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At least 973 records · Page 54

Equidistant optimization of elliptical superconducting rf standing wave cavities

A record accelerating rate was achieved earlier in standing wave (SW) SRF cavities when their shape was optimized for a lower peak surface magnetic field sacrificing the peak surface electric field. In view of new materials with higher limiting magnetic fields, expected for SRF cavities, in the first line of the Nb 3 Sn, the approach to optimization of cavity shape should be revised. A method of equidistant optimization, offered earlier for traveling wave (TW) cavities is applied to SW cavities. It is shown here that without limitation by magnetic field, the maximal accelerating rate is defined not only by limitations of the electric field but to a significant degree by the cavity shape. For example, for a cavity with the aperture radius of $R$ $a$ = 35 mm, the minimal ratio of the peak surface electric field to the accelerating rate is about $E$ pk / $E$ acc = 1.54. So, with the maximal surface field experimentally achieved $E$ pk ~ 125 MV / m, the maximal achievable accelerating rate is about 80 MeV / m even if there are no restrictions by the magnetic field. Optimized cavity shapes with and without limitations by a magnetic field are presented. Another opportunity—optimization for a low magnetic field, is opening for the same material, Nb 3 Sn, with the purpose of having a high-quality factor and increased accelerating rate that can be used for industrial linacs with cryocooler-based cooling scheme.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Thermal and electric field driven rf breakdown precursor formation on metal surfaces

The phenomenon of electric breakdown poses serious challenges to the design of devices that operate in high electric field environments. Experimental evidence points toward breakdown events that are accompanied by elevated temperatures and dark current spikes, which is attributed to high-asperity nanostructure formation that enhances the local electric field and triggers a runaway process. However, the exact mechanistic origin of such nanostructures under typical macroscopic operational conditions of electric field and magnetic-field-mediated heating remains poorly understood. In this work, we simulate the evolution of a copper surface under the combined action of the electric fields and elevated temperatures. Using a mesoscale curvature-driven surface evolution model, we show how a copper surface can undergo a type of dynamical instability that naturally leads to the formation of sharp asperities in realistic experimental conditions. Exploring the combined effect of fields and temperature rise, we identify the critical regimes that allow for the formation of breakdown precursors. The results show that thermoelastic stresses, while not essential, can significantly lower the critical electric field required for runaway surface instability, which is consistent with experimental observations that thermal effects can increase breakdown rates. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Effect of inhomogeneous surface disorder on the superheating field of superconducting RF cavities

Recent advances in surface treatments of Niobium superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities have led to substantially increased Q-factors and maximum surface field. This poses theoretical challenges to identify the mechanisms responsible for such performance enhancements. We report theoretical results for the effects of inhomogeneous surface disorder on the superheating field --- the surface magnetic field above which the Meissner state is globally unstable. We find that inhomogeneous disorder, such as that introduced by infusion of Nitrogen into the surface layers of Niobium SRF cavities, can increase the superheating field above the maximum for superconductors in the clean limit or with homogeneously distributed disorder. Homogeneous disorder increases the penetration of screening current, but also suppresses the maximum supercurrent. Inhomogeneous disorder in the form of an impurity diffusion layer biases this trade-off by increasing the penetration of the screening currents into cleaner regions with larger critical currents, thus limiting the suppression of the screening current to a thin dirty region close to the surface. Our results suggest that the impurity diffusion layers play a role in enhancing the maximum accelerating gradient of Nitrogen treated Niobium SRF cavities.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

MgB$_{2}$ Coating by HPCVD for 1.3-GHz Superconducting RF Cavities

While MgB 2 possesses promising material parameters for SRF cavities with higher Q, higher gradient, and higher operation temperatures than Nb cavities, such cavity properties have not been demonstrated using MgB 2 . As part of a continuing effort to fabricate MgB 2 -coated SRF cavities by hybrid physical chemical vapor deposition (HPCVD), we present here an HPCVD system design for coating the inside wall of 1.3-GHz copper cavities with MgB 2 . The cavity is heated using a pair of clamshell resistive heaters that directly contact the cavity body. Here, the new heater design is more compact and requires less power to reach the deposition temperature (~500°C for MgB 2 deposition on copper.) Preliminary test of MgB 2 films grown on small copper substrates, mounted at different locations on the cavity, shows T c of 28.4 ~ 34.3 K, measured by AC susceptibility.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Meter-scale High-temperature Superconducting RF Waveguides with Integrated Filters and Attenuators

Here, we report the performance of coplanar, multifilament waveguides manufactured from crystalline films of a well-known HTS compound, YBCO, transferred to a low-loss dielectric substrate, such as E-Kapton. The coplanar two-line waveguide delivers low cross-talk, below 20 dB level, and low attenuation, below 4 dB/m at 6 GHz, 77 K. Controlled-impedance 50 Ω waveguides would require a method for reliable patterning narrow, less than 100-micron wide, YBCO traces over a meter length. We report a lithography-etching approach that minimizes the difference in the etching rate of YBCO and the metallization layers of Ag and Cu. An array of metalized vias isolates the traces. We describe the via metallization process that is not damaging to YBCO and compatible with dense, 2 mm period, arrays of vias.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Beam Pipe HOM Absorber for 750 MHz RF Cavity Systems

This joint project of Muons, Inc., Cornell University and SLAC was supported by a Phase I and Phase II grant monitored by the SBIR Office of Science of the DOE. Beam line HOM absorbers are a critical part of future linear colliders. The use of lossy materials at cryogenic temperatures has been incorporated in several systems. The design in beam pipes requires cylinders of lossy material mechanically confined in such a way as to absorb the microwave energy from the higher-order modes and remove the heat generated in the lossy material. Furthermore, the potential for charge build-up on the surface of the lossy material requires the conductivity of the material to remain consistent from room temperature to cryogenic temperatures. In this program a mechanical design was developed that solved several design constraints: a) fitting into the existing Cornell load vacuum component, b) allowing the use of different material compositions, c) a thermal design that relied upon the compression of the lossy ceramic material without adding stress. Coating experiments were performed that indicated the design constraints needed to fully implement this approach for solving the charge build-up problem inherent in using lossy ceramics. In addition, the ACE3P program, used to calculate the performance of lossy cylinders in beam pipes in general, was supported by this project. Code development and documentation to allow for the more wide spread use of the program was a direct result of this project was well.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Solid-State Ultra-High Power Amplifier Modules Based on 100 V RF GaN Technology for LINACS Operating at 325 and 650 MHz

Purpose / objectives. This research project explores the groundwork for developing a new high efficiency, high reliability and cost effective radio frequency technology to be used in power sources for future linear accelerators. The frequencies of operation are 650 and 325 MHz, in use at Fermi National Laboratory. The technology can be extended to other frequencies. Brief Description. In this research work ultra-high power solid-state radio frequency sources are proposed operating at the stated frequencies of interest. The approach employs high voltage Gallium Nitride radio frequency transistors, operating at 100 V or higher, to achieve 5-kilowatts continuous-wave and 10 kilowatts pulse power level in a small form factor. The 5 kilowatts building block reduces the required number of combiners and related losses to achieve megawatts power levels. The design employs harmonic tuning techniques as used in class E, F and inverse F power amplifiers to achieve >70% efficiency and assembly techniques that overcome heat dissipation in such high power density systems. Solid-state technology achieves million hour operating lifetime compared to 10 – 100 thousand hours for incumbent technology based on vacuum tubes. Additionally, the modular approach afforded by a solid-state solution avoids complete system shutdown when one module fails. Overall, the approach reduces capital and operating cost. Research Results. During Phase I radio frequency Gallium Nitride building block transistors with 50 mm gate periphery were designed and built which achieve ~600 W continuous-wave when operating at 100 V bias and 1-kW pulsed when operating at 150V. This level of performance has been demonstrated with operation at 325 and 650 MHz, and in both cases measured efficiency exceeded 70%. Potential Applications. The technology identified as suitable for high efficiency power sources in particle accelerators can also be applied in megawatt class radars and several industrial, scientific and medical applications such as microwave sintering, radio frequency and microwave ablation, oil percolation, MRI scanners and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometers, etc… The high efficiency of these devices also translates into reduced electrical power consumption and lower cost of operation.

100 VDC↗

Tapered Flying RF Undulator

The x-ray free electron laser (x-FEL) efficiency, measured as a fraction of the electron beam power converted into light, is typically below 0.1% for most of the x-FEL facilities presently in operation. Undulator tapering techniques can be used to improve the conversion efficiency by 1-2 orders of magnitude. At present there are no robust tapered undulator x-FEL schemes operating at 10% efficiency. Such development will be a breakthrough for the x-FEL community.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Final Technical Report: Innovative Magnetron Power Sources for Superconducting RF (SRF) Accelerators

In this project, MUONS is designing and building custom magnetrons at Richardson Electronics (RELL) to test the predictions of the models and make improvements to the designs to match the needs of NP SRF accelerators and their life-cycle costs. To increase lifetime, the filament temperature is controlled by a feedback circuit that includes a model of back streaming of electrons. The gain of the magnetron is optimized by the design of an input port. A permanent magnet design with trim coil for amplitude adjustment reduces energy consumption. Moving the construction of the magnetron from prototype to manufacturing includes the utilization of RELL processes and designs. To the extent that outgassing of materials influences the lifetime of the magnetron, methods for minimizing outgassing was explored. Further experimentation of the potential of sub-critical voltage operation continues to be explored. The commercialization goal of the project will be naturally achieved as RELL already has world-wide marketing, sales, and support to exploit the assembly-line capabilities generated by this project to enable magnetron technologies for NP accelerators.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Synthesis of Si-Fe Chondrule-like Dust Analogues in RF Discharge Plasmas

Chondrules are tiny particles that occur in stony meteorites and are considered as the building blocks of early asteroids and planets. It is believed that they were formed by the fast heating of the dust in the solar nebula. To date, there is no lab-scale experimental study of the formation of chondrules from the initial gas phase precursors following fast heating and crystallisation. The motivation of this work is a pre-trial study of the formation of chnodrule-like particles. The formation of meteorites in the space environment is associated with the aggregation of small particles or molecular clouds under the influence of shock waves or high-energy gas discharges in the solar nebula. In this work, the properties of product formation at the nanoscale-level were investigated using different feedstock materials which are the dominant elements in the meteorite. The structural and morphological properties of the synthesised Si-Fe nanomaterials were analysed by scanning/transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), and chemical composition was analysed by X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The identification of crystalline phases was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), whereas the presence of an Fe-Si system in the synthesised particles was demonstrated by Mössbauer spectroscopy. The obtained materials were exposed to the relatively high-energy pulsed plasma beam on the substrate with the aim to emulate the possible fast heating and melting of the formed nanoparticles. The formation steps of growing synthetic (engineered) chondro-like particles and nanostructures in laboratory conditions is discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗