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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Helical muon beam cooling channel engineering design

The Helical Cooling Channel (HCC) achieves effective ionization cooling of the six-dimensional (6d) phase space of a muon beam by means of a series of 21st century inventions. In the HCC, hydrogen-pressurized RF cavities enable high RF gradients in strong external magnetic fields. The theory of the HCC, which requires a magnetic field with solenoid, helical dipole, and helical quadrupole components, demonstrates that dispersion in the gaseous hydrogen energy absorber provides effective emittance exchange to enable longitudinal ionization cooling. The 10-year development of a practical implementation of a muon-beam cooling device has involved a series of technical innovations and experiments that imply that an HCC of less than 300 m length can cool the 6d emittance of a muon beam by six orders of magnitude. We describe the design and construction plans for a prototype HCC module based on oxygen-doped hydrogen-pressurized RF cavities that are loaded with dielectric, fed by magnetrons, and operate in a superconducting helical solenoid magnet. The first phase of this project saw the development of a conceptual design for the integration of 805 MHz RF cavities into a 10 T Nb 3 Sn-based HS test section. Two very novel ideas are required to realize the design. The first idea is the use of dielectric inserts in the RF cavities to make them smaller for a given frequency so that the cavities and associated plumbing easily fit inside the magnet cryostat. Calculations indicate that heat loads will be tolerable, while RF breakdown of the dielectric inserts will be suppressed by the pressurized hydrogen gas. The second new idea is the use of a multi-layer Nb 3 Sn helical solenoid. The technology demonstrations for the two aforementioned key components of a 10T, 805 MHz HCC were begun in this project. The work load in the Fermilab Technical Division made it difficult to test a multi-layer Nb 3 Sn solenoid as originally planned. Instead, a complementary project was approved by the DOE Technical Topic Manager to develop magnets for the Mu2e experiment that fit well into the Fermilab Technical Division availability. The difference between the MCC helical solenoid and the Mu2e bent solenoid described in Appendix I is that the helical solenoid is made of coils that are in parallel planes with offset centers, while the coils in the bent solenoid follow the central particle trajectory and look much like a “slinky” toy. The muon-beam cooling-channel technologies developed in this project will enable a muon collider, the next step toward the energy frontier, Higgs/neutrino/Z-factories, and rare muon decay experiments. Commercial uses of the beams made possible by the cooling techniques developed in this project include scanning for nuclear contraband, studies of material properties with spin resonance techniques, and muon-catalyzed fusion.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2016

RF design for the TOPGUN photogun: A cryogenic normal conducting copper electron gun

Some recent studies of rf breakdown physics in cryogenic copper X-band accelerating structures have shown a dramatic increase in the operating gradient while maintaining low breakdown rates. The TOPGUN project, a collaboration between UCLA, SLAC, and INFN, will use this improvement in gradient to create an ultra-high brightness cryogenic normal conducting photoinjector [16]. The brightness is expected to be higher by a factor of 25 relative to the LCLS photogun [9]. This improvement in the brightness will lead to increased performance of X-Ray free electron lasers (FELs) and ultrafast electron diffraction devices [16]. Here, we present the rf design for this S-band photogun, which will be a drop-in replacement for the current LCLS photogun.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

Progress on a Cavity with Beryllium Walls for Muon Ionization Cooling Channel R&D.

The Muon Accelerator Program (MAP) collaboration is working to develop an ionization cooling channel for muon beams. An ionization cooling channel requires the operation of high-gradient, normal-conducting RF cavities in multi-Tesla solenoidal magnetic fields. However, experiments conducted at Fermilab?s MuCool Test Area (MTA) show that increasing the solenoidal field strength reduces the maximum achievable cavity gradient. This gradient limit is characterized by an RF breakdown process that has caused significant damage to copper cavity interiors. The damage may be caused by field-emitted electrons, focused by the solenoidal magnetic field onto small areas of the inner cavity surface. Local heating may then induce material fatigue and surface damage. Fabricating a cavity with beryllium walls would mitigate this damage due to beryllium?s low density, low thermal expansion, and high electrical and thermal conductivity. We address the design and fabrication of a pillbox RF cavity with beryllium walls, in order to evaluate the performance of high-gradient cavities in strong magnetic fields.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Electric field distribution in a non-self-sustained RF discharge with ionization generated by Ns discharge pulses

Abstract Electric field in a capacitively coupled, non-self-sustained RF discharge nitrogen plasma with external ionization generated by high-voltage ns pulses has been measured by ps Electric field induced second harmonic generation (EFISH). The measurements are made both in the bulk of the plasma and in the sheaths, using the absolute calibration by the Laplacian field between two plane electrodes. The results are compared with the kinetic modeling calculations. The RF electric field in the sheaths is significantly higher compared to that in the plasma, due to the displacement of the electrons by the drift oscillations and the resultant plasma self-shielding. However, the kinetic modeling predictions indicate that the electron impact ionization in the sheaths is largely ineffective, due to the low electron density. The reduction of the electric field in the plasma by the self-shielding in the sheaths is moderate, such that the energy is coupled to the plasma by the below-breakdown RF field. The peak RF field in the plasma is in the range of 15–25 Td, indicating the efficient vibrational excitation of N 2 by electron impact. The modeling predictions suggest that the targeted vibrational excitation of molecular species in a non-self-sustained RF discharge with external ionization is scalable to high pressures, electron densities, and discharge powers. The present approach can be extended to the vibrational excitation of other molecular species where the vibrational relaxation is relatively slow, such as CO, CO 2 , and H 2 .

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-power test results for a cylindrical-shell silicon carbide higher-order-mode damper

The next high-current Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) is a new accelerator to be built at Brookhaven National Laboratory in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. In the EIC Electron Storage Ring (ESR), there will be beam currents of up to 2.5 A, which will excite massive higher-order-mode (HOM) power in the 17 single-cell 591 MHz superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities. Damping the HOM power in the ESR SRF cavities is a challenge. A room temperature cylindrical shell shape silicon carbide (SiC) beamline HOM absorber (BLA) was chosen as the baseline design, due to its broadband and high-power capability, and previous demonstrations at other accelerator facilities, albeit at much lower power. Because the EIC BLA HOM power dissipation is significantly greater than the previous applications, it is imperative to carry out high-power testing to determine the maximum device performance levels achievable for thermal transport, rf breakdown, and mechanical stress, prior to finalizing the design. A SiC HOM absorber with a state-of-the-art geometry size was prototyped to verify the shrink-fit technique, test outgassing rate, and high-power handling capability. This paper presents the HOM damper’s prototyping and test results. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

A powerful reflector in relativistic backward wave oscillator

An improved TM{sub 021} resonant reflector is put forward. Similarly with most of the slow wave structures used in relativistic backward wave oscillator, the section plane of the proposed reflector is designed to be trapezoidal. Compared with the rectangular TM{sub 021} resonant reflector, such a structure can depress RF breakdown more effectively by weakening the localized field convergence and realizing good electrostatic insulation. As shown in the high power microwave (HPM) generation experiments, with almost the same output power obtained by the previous structure, the improved structure can increase the pulse width from 25 ns to over 27 ns and no obvious surface damage is observed even if the generated HPM pulses exceed 1000 shots.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Influence of wall plasma on microwave frequency and power in relativistic backward wave oscillator

The RF breakdown of the slow wave structure (SWS), which will lead to the generation of the wall plasma, is an important cause for pulse shortening in relativistic backward wave oscillators. Although many researchers have performed profitable studies about this issue, the influence mechanism of this factor on the microwave generation still remains not-so-clear. This paper simplifies the wall plasma with an “effective” permittivity and researches its influence on the microwave frequency and power. The dispersion relation of the SWS demonstrates that the introduction of the wall plasma will move the dispersion curves upward to some extent, which is confirmed by particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations and experiments. The plasma density and volume mainly affect the dispersion relation at the upper and lower frequency limits of each mode, respectively. Meanwhile, PIC simulations show that even though no direct power absorption exists since the wall plasma is assumed to be static, the introduction of the wall plasma may also lead to the decrease in microwave power by changing the electrodynamic property of the SWS.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Experimental studies of a high-gradient X-band welded hard-copper split accelerating structure

We report on recent research on high-gradient radio frequency (RF) accelerating structures indicates that the use of hard copper alloys provides improvement in high gradient performance over annealed copper. Such structures are made by bonding individually manufactured parts. However, there are no well-established bonding techniques that preserve the hardness, surface finish and cleanliness required for high gradient operation. To preserve the copper hardness, RadiaBeam has developed a novel high-gradient split accelerating structure, based on electron beam welding joining technique. This technique provides efficient bonding with strong, clean welds and minimal thermal loading, while maintaining a clean inner RF environment. Our RF design and fabrication methodology limits the small heat affected zone to the outer cavity envelop, with virtually no distortions or thermal loading of critical RF surfaces. It also incorporates provisions to precisely control the gap despite conventional issues with weld joint shrinkage. To date we have manufactured and validated an RF accelerating structure joined by electron-beam welding that incorporates a novel open split design to significantly reduce the assembly complexity and cost. In this paper, we will present the electromagnetic design of this structure, discuss bonding, and present the results of high-power tests, where the accelerating gradients of 140 MV m -1 with surface peak fields of 400 MV m -1 were achieved for flat-top pulse length of 600 ns with an RF breakdown rate of 10 -4 1/(pulsecm).

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ammonia generation in Ns pulse and Ns pulse/RF discharges over a catalytic surface

Plasma-catalytic ammonia synthesis in a ns pulse discharge and a 'hybrid' ns pulse/RF discharge in plane-to-plane geometry is studied by Fourier Transform infrared absorption spectroscopy. The data are taken in a preheated H 2 –N 2 mixture, with and without Ni/γ-Al 2 O 3 or Co/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst placed in the discharge section. The measurement results are taken using two different approaches. The first is a 'single-stage' process, where a ns pulse discharge in the H 2 –N 2 mixture is sustained continuously. In this case, the ammonia yield increases slowly, over a period of tens of minutes. The second is a 'two-stage' process, where the catalyst is first activated by the ns pulse discharge sustained in pure nitrogen, and then the activated catalyst is exposed to the H 2 –N 2 flow, with or without the discharge. In this case, a strong overshoot of the NH 3 number density at the reactor exit is detected, by over a factor of two compared to the single-stage process. After the initial overshoot, the ammonia yield gradually decreases to the 'single stage' value (with the discharge on), or to near zero (with the discharge off). The results demonstrate that the ammonia yield in the plasma-catalytic reactor is controlled by the N atom accumulation on the catalyst surface, which reacts with H atoms thermally dissociated on the catalyst or generated in the plasma. The results also show that the plasma-catalytic ammonia yield is significantly higher compared to that in the ns pulse discharge without the catalyst. The accumulation of H atoms on the catalyst, with their subsequent reactions with N atoms generated in the plasma, is of relatively minor importance at the present conditions. An additional series of measurements was made with a sub-breakdown RF waveform overlapped with the ns pulse discharge train, to enhance the vibrational excitation of nitrogen. The ammonia yield measured with the RF waveform added is approximately 20% higher compared to that at the baseline ns pulse discharge conditions, both with and without the catalyst. This effect is weaker compared to that of the catalyst activation by N atoms. Additional data are necessary to isolate the possible effect of the vibrationally excited N 2 molecules on the ammonia synthesis in the plasma catalytic reactions.

surface reactions↗
DOE OSTI2018

Design, fabrication, and high-gradient testing of an X -band, traveling-wave accelerating structure milled from copper halves

A prototype 11.994 GHz, traveling-wave accelerating structure for the Compact Linear Collider has been built, using the novel technique of assembling the structure from milled halves. The use of milled halves has many advantages when compared to a structure made from individual disks. These include the potential for a reduction in cost, because there are fewer parts, as well as a greater freedom in choice of joining technology because there are no rf currents across the halves’ joint. Here we present the rf design and fabrication of the prototype structure, followed by the results of the high-power test and post-test surface analysis. During high-power testing the structure reached an unloaded gradient of 100 MV / m at a rf breakdown rate of less than 1.5×10 –5 breakdowns / pulse / m with a 200 ns pulse. Furthermore, this structure has been designed for the CLIC testing program but construction from halves can be advantageous in a wide variety of applications.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Operation of normal-conducting rf cavities in multi-Tesla magnetic fields for muon ionization cooling: A feasibility demonstration

Ionization cooling is the preferred method for producing bright muon beams. This cooling technique requires the operation of normal conducting, radio-frequency (rf) accelerating cavities within the multi-tesla fields of dc solenoid magnets. Under these conditions, cavities exhibit increased susceptibility to rf breakdown, which can damage cooling channel components and imposes limits on channel length and transmission efficiency. We report, for the first time, stable high-vacuum, normal-conducting cavity operation at gradients of 50 MV / m in an external magnetic field of three tesla, through the use of beryllium cavity elements. This eliminates a significant technical risk that has previously been inherent in ionization cooling channel designs.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2016

In Situ observation of dark current emission in a high gradient rf photocathode gun

Undesirable electron field emission (also known as dark current) in high gradient rf photocathode guns deteriorates the quality of the photoemission current and limits the operational gradient. To improve the understanding of dark current emission, a high-resolution (~100 μm) dark current imaging experiment has been performed in an L-band photocathode gun operating at ~100 MV/m of surface gradient. Scattered strong emission areas with high current have been observed on the cathode. The field enhancement factor β of selected regions on the cathode has been measured. Finally, the postexaminations with scanning electron microscopy and white light interferometry reveal the origins of ~75% strong emission areas overlap with the spots where rf breakdown has occurred.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Mitigating the Effects of Au-Al Intermetallic Compounds Due to High-Temperature Processing of Surface-Electrode Ion Traps

Stringent physical requirements need to be met for the high-performing surface-electrode ion traps used in quantum computing and timekeeping. In particular, these traps must survive a high-temperature environment for vacuum chamber preparation and support high RF voltage on closely spaced electrodes. Due to the use of gold wire bonds on aluminum pads, intermetallic growth can lead to wire bond failure via breakage or high resistance, limiting the lifetime of a trap assembly to a single multiday bake at 200 ° C. Using traditional thick metal stacks to prevent intermetallic growth, however, can result in trap failure due to RF breakdown events. Through high-temperature experiments, we conclude that an ideal metal stack for ion traps is Ti/Pt/Au (20/100/250 nm), which allows for a cumulative bakeable time of roughly 86 days without compromising the trap voltage performance. This increase in the bakeable lifetime of ion traps will remove the need to discard otherwise functional ion traps when vacuum hardware is upgraded, which will greatly benefit ion trap experiments.

Haltli, Raymond A.↗
DOE OSTI2024

High Power Test Results For A Cylindrical-Shell SiC Higher-Order-Mode DAMPER

The next high-current Electron Ion Collider (EIC) is a new accelerator to be built at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF). In the EIC Electron Storage Ring (ESR), there will be beam currents up to 2.5 A, which will excite massive Higher-Order-Modes (HOM) power in the 17 single-cell 591 MHz Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavities. To damp the HOM power in the ESR SRF cavities is a challenge. A room temperature cylindrical shell shape Silicon Carbide (SiC) Beamline HOM Absorber (BLA) was chosen as the baseline design, due to its broadband and high-power capability, and previous demonstrations at other accelerator facilities, albeit at much lower power. Because the EIC BLA HOM power dissipation is significantly greater than the previous applications, it is imperative to carry out high power testing to determine the maximum device performance levels achievable for thermal transport, RF breakdown, and mechanical stress, prior to finalizing the design. A SiC HOM absorber with state-of-the-art geometry size was prototyped to verify shrink-fit technique, test outgassing rate, and high power handling capability. This paper presents the HOM damper’s prototyping and test results.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
NASA NTRS1988

Radiometric calibration analysis of SIR-B imagery

The second flight of the NASA Spaceborne Imaging Radar (SIR-B) collected nearly 8 hours of digital synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) data of the earth's surface. This paper analyzes the performance of the SAR to determine the accuracy of the relative radiometric calibration of these data. Procedures are presented for deriving accuracy estimates as well as limitations under which these estimates are valid. The impact on calibration of an RF breakdown in the primary antenna feed system cable is evaluated. An analysis of the platform stability based on the SAR echo data is also presented in conjunction with its resultant effect on the calibration accuracy. Finally, numerical error bounds are derived with guidelines on their utilization.

Wall, Stephen D.↗
DOE OSTI2011

Recent Progress of RF Cavity Study at Mucool Test Area

Summar of presentation is: (1) MTA is a multi task working space to investigate RF cavities for R&D of muon beam cooling channel - (a) Intense 400 MeV H{sup -} beam, (b) Handle hydrogen (flammable) gas, (c) 5 Tesla SC solenoid magnet, (d) He cryogenic/recycling system; (2) Pillbox cavity has been refurbished to search better RF material - Beryllium button test will be happened soon; (3) E x B effect has been tested in a box cavity - Under study (result seems not to be desirable); (4) 201 MHz RF cavity with SRF cavity treatment has been tested at low magnetic field - (a) Observed some B field effect on maximum field gradient and (b) Further study is needed (large bore SC magnet will be delivered end of 2011); and (5) HPRF cavity beam test has started - (a) No RF breakdown observed and (b) Design a new HPRF cavity to investigate more plasma loading effect.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Technological Issues and High Gradient Test Results on X-Band Molybdenum Accelerating Structures

Two 11.424 GHz single cell standing wave accelerating structures have been fabricated for high gradient RF breakdown studies. Both are brazed structures: one made from copper and the other from sintered molybdenum bulk. The tests results are presented and compared to those of similar devices constructed at SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) and KEK (Ko Enerugi Kasokuki Kenkyu Kiko). The technological issues to build both sections are discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗