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

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

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

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

Circulating Strains of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Central and South America

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is a major cause of viral lower respiratory tract infections among infants and young children. HRSV strains vary genetically and antigenically and have been classified into two broad subgroups, A and B (HRSV-A and HRSV-B, respectively). To date, little is known about the circulating strains of HRSV in Latin America. We have evaluated the genetic diversity of 96 HRSV strains by sequencing a variable region of the G protein gene of isolates collected from 2007 to 2009 in Central and South America. Our results show the presence of the two antigenic subgroups of HRSV during this period with the majority belonging to the genotype HRSV-A2

Constants and Pseudo-Constants of Coupled Beam Motion in the PEP-II Rings

Constants of beam motion help as cross checks to analyze beam diagnostics and the modeling procedure. Pseudo-constants, like the betatron mismatch parameter or the coupling parameter det C, are constant till certain elements in the beam line change them. This can be used to visually find the non-desired changes, pinpointing errors compared with the model