Ketogenic diet uncovers differential metabolic plasticity of brain cells

To maintain homeostasis, the body, including the brain, reprograms its metabolism in response to altered nutrition or disease. However, the consequences of these challenges for the energy metabolism of the different brain cell types remain unknown. Here, we generated a proteome atlas of the major central nervous system (CNS) cell types from young and adult mice, after feeding the therapeutically relevant low-carbohydrate, high-fat ketogenic diet (KD) and during neuroinflammation. Under steady-state conditions, CNS cell types prefer distinct modes of energy metabolism. Unexpectedly, the comparison with KD revealed distinct cell type–specific strategies to manage the altered availability of energy metabolites. Astrocytes and neurons but not oligodendrocytes demonstrated metabolic plasticity. Moreover, inflammatory demyelinating disease changed the neuronal metabolic signature in a similar direction as KD. Together, these findings highlight the importance of the metabolic cross-talk between CNS cells and between the periphery and the brain to manage altered nutrition and neurological disease

Breakdown Limits on Gigavolt-per-Meter Electron-Beam-Driven Wakefields in Dielectric Structures

First measurements of the breakdown threshold in a dielectric subjected to GV/m wakefields produced by short (30-330 fs), 28.5 GeV electron bunches have been made. Fused silica tubes of 100 {micro}m inner diameter were exposed to a range of bunch lengths, allowing surface dielectric fields up to 27 GV/m to be generated. The onset of breakdown, detected through light emission from the tube ends, is observed to occur when the peak electric field at the dielectric surface reaches 13.8 {+-} 0.7 GV/m. The correlation of structure damage to beam-induced breakdown is established using an array of postexposure inspection techniques

Hosing Instability in the Blow-Out Regime for Plasma-Wakefield Acceleration

The electron hosing instability in the blow-out regime of plasma-wakefield acceleration is investigated using a linear perturbation theory about the electron blow-out trajectory in Lu et al. [in Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 165002 (2006)]. The growth of the instability is found to be affected by the beam parameters unlike in the standard theory Whittum et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 991 (1991)] which is strictly valid for preformed channels. Particle-in-cell simulations agree with this new theory, which predicts less hosing growth than found by the hosing theory of Whittum et al

Scaling of Energy Gain with Plasma Parameters in a Plasma Wakefield Accelerator

We have recently demonstrating the doubling of the energy of particles of the ultra-short, ultra-relativistic electron bunches of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center [1]. This energy doubling occurred in a plasma only 85 cm-long with a density of {approx} 2.6 x 10{sup 17} e{sup -}/cm{sup -3}. This milestone is the result of systematic measurements that show the scaling of the energy gain with plasma length and density, and show the reproducibility and the stability of the acceleration process. We show that the energy gain increases linearly with plasma length from 13 to 31 cm. These are key steps toward the application of beam-driven plasma accelerators or plasma wakefield accelerators (PWFA) to doubling the energy of a future linear collider without doubling its length

Dielectric Wakefield Accelerator Experiments at the SABER Facility

Electron bunches with the unparalleled combination of high charge, low emittances, and short time duration, as first produced at the SLAC Final Focus Test Beam (FFTB), are foreseen to be produced at the SABER facility. These types of bunches have enabled wakefield driven accelerating schemes of multi-GV/m in plasmas. In the context of the Dielectric Wakefield Accelerators (DWA) such beams, having rms bunch length as short as 20 um, have been used to drive 100 um and 200 um ID hollow tubes above 20 GV/m surface fields. These FFTB tests enabled the measurement of a breakdown threshold in fused silica (with full data analysis still ongoing) [1]. With the construction and commissioning of the SABER facility at SLAC, new experiments would be made possible to test further aspects of DWAs including materials, tube geometrical variations, direct measurements of the Cerenkov fields, and proof of acceleration in tubes >10 cm in length. This collaboration will investigate breakdown thresholds and accelerating fields in new materials including CVD diamond. Here we describe the experimental plans, beam parameters, simulations, and progress to date as well as future prospects for machines based of DWA structures

Emittance and Current of Electrons Trapped in a Plasma Wakefield Accelerator

In recent experiments plasma electrons became trapped in a plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA). The transverse size of these trapped electrons on a downstream diagnostic yields an upper limit measurement of transverse normalized emittance divided by peak current, {var_epsilon}{sub N,x}/I. The lowest upper limit for {var_epsilon}{sub N,x}/I measured in the experiment is 1.3 {center_dot} 10{sup -10} m/A

Correlation of Beam Parameters to Decelerating Gradient in the E-167 Plasma Wakefield Acceleration Experiment

Recent experiments at SLAC have shown that high gradient acceleration of electrons is achievable in meter scale plasmas [1,2]. Results from these experiments show that the wakefield is sensitive to parameters in the electron beam which drives it. In the experiment the bunch length and beam waist location were varied systematically at constant charge. Here we investigate the correlation of peak beam current to the decelerating gradient. Limits on the transformer ratio will also be discussed. The results are compared to simulation

CMS Forward-Backward MSGC milestone

The CMS MF1 milestone was set in order to evaluate system aspects of the CMS forward-backward MSGC tracker, to check the design and feasibility of mass production and to set up assembly and test procedures. We describe the construction and the experience gained with the operation of a system of 38 MSGC detectors assembled in six multi-substrate detector modules corresponding to the geometry of the forward-backward MSGC tracker in CMS. These modules were equipped with MSGCs mounted side by side, forming a continuous detector surface of about 0.2 m2. Different designs were tried for these modules. The problems encountered are presented with the proposed solutions. Operation conditions for the 38 MSGCs are reported from an exposure to a muon beam at the CERN SPS. Gain uniformity along the wedge-shaped strip pattern and across the detector modules are shown together with the detection efficiency, the spatial resolution, alignment and edge studies