52 research outputs found
A Parallel Controls Software Approach for PEP II: AIDA & Matlab Middle Layer
The controls software in use at PEP II (Stanford Control Program - SCP) had originally been developed in the eighties. It is very successful in routine operation but due to its internal structure it is difficult and time consuming to extend its functionality. This is problematic during machine development and when solving operational issues. Routinely, data has to be exported from the system, analyzed offline, and calculated settings have to be reimported. Since this is a manual process, it is time consuming and error-prone. Setting up automated processes, as is done for MIA (Model Independent Analysis), is also time consuming and specific to each application. Recently, there has been a trend at light sources to use MATLAB as the platform to control accelerators using a 'MATLAB Middle Layer' (MML), and so called channel access (CA) programs to communicate with the low level control system (LLCS). This has proven very successful, especially during machine development time and trouble shooting. A special CA code, named AIDA (Accelerator Independent Data Access), was developed to handle the communication between MATLAB, modern software frameworks, and the SCP. The MML had to be adapted for implementation at PEP II. Colliders differ significantly in their designs compared to light sources, which poses a challenge. PEP II is the first collider at which this implementation is being done. We will report on this effort, which is still ongoing
Skyrmion fluctuations at a first-order phase transition boundary
Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected spin textures with promising prospects for applications in data storage. They can form a lattice state due to competing magnetic interactions and are commonly found in a small region of the temperature - magnetic field phase diagram. Recent work has demonstrated that these magnetic quasi-particles fluctuate at the μeV energy scale. Here, we use a coherent x-ray correlation method at an x-ray free-electron laser to investigate these fluctuations in a magnetic phase coexistence region near a first-order transition boundary where fluctuations are not expected to play a major role. Surprisingly, we find that the relaxation of the intermediate scattering function at this transition differs significantly compared to that deep in the skyrmion lattice phase. The observation of a compressed exponential behavior suggests solid-like dynamics, often associated with jamming. We assign this behavior to disorder and the phase coexistence observed in a narrow field-window near the transition, which can cause fluctuations that lead to glassy behavior
Recommended from our members
Precision Measurement and Improvement of e+, e- Storage Rings
Through horizontal and vertical excitations, we have been able to make a precision measurement of linear geometric optics parameters with a Model-Independent Analysis (MIA). We have also been able to build up a computer model that matches the real accelerator in linear geometric optics with an SVD-enhanced Least-square fitting process. Recently, with the addition of longitudinal excitation, we are able to build up a computer virtual machine that matches the real accelerators in linear optics including dispersion without additional fitting variables. With this optics-matched virtual machine, we are able to find solutions that make changes of selected normal and skew quadrupoles for machine optics improvement. It has made major contributions to improve PEP-II optics and luminosity. Examples from application to PEP-II machines will be presented
Recommended from our members
Luminosity Variations Along Bunch Trains in PEP-II
In the spring of 2005 after a long shut-down, the luminosity of the B-Factory PEP-II decreased along the bunch trains by about 25-30%. There were many reasons studied which could have caused this performance degradation, like a bigger phase transient due to an additional RF station in the Low-Energy-Ring (LER), bad initial vacuum, electron cloud, chromaticity, steering, dispersion in cavities, beam optics, etc. The initial specific luminosity of 4.2 sloped down to 3.2 and even 2.8 for a long train (typical: 130 of 144), later in the run with higher currents and shorter trains (65 of 72) the numbers were more like 3.2 down to 2.6. Finally after steering the interaction region for an unrelated reason (overheated BPM buttons) and the consequential lower luminosity for two weeks, the luminosity slope problem was mysteriously gone. Several parameters got changed and there is still some discussion about which one finally fixed the problem. Among others, likely candidates are: the LER betatron function in x at the interaction point got reduced, making the LER x stronger, dispersion reduction in the cavities, and finding and fixing a partially shorted magnet
Recommended from our members
Luminosity Improvement at PEP-II Based on Optics Model and Beam-Beam Simulation
Since the beginning of this year, we have made significant improvements in the machine optics at PEP-II. As a result, the specific luminosity increased nearly 20%. The largest luminosity gain actually came from minimizing nonlinear chromatic effects and running both rings much closer to the half integer resonance in the horizontal plane
Spontaneous fluctuations in a magnetic Fe/Gd skyrmion lattice
Magnetic skyrmions are topological spin textures that exhibit classical or quantum quasiparticle behavior. A substantial amount of research has occurred in this field, both because of their unique electromagnetic properties and potential application for future nonvolatile memory storage applications, as well as fundamental questions on their topology and unique magnetic phases. Here, we investigate the fluctuation properties of a magnetic Fe/Gd skyrmion lattice, using short-pulsed x rays. We first measure spontaneous fluctuations of the skyrmion lattice phase and find an inherent, collective mode showing an underdamped oscillation with a relaxation of a couple of nanoseconds. Further observations track the response towards the continuous phase transition and a critical-like slowing down of fluctuations is observed well before the critical point. These results suggest that the skyrmion lattice phase never fully freezes into a static crystal. This constant state of fluctuation indicates that the physics of topological magnetic phases may have more in common with high-temperature superconductors with disorder
Recommended from our members
PEP-II Status
PEP-II and BaBar have just finished run 7, the last run of the SLAC B-factory. PEP-II was one of the few high-current e+e- colliding accelerators and holds the present world record for stored electrons and stored positrons. It has stored 2.07 A of electrons, nearly 3 times the design current of 0.75 A and it has stored 3.21 A of positrons, 1.5 times more than the design current of 2.14 A. High-current beams require careful design of several systems. The feedback systems that control instabilities, the RF system stability loops, and especially the vacuum systems have to handle the higher power demands. We present here some of the accomplishments of the PEP-II accelerator and some of the problems we encountered while running high-current beams
Recommended from our members
Performance of the PEP-II B-Factory Collider at SLAC
PEP-II is an e{sup +}e{sup -} asymmetric B-Factory Collider located at SLAC operating at the Upsilon 4S resonance (3.1 GeV x 9 GeV). It has reached a luminosity of 9.21 x 10{sup 33}/cm{sup 2}/s and has delivered an integrated luminosity of 710 pb{sup -1} in one day. PEP-II has delivered, over the past six years, an integrated luminosity to the BaBar detector of over 262 fb{sup -1}. PEP-II operates in continuous injection mode for both beams boosting the integrated luminosity. The peak positron current has reached 2.45 A in 1588 bunches. Steady progress is being made in reaching higher luminosity. The goal over the next several years is to reach a luminosity of 2.1 x 10{sup 34}/cm{sup 2}/s. The accelerator physics issues being addressed in PEP-II to reach this goal include the electron cloud instability, beam-beam effects, parasitic beam-beam effects, high RF beam loading, shorter bunches, lower {beta}*{sub y} interaction region operation, and coupling control. Figure 1 shows the PEP-II tunnel
- …