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DOE OSTI2023

Shielding Analysis of a Preclinical Bremsstrahlung X-ray FLASH Radiotherapy System within a Clinical Radiation Therapy Vault

A preclinical radiotherapy system producing FLASH dose rates with 12 MV bremsstrahlung x rays is being developed at Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Because of the high expected workload of 6,800 Gy w –1 at the isocenter, an efficient shielding methodology is needed to protect operators and the public while the preclinical system is operated in a radiation therapy vault designed for 6 MV x rays. Here, in this study, an analysis is performed to assess the shielding of the local treatment head and radiation vault using the Monte Carlo code FLUKA and the empirical methodology given in the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements Report 151. Two different treatment head shielding designs were created to compare single-layer and multilayer shielding methodologies using high-Z and low-Z materials. The multilayered shielding methodology produced designs with a 17% reduction in neutron fluence leaking from the treatment head compared to the single layered design of the same size, resulting in a decreased effective dose to operators and the public. The conservative assumptions used in the empirical methods can lead to over-shielding when treatment heads use polyethylene or multilayered shielding. High-Z/Low-Z multilayered shielding optimized via Monte Carlo is shown to be effective in the case of treatment head shielding and provide more effective shielding design for external beam radiotherapy systems that use 12 MV bremsstrahlung photons. Modifications to empirical methods used in the assessment of MV radiotherapy systems may be warranted to capture the effects of polyethylene in treatment head shielding.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

DOE OSTI2019

Producing multi-coloured bunches through beam-induced ionization injection in plasma wakefield accelerator

Our work discusses the properties of electron beams formed in plasma wakefield accelerators through ionization injection. Specifically, the potential for generating a beam composed of co-located multi-colour beamlets is demonstrated in the case where the ionization is initiated by the evolving charge field of the drive beam itself. The physics of the processes of ionization and injection are explored through OSIRIS simulations. Experimental evidence showing similar features are presented from the data obtained in the E217 experiment at the FACET facility of the SLAC National Laboratory.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2019

Model-independent tuning for maximizing free electron laser pulse energy

The output power of a free electron laser (FEL) has extremely high variance even when all FEL parameter set points are held constant because of the stochastic nature of the self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) FEL process, drift of thousands of coupled parameters, such as thermal drifts, and uncertainty and time variation of the electron distribution coming off of the photo cathode and entering the accelerator. In this work, we demonstrate the application of automatic, model-independent feedback for the maximization of average pulse energy of the light produced by free electron lasers. We present experimental results from both the European x-ray free electron laser at DESY and from the Linac Coherent Light Source at SLAC. We demonstrate application of the technique on rf systems for automatically adjusting the longitudinal phase space of the beam, for adjusting the phase shifter gaps between the undulators, and for adjusting steering magnets between undulator sections to maximize the FEL output power. We show that we can tune up to 105 components simultaneously based only on noisy average bunch energy measurements.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2024

Wakefield generation in hydrogen and lithium plasmas at FACET-II: Diagnostics and first beam-plasma interaction results

Plasma wakefield acceleration provides ultrahigh acceleration gradients of tens of GeV/m, providing a novel path toward efficient, compact, TeV-scale linear colliders, and high brightness free electron lasers. Critical to the success of these applications is demonstrating simultaneously high gradient acceleration, high energy transfer efficiency, and preservation of emittance, charge, and energy spread. Experiments at the FACET-II National User Facility at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory aim to achieve all of these milestones in a single-stage plasma wakefield accelerator, providing a 10 GeV energy gain in a < 1 m plasma with high energy transfer efficiency. Such a demonstration depends critically on diagnostics able to measure emittance with mm mrad accuracy, energy spectra to determine both percent level energy spread, and broadband energy gain and loss, incoming longitudinal phase space, and matching dynamics. This paper discusses the experimental setup at FACET-II, including the incoming beam parameters from the FACET-II linac, plasma sources, and diagnostics developed to meet this challenge. Initial progress on the generation of beam ionized wakes in meter-scale hydrogen gas is discussed as well as commissioning of the plasma sources and diagnostics. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2024

X-ray diagnostics for the cavity-based x-ray free-electron laser project

The success of x-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) in recent years has greatly advanced many scientific fields. However, most of these XFELs suffer from a low longitudinal coherence and instabilities due to the stochastic start-up process. A cavity-based x-ray free-electron laser (CBXFEL) is a possible future direction in the development of fully coherent and stable x-ray sources. One of the challenges of a CBXFEL is the requirement for the μ⁢m−sized electron bunches to fully overlap in three dimensions with the circulating μ⁢m−sized x-ray pulses in an x-ray cavity tens or hundreds of meters long. We present here the development of an x-ray diagnostics system for accurate alignment of x-ray beams in the CBXFEL cavity. The system was developed within the framework of a CBXFEL research and development collaboration among Argonne National Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and Spring-8. All the designed diagnostic components have been fully characterized at the Advanced Photon Source to demonstrate a capability for sub-μ⁢rad angular and μ⁢m spatial alignment of the CBXFEL cavity.

Free-electron lasers↗

DOE OSTI2025

Reconstruction of beam parameters and betatron radiation spectra measured with a Compton spectrometer

The photon flux resulting from high-energy electron beam interactions with high-field systems, such as those found in the upcoming FACET-II experiments at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, yields deep insight into the electron beam’s underlying dynamics during the interaction. However, extracting this information is an intricate process. To demonstrate how to approach this challenge using modern methods, this paper utilizes simulated data that models plasma wakefield acceleration-derived betatron radiation in experiments to determine reliable methods of reconstructing key beam and beam-plasma interaction properties. For betatron radiation measurements, translating the observed 200⁢ keV to 30⁢ MeV photon double-differential energy-angle spectra obtained from an advanced Compton spectrometer requires testing multiple methods to optimize the pipeline from its response to incident electron beam information. The paper compares maximum likelihood estimation and machine learning to refine the translation of photon spectra into precise electron beam metrics, such as spot size, energy, and emittance, enhancing the understanding of beam behavior within these dense, high-field environments. We also introduce machine learning and the expected maximization algorithm to reconstruct the primary photon spectrum, employing a multilayer neural network for regression analysis of the energy and angle spectra. With appropriate modifications, the advanced methods reproduce relevant incident beam parameters with high accuracy, even for beam sizes in the <10 μ⁢m range. This capacity is critical to understanding intense beam propagation and its optimization in plasma.

Beam code development & simulation techniques↗

DOE OSTI2019

Deep-inelastic and quasielastic electron scattering from A = 3 nuclei

We perform a combined analysis of inclusive electron scattering data from $A=3$ nuclei in the deep-inelastic and quasielastic scattering regions, using Monte Carlo analysis methods and the nuclear weak binding approximation to establish the range over which the data can be described within the same theoretical framework. Comparison with quasielastic $^3$He cross sections from SLAC and Jefferson Lab suggests that most features of the $x \gtrsim 1$ data can be reasonably well described in the impulse approximation with finite-$Q^2$ nuclear smearing functions for momentum transfers $Q^2 \gtrsim 1$~GeV$^2$. For the DIS region, we analyze the recent $^3$He to deuterium cross section ratio from the Jefferson Lab E03-103 experiment to explore the possible isospin dependence of the nuclear effects. We discuss the implications of this for the MARATHON experiment, and outline how a Bayesian analysis of $^3$He, $^3$H and deuterium data can robustly determine the free neutron structure function.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

Collins asymmetries in inclusive charged K K and K π pairs produced in e + e - annihilation

Here, we present measurements of Collins asymmetries in the inclusive process e + e - →h 1 h 2 X, h 1 h 2 = KK, Kπ, ππ, at the center-of-mass energy of 10.6 GeV, using a data sample of 468 fb -1 collected by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II B factory at SLAC National Accelerator Center. Considering hadrons in opposite thrust hemispheres of hadronic events, we observe clear azimuthal asymmetries in the ratio of unlike sign to like sign, and unlike sign to all charged h 1 h 2 pairs, which increase with hadron energies. The Kπ asymmetries are similar to those measured for the ππ pairs, whereas those measured for high-energy KK pairs are, in general, larger.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2016

Measurement of the I = 1 / 2 K π S -wave amplitude from Dalitz plot analyses of η c → K K ¯ π in two-photon interactions

Here we study the processes γγ→K$0\atop{S}$K ± π ∓ and γγ→K + K - π 0 using a data sample of 519 fb -1 recorded with the BABAR detector operating at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy e + e - collider at center-of-mass energies at and near the Υ(nS) (n=2, 3, 4) resonances. We observe ηc decays to both final states and perform Dalitz plot analyses using a model-independent partial wave analysis technique. This allows a model-independent measurement of the mass-dependence of the I=1/2 Kπ S-wave amplitude and phase. A comparison between the present measurement and those from previous experiments indicates similar behavior for the phase up to a mass of 1.5 GeV/c 2 . In contrast, the amplitudes show very marked differences. Lastly, the data require the presence of a new a 0 (1950) resonance with parameters m=1931±14±22 MeV/c 2 and Γ=271±22±29 MeV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2016

Time-dependent analysis of B 0 → K S 0 π - π + γ decays and studies of the K + π - π + system in B + → K + π - π + γ decays

We measure the time-dependent CP asymmetry in the radiative-penguin decay B 0 → K S 0 π - π + γ , using a sample of 471×10 6 Υ(4S)→BB-events recorded with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e+e- storage ring at SLAC. Using events with m Kππ < 1.8 GeV/c 2 , we measure the branching fractions of B+→K+π-π+γ and B0→K0π-π+γ, the branching fractions of the kaonic resonances decaying to K+π-π+, as well as the overall branching fractions of the B+→ρ0K+γ, B+→K*0π+γ and S-wave B+→(Kπ)0*0π+γ components. For events from the ρ mass band, we measure the CP-violating parameters SKS0π+π-γ=0.14±0.25±0.03 and CKS0π+π-γ=-0.39±0.20-0.02+0.03, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. We extract from this measurement the time-dependent CP asymmetry related to the CP eigenstate ρ0KS0 and obtain SKS0ργ=-0.18±0.32-0.05+0.06, which provides information on the photon polarization in the underlying b→sγ transition.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Cross sections for the reactions e + e - → K S 0 K L 0 π 0 , K S 0 K L 0 η , and K S 0 K L 0 π 0 π 0 from events with initial-state radiation

Here, we study the processes e + e - → K$0\atop{S}$ K$0\atop{L}$ π 0 γ , K $0\atop{S}$ K$0\atop{L}$ η γ , and K$0\atop{S}$ K$0\atop{L}$ π 0 π 0 γ , where the photon is radiated from the initial state, providing cross section measurements for the hadronic final states over a continuum of center-of-mass energies. The results are based on 469 fb -1 of data collected at or near the Υ ( 4 S ) resonance with the BABAR detector at SLAC. We present the first measurements of the e + e - → K$0\atop{S}$ K$0\atop{L}$ π 0 , K$0\atop{S}$ K$0\atop{L}$ η , and K$0\atop{S}$ K$0\atop{L}$ π 0 π 0 cross sections up to a center-of-mass energy of 4 GeV and study their intermediate resonance structures. We observe J / ψ decays to all of these final states for the first time, present measurements of their J / ψ branching fractions, and search for ψ (2S) decays.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Measurement of the e + e - → K s 0 K ± π ∓ π 0 and K s 0 K ± π ∓ η cross sections using initial-state radiation

The processes e + e - → K$0\atop{S}$ K ± π ∓ π 0 and e + e - → K$0\atop{S}$ K ± π ∓ η are studied over a continuum of energies from threshold to 4 GeV with the initial-state photon radiation method. Using 454 fb -1 of data collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II storage ring, the first measurements of the cross sections for these processes are obtained. The intermediate resonance structures from K* 0 (Kπ) 0 , K *(892) ± (Kπ) ∓ , and K$0\atop{S}$K ± ρ ∓ are studied. Lastly, the J / ψ is observed in all of these channels, and corresponding branching fractions are measured.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Measurement of the e + e - → π + π - π 0 π 0 cross section using initial-state radiation at BABAR

Here, the process e + e – →π + π – 2π 0 γ is investigated by means of the initial-state radiation technique, where a photon is emitted from the incoming electron or positron. Using 454.3 fb –1 of data collected around a center-of-mass energy of √s=10.58 GeV by the BABAR experiment at SLAC, approximately 150000 signal events are obtained. The corresponding nonradiative cross section is measured with a relative uncertainty of 3.6% in the energy region around 1.5 GeV, surpassing all existing measurements in precision. Using this new result, the channel’s contribution to the leading order hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon is calculated as (gπ + π – 2π 0 μ –2)/2=(17.9 ± 0.1 stat ± 0.6 syst )×10–10 in the energy range 0.85 GeV < E CM < 1.8 GeV. In the same energy range, the impact on the running of the fine-structure constant at the Z 0 -pole is determined as Δαπ + π – 2π 0 (M 2 Z )=(4.44 ± 0.02 stat ± 0.14 syst ) × 10 –4 . Furthermore, intermediate resonances are studied and especially the cross section of the process e + e – →ωπ 0 →π + π – 2π 0 is measured.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2019

Nucleon and nuclear structure functions with nonperturbative and higher order perturbative QCD effects

We have studied the nucleon structure functions F EM iN (x,Q 2 ), i = 1, 2, by including contributions due to the higher order perturbative QCD effect up to next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) and the nonperturbative effects due to the kinematical and dynamical higher twist (HT) effects. The numerical results for F EM iN (x,Q 2 ) are obtained using Martin, Motylinski, Harland-Lang, Thorne 2014 NLO and NNLO nucleon parton distribution functions (PDFs). The dynamical HT correction has been included following the renormalon approach as well as the phenomenological approach, and the kinematical HT effect is incorporated using the works of Schienbein et al. These nucleon structure functions have been used as an input to calculate the nuclear structure functions F EM iN (x,Q 2 ). In a nucleus, the nuclear corrections arise because of the Fermi motion, binding energy, nucleon correlations, mesonic contribution, and shadowing and antishadowing effects. These nuclear corrections are taken into account in the numerical calculations to obtain the nuclear structure functions F EM iN (x,Q 2 ), for the various nuclear targets such as 12 C, 27 Al, 56 Fe, 64 Cu, 118 Sn, 197 Au, and 208 Pb which are of experimental interest. The effect of isoscalarity correction for nonisoscalar nuclear targets has also been studied. The results for the F EM iN (x,Q 2 ) are compared with nCTEQ nuclear PDFs parametrization as well as with the experimental results from JLab, SLAC, and NMC in the kinematic region of 0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.8 for several nuclei. We have also calculated the ratio R A (x,Q 2 ) = F 2A (x,Q 2 )/2x F 1A (x,Q 2 ) in the moderate Q 2 region for various nuclei and compared the results with the available experimental data from JLab to examine the validity of the Callan-Gross relation in the nuclei. We also make predictions for the nuclear structure functions in 12 C, 64 Cu, and 197 Au in the kinematic region of the proposed experiment at JLab.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2016

Observation of B ¯ → D ( * ) π + π - ℓ - ν ¯ Decays in e + e - Collisions at the Υ ( 4 S ) Resonance

We report on measurements of the decays of $\bar{B}$ mesons into the semileptonic final states $\bar{B}$→D(*)π + π - l - $\bar{v}$, where D(*) represents a D or D* meson and l - is an electron or a muon. These measurements are based on 471×10 6 B$\bar{B}$ pairs recorded with the BABAR detector at the SLAC asymmetric B factory PEP-II. We determine the branching fraction ratios R$(*)\atop{π+π-}$ = B($\bar{B}$→D(*)π + π - l - $\bar{v}$)/B($\bar{B}$→D(*)l - $\bar{v}$) using events in which the second B meson is fully reconstructed. We find R π+π- =0.067 ± 0.010 ± 0.008 and R$*\atop{π+π-}$ = 0.019 ± 0.005 ± 0.004, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. Lastly, based on these results and assuming isospin invariance, we estimate that $\bar{B}$→D(*)ππl - $\bar{v}$ decays, where π denotes either a π ± and π 0 meson, account for up to half the difference between the measured inclusive semileptonic branching fraction to charm hadrons and the corresponding sum of previously measured exclusive branching fractions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2018

Delayed Onset of Nonthermal Melting in Single-Crystal Silicon Pumped with Hard X Rays

Here, we monitor the onset of nonthermal melting in single-crystal silicon by implementing an x-ray pump–x-ray probe scheme. Using the ultrashort pulses provided by the Linac Coherent Light Source (SLAC) and a custom-built split-and-delay line for hard x rays, we achieve the temporal resolution needed to detect the onset of the transition. Our data show no loss of long-range order up to 150 ± 40 fs from photoabsorption, which we interpret as the time needed for the electronic system to equilibrate at or above the critical nonthermal melting temperature. Once such equilibration is reached, the loss of long-range atomic order proceeds inertially and is completed within 315 ± 40 fs from photoabsorption.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2019

Measurements of Nonsinglet Moments of the Nucleon Structure Functions and Comparison to Predictions from Lattice QCD for Q 2 = 4 GeV 2

We present extractions of the nucleon non-singlet moments utilizing new precision data on the deuteron F 2 structure function at large Bjorken-x determined via the Rosenbluth separation technique at Jefferson Lab Experimental Hall C. These new data are combined with a complementary set of data on the proton previously measured in Hall C at similar kinematics and world data sets on the proton and deuteron at lower x measured at SLAC and CERN. The new Jefferson Lab data provide coverage of the upper third of the x range, crucial for precision determination of the higher moments. In contrast to previous extractions, these moments have been corrected for nuclear effects in the deuteron using a new global fit to the deuteron and proton data. The obtained experimental moments represent an order of magnitude improvement in precision over previous extractions using high x data. Furthermore, recent exciting developments in Lattice QCD calculations provide a first ever comparison of these new experimental results with calculations of moments carried out at the physical pion mass, as well as an innovative approach which first calculates the quark distributions directly before determining moments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Observation of Radar Echoes from High-Energy Particle Cascades

We report here the observation of radar echoes from the ionization trails of high-energy particle cascades. Data were taken at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, where the full electron beam ( ~ 10 9 e - at ~ 10 GeV / e - ) was directed into a plastic target to simulate an ultrahigh-energy neutrino interaction. The target was interrogated with radio waves, and coherent radio reflections from the cascades were detected with properties consistent with theoretical expectations. This is the first definitive observation of radar echoes from high-energy particle cascades, which could lead to a viable neutrino detection technology for energies ≳ 10 16 eV .

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗