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At least 703 records · Page 39

Spatially resolved absolute densities of reactive species and positive ion flux in He-O 2 RF-driven atmospheric pressure plasma jet: touching and non-touching with dielectric substrate

Atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) are operating in direct contact with dielectric substrates for many applications. Nonetheless, many studies have been focusing on free jets. In this letter, we report spatially resolved measurements of reactive species including neutral and ionic species in an He + 1% O 2 RF-driven APPJ by molecular beam mass spectrometry equipped with a dielectric sampling plate, enabling to detect species densities for APPJ operating remotely or in direct contact with a substrate. Here, the spatially resolved distribution of O, O 2 (a 1 Δ g ) and O 3 is dominated by convection and, remarkably, shows minimum differences between touching and non-touching conditions.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Characterizing W sources in the all-W wall, all-RF WEST tokamak environment

In this work, experimental data, together with interpretive modeling tools, are examined to study trends in the tungsten (W) source in the all-W environment of the WEST tokamak, both from the divertor and from the main chamber. In particular, a poloidal limiter protecting an ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) antenna is used as proxy for main chamber sourcing. The key study is carried out by stepping up lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) power, as the only auxiliary power source. Limiter and divertor W sources exhibit a qualitatively similar proportionality to the total power crossing the separatrix, P SEP , although the main chamber source remains substantially lower than the divertor source, for the range of P SEP accessible in the experiments. Intepretive modeling of the limiter source is carried out with a particle-in-cell (PIC) sheath model coupled to a surface sputtering model. Oxygen is used as a proxy for all light impurity species allowing for characterization of the critical W erosion regions. To get a good quantitative match to the data, it is necessary to assume that the oxygen arrives at the surface mostly at high ionization stages (4+ and above). A separate simulation with SOLEDGE-EIRENE, constrained to measured upstream scrape-off-layer plasma profiles, gives oxygen fractional abundances that are compatible with the PIC simulation result. This is understood to arise from transport processes that dominate over recombination. Substituting the LHCD by ICRH, in an equivalent experiment, the local W source exhibits a 3× enhancement. This can be matched by the simulation, by assuming local RF electric field rectification, based on ~100 eV peak-to-peak, near-antennna electric field. This work has highlighted the particular importance of understanding the ion charge state balance of light impurities as these are most likely the dominant sputtering species in fusion devices with high-Z walls.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Evidence for preferential flux flow at the grain boundaries of superconducting RF-quality niobium

Here, the question of whether grain boundaries (GBs) in niobium can be responsible for lowered operating field (B RF ) or quality factor (Q 0 ) in superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities is still controversial. Here, we show by direct DC transport across planar grain boundaries isolated from a slice of very large-grain SRF-quality Nb that vortices can preferentially flow along the grain boundary when the external magnetic field lies in the GB plane. However, increasing the misalignment between the GB plane and the external magnetic field vector markedly reduces preferential flux flow along GB. Importantly, we find that preferential GB flux flow is more prominent for a buffered chemical polished than for an electropolished bi-crystal. The voltage-current characteristics of GBs are similar to those seen in low angle grain boundaries of high temperature superconductors where there is clear evidence of suppression of the superconducting order parameter at the GB. While local weakening of superconductivity at GBs in cuprates and pnictides is intrinsic, deterioration of current transparency of GBs in Nb appears to be extrinsic, since the polishing method clearly affect the local GB degradation. The dependence of preferential GB flux flow on important cavity preparation and experimental variables, particularly, the final chemical treatment and the angle between the magnetic field and the GB plane, suggests two more reasons why real cavity performance can be so variable.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Smooth, homogeneous, high-purity Nb 3 Sn superconducting RF resonant cavity by seed-free electrochemical synthesis

Abstract Workbench-size particle accelerators, enabled by Nb 3 Sn-based superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities, hold the potential of driving scientific discovery by offering a widely accessible and affordable source of high-energy electrons and x-rays. Thin-film Nb 3 Sn RF superconductors with high quality factors, high operation temperatures, and high-field potentials are critical for these devices. However, surface roughness, non-stoichiometry, and impurities in Nb 3 Sn deposited by conventional Sn-vapor diffusion prevent them from reaching their theoretical capabilities. Here we demonstrate a seed-free electrochemical synthesis that pushes the limit of chemical and physical properties in Nb 3 Sn. Utilization of electrochemical Sn pre-deposits reduces the roughness of converted Nb 3 Sn by five times compared to typical vapor-diffused Nb 3 Sn. Quantitative mappings using chemical and atomic probes confirm improved stoichiometry and minimized impurity concentrations in electrochemically synthesized Nb 3 Sn. We have successfully applied this Nb 3 Sn to the large-scale 1.3 GHz SRF cavity and demonstrated ultra-low BCS surface resistances at multiple operation temperatures, notably lower than vapor-diffused cavities. Our smooth, homogeneous, high-purity Nb 3 Sn provides the route toward high efficiency and high fields for SRF applications under helium-free cryogenic operations.

Physics↗

Simulation of plasma loading of high-pressure RF cavities

Muon beam-induced plasma loading of radio-frequency (RF) cavities filled with high pressure hydrogen gas with 1% dry air dopant has been studied via numerical simulations. The electromagnetic code SPACE, that resolves relevant atomic physics processes, including ionization by the muon beam, electron attachment to dopant molecules, and electron-ion and ion-ion recombination, has been used. Simulations studies have also been performed in the range of parameters typical for practical muon cooling channels.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Development of a direct-sampling RF receiver for precision beam charge measurements in the MOLLER experiment

Here, we have developed and tested a direct-sampling RF receiver capable of measuring the amplitude of a 1497 MHz sinusoidal beam signal in 0.5 ms integration windows with a relative uncertainty of better than 10 parts per million. The receiver is intended for measuring signals from beam current monitoring cavities on the beamline of the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at Jefferson Lab. The beam signal strength, frequency, and integration window fulfill the thus far unmet requirements of the upcoming MOLLER experiment to measure the beam charge for different helicity states.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

A simple, flexible technique for RF cavity wake-field calculations

It is typical in the accelerator field to model machine components, especially RF cavities, as parallel RLC resonators. In the interest of simulating and diagnosing beam instabilities, knowledge of the time-domain voltage waveform over an equivalent resonator by a bunch current often proves useful. This waveform may be found by convolving the bunch current with the RLC resonator impulse response. While analytical and quasi-analytical expressions are available in this regime for common distributions such as the Gaussian, analogous results for less standard distributions are difficult to obtain using direct methods, which opens the door for the development of a more generalized technique. In this paper, a formulation is created that allows for the simple computation of the time-domain voltage waveform of and RLC resonator. The formulation uses the Cauchy Residue Theorem to extract the convolution result from the Fourier Domain, and it only requires that the current distribution Fourier Transform be holomorphic and known at one specific evaluation point. This greatly simplifies the computation of the time domain voltage for a large amount of bunch distributions both common and uncommon.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

A new technique for RF distribution

For independent phase and amplitude control, RF cavities are often driven by one power source per cavity. In many cases it would be advantageous in terms of cost to instead use one higher power source for many cavities. Vector modulators have been developed, which, when used with a single source provide for the independent phase and amplitude control which would have been otherwise lost. The key components of these vector modulators are a novel type of phase shifter — adjustable fast phase shifters with perpendicularly biased garnets. The vector modulators have been constructed and used with a single klystron in a 3.4 MeV test linac to successfully accelerate proton beam.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Improved calibration of rf cavities for relativistic electron beams: Effects of secondary corrections and experimental verification

In the aspect of longitudinal beam bunching, the bunching strength can be controlled by the rf cavity phase and voltage. However, these machine parameters are different from those that interact with the beam itself. In order to gain control of the beam-cavity interaction, cavity calibration must be performed. Furthermore, it relies on fitting the beam energy gain versus cavity phase to a calibration function. Under the conventional assumption of relativistic beam conditions, the calibration function is a first harmonic sinusoidal function (a sinusoidal function with a period of 2π). However, this expression is insufficient for a high-voltage bunching cavity. Due to beam acceleration inside the cavity, an energy bias and a second harmonic function should be included to modify the conventional calibration function, even for a relativistic electron beam. In this paper, we will derive this modification and provide a comparison to both the Coherent Electron Cooling Experiment and the IMPACT T simulation, respectively.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Structural and magnetic phase transitions in chromium nitride thin films grown by rf nitrogen plasma molecular beam epitaxy

A magneto-structural phase transition is investigated in single crystal CrN thin films grown by rf plasma molecular beam epitaxy on MgO(001) substrates. While still within the vacuum environment following MBE growth, in-situ low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy, and in-situ variable low-temperature reflection high energy electron diffraction are applied, revealing an atomically smooth and metallic CrN(001) surface, and an in-plane structural transition from 1×1 (primitive CrN unit cell) to $\sqrt{2}$ × $\sqrt{2}$ -R45° with a transition temperature of 278 ± 3 K, respectively. Ex-situ temperature dependent measurements using neutron diffraction are also per formed, looking at the structural peaks and likewise revealing a first-order structural transition along the [111] out-of-plane direction, with a transition temperatures of 268 ± 3 K. Turning to the magnetic peaks, neutron diffraction confirms a clear magnetic transition from paramagnetic at room temperature to antiferromagnetic at low temperatures with a sharp, first-order phase transition and a Néel temperature of 270 ± 2 K or 280 ± 2 K for two different films. In addition to the experimental measurements of structural and magnetic ordering, we also discuss results from first-principles theoretical calculations which explore various possible magneto-structural models.

Materials Science↗

High gradient rf gun studies of CsBr photocathodes

CsBr photocathodes have 10 times higher quantum efficiency with only 3 times larger intrinsic transverse emittance than copper. They are robust and can withstand 80 MV/m fields without breaking down or emitting dark current. They can operate in 2×10⁻⁹ torr vacuum and survive exposure to air. They are well suited for generating high pulse charge in rf guns without a photocathode transfer system.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Measurements of sputtered neutrals and ions and investigation of their roles on the plasma properties during rf magnetron sputtering of Zn and ZnO targets

Langmuir probe and optical absorption spectroscopy measurements were used to determine the line-integrated electron density, electron temperature, and number density of Ar atoms in metastable {sup 3}P{sub 2} and {sup 3}P{sub 0} levels in a 5 mTorr, rf magnetron sputtering plasmas used for the deposition of ZnO-based thin films. While the average electron energy and density of Ar atoms in {sup 3}P{sub 2} and {sup 3}P{sub 0} excited states were fairly independent of self-bias voltage, the Ar {sup 3}P{sub 2}-to-electron number density ratio decreased by approximately a factor of 5 when going from −115 V to −300 V. This decrease was correlated to an increase by about one order of magnitude of the number density of sputtered Zn atoms determined by absolute actinometry measurements on Zn I using either Ar or Xe as the actinometer gas. These results were also found to be in excellent agreement with the predictions of a global model accounting for Penning ionization of sputtered Zn particles. The importance of the latter reactions was further confirmed by plasma sampling mass spectrometry showing a double peak structure for Zn ions: a low-energy component ascribed to thermalized ions created in the gas phase (by direct electron impact and by Penning ionization) and a high-energy tail due to ions ejected from the target and reaching quasi-collisionlessly the substrate surface.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

SU-F-J-112: Clinical Feasibility Test of An RF Pulse-Based MRI Method for the Quantitative Fat-Water Segmentation

Purpose: Quantitative fat-water segmentation is important not only because of the clinical utility of fat-suppressed MRI images in better detecting lesions of clinical significance (in the midst of bright fat signal) but also because of the possible physical need, in which CT-like images based on the materials’ photon attenuation properties may have to be generated from MR images; particularly, as in the case of MR-only radiation oncology environment to obtain radiation dose calculation or as in the case of hybrid PET/MR modality to obtain attenuation correction map for the quantitative PET reconstruction. The majority of such fat-water quantitative segmentations have been performed by utilizing the Dixon’s method and its variations, which have to enforce the proper settings (often predefined) of echo time (TE) in the pulse sequences. Therefore, such methods have been unable to be directly combined with those ultrashort TE (UTE) sequences that, taking the advantage of very low TE values (∼ 10’s microsecond), might be beneficial to directly detect bones. Recently, an RF pulse-based method (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mri.2015.11.006), termed as PROD pulse method, was introduced as a method of quantitative fat-water segmentation that does not have to depend on predefined TE settings. Here, the clinical feasibility of this method is verified in brain tumor patients by combining the PROD pulse with several sequences. Methods: In a clinical 3T MRI, the PROD pulse was combined with turbo spin echo (e.g. TR=1500, TE=16 or 60, ETL=15) or turbo field echo (e.g. TR=5.6, TE=2.8, ETL=12) sequences without specifying TE values. Results: The fat-water segmentation was possible without having to set specific TE values. Conclusion: The PROD pulse method is clinically feasible. Although not yet combined with UTE sequences in our laboratory, the method is potentially compatible with UTE sequences, and thus, might be useful to directly segment fat, water, bone and air.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Broadband radiation transport in an optically dense gas in the presence of an RF field

The theory of transport of fluctuating double-frequency optical radiation in a gas of three-level atoms in the presence of rf radiation forming a closed excitation circuit has been generalized. The theory is based on the quantum kinetic equations for the atomic density matrix, which are solved together with the wave equations for classical electromagnetic fields. After averaging over the radiation fluctuation ensemble, a transition is made to equations for atomic-field correlation functions and transport equations for the spectral density of fields.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Calculation of the RF Conductivity and Hall Constant of a Thin Metal Film

The kinetic problem of finding the rf conductivity and Hall constant of a thin metal film placed in a transverse steady magnetic field and a longitudinal variable electric field has been considered. It has been assumed that electrons diffusely reflect from the upper and lower surfaces of the film. No limitations have been imposed on the relationship between the thickness of the film and the electron free path. The dependences of the conductivity and Hall constant on dimensionless parameters, namely, electric field frequency, magnetic field induction, and thickness of the film, have been studied. Calculation results have been compared with the experimental data.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Properties of the Barium–Strontium Titanate Films Deposited onto the Silicon Substrate by rf Cathode Sputtering

Using rf cathode sputtering of a target in the oxygen atmosphere, Ba{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 0.4}TiO{sub 3} solid solution thin films have been formed on the single-crystal Si(001) cut surface and their crystal structure, microstructure, and optical characteristics have been investigated. It is shown that the films are optically anisotropic, polycrystalline, and have a c axis preferred direction perpendicular to the substrate. The a and b axes in the substrate plane have no preferred direction. It has been established that, during the synthesis, a buffer layer with a thickness of about 20 nm forms between the film and substrate, which is optically equivalent to silicon oxide.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

RF mixing modules for superconducting qubit room temperature control systems v1.0

We have developed a series of compact RF mixing boards by integrating I/Q quadrature mixing, IF(intermediate frequency)/LO(local oscillator)/RF power level adjustments, and DC (direct current) bias fine tuning on a 40 mm × 80 mm 4-layer PCB (printed circuit board) board with EMI (electromagnetic interference) shielding.

Huang, Gang↗

Control System for RF OPM

SAND2025-01910O This software built in LabVIEW FPGA provides experimental control of the RF OPM prototype via a reconfigurable NI I/O card. It samples the analog input, processes it on the FPGA in real time, and generates control and feedback outputs to control and optimize the operation of the device. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Bainbridge, Jonathan↗