray muons. Using the eant4-based simulation code we developed to gain insight into the experimental results, we can design future experiments and applications based on LPA-generated muons.

Terzani, Davide↗

DOE OSTI2021

Search for an Excess of Electron Neutrino Interactions in MicroBooNE Using Multiple Final State Topologies (submitted to PRL)

We present a measurement of ν e interactions from the Fermilab Booster Neutrino Beam using the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber to address the nature of the excess of low energy interactions observed by the MiniBooNE collaboration. Three independent ν e searches are performed across multiple single electron final states, including an exclusive search for two-body scattering events with a single proton, a semi-inclusive search for pionless events, and a fully inclusive search for events containing all hadronic final states. With differing signal topologies, statistics, backgrounds, reconstruction algorithms, and analysis approaches, the results are found to be consistent with the nominal ν e rate expectations from the Booster Neutrino Beam and no excess of ν e events is observed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Measurements of ${\Xi \left( 1530\right) ^{0}} $ and ${\overline{\Xi }\left( 1530\right) ^{0}} $ production in proton–proton interactions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 17.3 $\text{ GeV }$ in the NA61/SHINE experiment

Double-differential yields of ${\Xi \left( 1530\right) ^{0}} $ and ${\overline{\Xi }\left( 1530\right) ^{0}} $ resonances produced in p+p interactions were measured at a laboratory beam momentum of 158 $\text{ GeV }\!/\!c$. This measurement is the first of its kind in p+p interactions below LHC energies. It was performed at the CERN SPS by the NA61/SHINE collaboration. Double-differential distributions in rapidity and transverse momentum were obtained from a sample of $26\times 10^6$ inelastic events. The spectra are extrapolated to full phase space resulting in mean multiplicity of ${\Xi \left( 1530\right) ^{0}} $ ($6.73 \pm 0.25\pm 0.67)\times 10^{-4}$ and ${\overline{\Xi }\left( 1530\right) ^{0}} $ ($2.71 \pm 0.18\pm 0.18)\times 10^{-4}$. The rapidity and transverse momentum spectra and mean multiplicities were compared to predictions of string-hadronic and statistical model calculations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Discovery of new isotopes in the fragmentation of 82 Se and insights into their production

The production cross sections of neutron-rich nuclei for elements just above 60 Ca were measured at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). Four previously unobserved isotopes ( 63 Sc, 65,66 Ti, and 68 V) were produced, separated, and identified for the first time using the Advanced Rare Isotope Separator (ARIS). One event was found to be consistent with 61 Ca . The new isotopes were created through the interaction of an 82 Se beam with a carbon target at an energy of 228 MeV/𝑢 and a primary beam current of 1.07 p⁢µ⁢A. The event-by-event particle identification of the mass number (𝐴), atomic number (𝑍), and ionic charge state (𝑞) for the reaction products was achieved by combining measurements of energy loss, time of flight, magnetic rigidity, and total kinetic energy. This successful search for new isotopes, conducted at the beginning of FRIB's third year of operation, highlights the facility's discovery potential, which will continue to grow as the beam current increases. The production cross sections were analyzed in the context of the newly developed Δ⁢𝐵⁢𝐸 systematics that provides trends in neutron-rich regions and increased sensitivity to nuclear binding, an important nuclear structure observable. Furthermore, the new systematics addresses gaps in 𝑄 𝑔 -based methods commonly used to interpret the production cross sections of light neutron-rich elements, and provides an efficient empirical approach to describe cross-section trends across isotopic chains. Good agreement with the measured data was obtained when the Δ⁢𝐵⁢𝐸 systematics and abrasion-ablation calculations were performed using the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB-22) mass table.

59 ≤ A ≤ 89↗

DOE OSTI2026

Multi-modal dynamic radiography using short-pulse laser-generated probe beams

Radiography is an important tool for the interrogation of dynamic experiments in the fields of dynamic properties of materials, and in condensed matter, high explosive, and high-energy-density physics. Multi-modal radiography advances the hypothesis that combining the information delivered by multiple radiographic modalities can lead to more constrained (improved) “reconstruction” of the scene than can be obtained from a single probe. We identify four modalities: multi-probe, time sequence, multi-view, and multi-messenger. Multi-probe radiography is a promising candidate for a next-generation dynamic radiographic facility. High-energy X-rays are the most frequently used probe for dynamic radiography, although recent developments show the utility of proton (pRad), electron (eRad), and neutron probe beams. Because each probing species interacts with material in the radiographic scene through quantitatively different mechanisms, each returns independent information about the scene, which can add extra constraints to the reconstruction process. How to conduct detailed, quantitative “co-analysis” of multiple data streams remains an area of active research. Multi-beam, short-pulse, laser-generated probes offer sufficient dose, an appropriate spectrum, and appropriate spatio-temporal resolution to produce high-quality dynamic radiographs. This paper reports on technology development to advance the state of the art of multi-modal/multi-probe radiography and the pursuit of both deterministic and inferential (AI/ML assisted) co-analysis methodologies to produce more constrained reconstructions from multi-modal data.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Simulated effect of defect volume and location on very high cycle fatigue of laser beam powder bed fused AlSi10Mg

This study quantifies the interaction between volumetric defect location and size on the very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) of laser beam powder bed fused (LB-PBF) AlSi10Mg. Crystal plasticity finite element method (CPFEM) simulations were used to investigate the effects of defect location and size on the driving force for crack initiation. The CPFEM model was calibrated against uniaxial and cyclic experimental data of LB-PBF AlSi10Mg. Defect characteristics were informed by experimental data from the specimens produced in various geometries to create realistic representative volume elements (RVEs) with equivalent volume fractions of defects. By embedding defects of varying sizes and locations within the RVEs, fatigue indicator parameters (FIPs) were calculated to analyze the impact of defects’ characteristics on fatigue performance. Different combinations of defect volume and locations were generated for various microstructure instantiations, providing insight into extreme value fatigue responses. Larger defect volumes located on free surfaces consistently generated the highest FIPs, suggesting defect size and boundary proximity intensify stress concentration effects. RVEs with multiple smaller defects produced lower FIPs than those with single large critical defects. These findings underscore the critical role of defect characteristics on fatigue life, providing a foundation for future predictive modeling in fatigue-sensitive AM applications.

AlSi10Mg↗

DOE OSTI2024

Coherent homodyne detection for amplified cross-beam electric-field induced second harmonic

The electric-field induced second harmonic (E-FISH) signal sensing is commonly used as a nonlinear optical technique to probe electric fields inside a plasma region. Cross-beam E-FISH is being investigated to improve spatial resolution by defining the interaction volume via a controlled geometry of two overlapping noncolinear optical beams. This drastic reduction in interaction length of the electric field and laser region results in a significant signal reduction. Here, to overcome this signal reduction, we introduce coherent amplification of the cross-beam E-FISH signal by mixing the low E-FISH signal with a phase-locked bright local oscillator. We demonstrate enhancement of the signal. By introducing a local oscillator we can now derive the polarity of the measured electric field through the phase of the homodyne signal. To illustrate the technique, we, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, measure the magnitude and the direction of the electric field in a cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet, which dynamically follows the profile of the applied bias current.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2026

First results from the search of $ν_μ$ disappearance with ICARUS

his work presents a search for muon neutrino disappearance signal using the ICARUS detector. ICARUS is currently working as the far detector of the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program. Its main goal is to investigate the possible oscillation of a sterile neutrino state ($\Delta m^2 \sim \text{eV}^2$), that would drive short baseline oscillations at the scale of L/E $\sim$ km/GeV. Neutrino interactions from the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) are investigated, looking for simple final state topology with a single muon and at least one proton (1$\mu$Np). This analysis tests the 3+1 model using the two flavor neutrino approximation, where careful consideration has been given to the systematic uncertainties arising from flux, neutrino interaction, and detector models. No statistically significant $\nu_\mu$ disappearance is observed, hence 90\% C.L. exclusion contours are reported in the $\Delta m^2_{41} - \sin^22\theta_{\mu\mu}$ parameter space.

Artero Pons, Maria [INFN, Padua; U. Padua (main)]↗

DOE OSTI2022

Athermal glass work at the nanoscale: Engineered electron-beam-induced viscoplasticity for mechanical shaping of brittle amorphous silica

Amorphous silica deforms viscoplastically at elevated temperatures, which is common for brittle glasses. The key mechanism of viscoplastic deformation involves interatomic bond switching, which is thermally activated. Here, for this study, we precisely control the mechanical shaping of brittle amorphous silica at the nanoscale via engineered electron–matter interactions without heating. We observe a ductile plastic deformation of amorphous silica under a focused scanning electron beam with low acceleration voltages (few to tens of kilovolts) during in-situ compression studies, with unique dependence on the acceleration voltage and beam current. By simulating the electron–matter interaction, we show that the deformation of amorphous silica depends strongly on the volume where inelastic scattering occurs. The electron–matter interaction via e-beam irradiation alters the Si–O interatomic bonds, enabling the high-temperature deformation behavior of amorphous silica to occur athermally. Finally, by systematically controlling the electron–matter interaction volume, it is possible to mechanically shape the brittle amorphous silica on a small scale at room temperature to a level comparable to glass shaping at high temperatures. The findings can be extended to develop new fabrication processes for nano- and microscale brittle glasses.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2020

Filament-induced breakdown spectroscopy with structured beams

Filament-induced ablation represents an attractive scheme for long-range material identification via optical spectroscopy. However, the delivery of laser energy to the target can be severely hindered by the stochastic nature of multiple-filamentation, ionization of ambient gas, and atmospheric turbulence. In order to mitigate some of these adverse effects, we examine the utility of beam shaping for femtosecond filament-induced breakdown spectroscopy with Gaussian and structured (Laguerre-Gaussian, Airy, and Bessel-Gaussian) beams in the nonlinear regime. Interaction of filaments with copper, zinc, and brass targets was studied by recording axially-resolved broadband emission from the filament-induced plasma. The laser-solid coupling efficacy was assessed by inferring thermodynamic parameters such as excitation temperature and electron density. While under our experimental conditions the ablation rate with Gaussian- and Laguerre-Gaussian beams is found to be similar, the Airy and Bessel-Gaussian beams offer the advantage of longitudinally extended working zones. These results provide insights into potential benefits of structuring ultrafast laser beams for standoff sensing applications.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2022

Damping-Ring-Free Injector Design for Linear Colliders

The current designs of future electron-positron linear colliders incorporate large and complex damping rings to produce asymmetric beams for beamstrahlung mitigation at the interaction point. This paper presents the design of an damping-ring-free electron injector capable of delivering flat electron beams with phase-space partition comparable to the electron-beam parameters produced downstream of the damping ring in the proposed international linear collider (ILC) design. The performance of the proposed configuration, its sensitivity to jitter along with its impact on spin-polarization is discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Probing late-stage hadronic interactions at high baryon density via $K^{⁎0}$ production in the RHIC beam energy scan program

A precision measurement of the $K^{⁎0}$ meson yield is reported in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 7.7, 11.5, 14.6, 19.6, and 27 GeV using the high-statistics data sample collected by the STAR experiment during the Beam Energy Scan II (BES-II) program at RHIC. The transeverse momentum (p T )-integrated yield ratios $\large{(}K^{⁎0} + \overline{K^{⁎0}}\large{)}/(K^+ + K^{-})$ in central collisions show a suppression relative to peripheral collisions at the (1.7–3.6) σ level, while a thermal model without final-stage rescattering overpredicts this ratio with a deviation of (6.9–8.2) σ. These results indicate a loss of the measured $K^{⁎0}$ signal in central collisions due to re-scattering of its hadronic decay products in the hadronic phase. The p T -integrated yield of charged kaons exhibits an approximate scaling with charged-particle multiplicity, independent of collision energy and system size. A similar trend is observed for the short-lived $K^{⁎0}$ resonance, although significant deviations emerge at lower energies. At BES energies, the $K^{⁎0}/K$ ratio shows stronger suppression than at the highest RHIC and LHC energies within a given multiplicity bin, particularly in central and mid-central collisions. This behavior is consistent with changes in the effective hadronic interaction cross section and is supported by transport model calculations, which indicate dominant meson–baryon interactions at lower energies and meson–meson interactions at higher energies.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗