Coupled Analysis of Electromagnetic, Thermo-mechanical Effects on RF Accelerating Structures

One of the main problems to the designer of RF structures used in particle accelerators is to estimate their sensitivity to thermo-mechanical effects. These parameters are the basis for the choice of the tuning strategy and for the determination of the feedback architecture. We explored the possibility of using ANSYS [1] to perform such simulations in a single environment. Some examples of the most common problems of interaction between electromagnetic fields and thermo-mechanical effects are presented and, when possible, compared to measurements. Problems encountered are outlined

Transient Thermo-Mechanical Analysis of the TPSG4 Beam Diluter

A new extraction channel is being built in the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) Long Straight Section 4 (LSS4) to transfer proton beams to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and also to the CERN Neutrino to Gran Sasso (CNGS) target. The beam is extracted in a fast mode during a single turn. For this purpose a protection of the MSE copper septum coil, in the form of a beam diluting element placed upstream, will be required to cope with the new failure modes associated with the fast extraction operation. The present analysis focuses on the thermo-mechanical behavior of the proposed TPSG4 diluter element irradiated by a fast extracted beam (up to 4.9 x 10^13 protons per 7.2 mus pulse) from the SPS. The deposited energy densities, estimated from primary and secondary particle simulations using the high-energy particle transport code FLUKA, were converted to internal heat generation rates taken as a thermal load input for the finite-element engineering analyses code ANSYS. According to the time dependence of the extracted beam, the transient solutions were obtained for coupled heat transfer, structural deformation, and shock wave problems. The results are given for the space distribution and the time evolution of temperatures and stresses in the most critical parts of the TPSG4 beam diluting element followed by the MSE copper septum coil. In the worst case of impact of the full LHC ultimate beam, the maximum temperatures remain safely below the melting point. However, the maximum equivalent stresses may slightly exceed the elastic limit in the aluminium section of the diluter. Also, the predicted maximum temperature rise in the MSE septum coil exceeds the design value

Thermal Performance of the LHC Connection Cryostat

The 16 connection cryostats for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) being built at CERN are designed to fill the gap existing between the dispersion suppressor zones and the standard arcs of the accelerator. The first connection cryostat was cold tested down to superfluid helium temperature in August 2005, and the measured thermal performance was as expected. This paper presents the test results and a new thermal modeling of the connection cryostat based on the measurement of the thermal resistances of the braids used for thermalisation, allowing the precise determination of cool down times and equilibrium temperatures of the shielding under various conditions such as lead heating

Design Considerations for the LHC 200 MHz RF System

The longitudinal beam transfer from the SPS into the LHC 400 MHz buckets will not be free of losses without a lower frequency capture system and a fast longitudinal damping system in LHC. We present a complete study of a combined system using four identical copper cavities at 200 MHz delivering 3 MV total CW voltage and having still enough bandwidth to achieve fast longitudinal damping. The shape of a cavity was designed according to the accelerating mode performance, its tuning and the higher order mode spectrum with respect to the LHC beam lines and their possible attenuation. The possibility to park the cavities during coast was included. The local heat load and the corresponding cooling water distribution as well as deformations were studied and techniques to build the cavity with all ports at low cost are proposed. The parameters of the RF generators, couplers and detuning are determined. Simulations of the total LHC RF system incorporating real delays, generator bandwidth and the control loops confirm that this system is capable of capturing and damping the beam longitudinally without losses

Dear Mr. President

A letter expressing warm regards on the eve of the ambassador's departure

Inhibitors of nuclear factor kappa B cause apoptosis in cultured macrophages

The precise role of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF- κB) in the regulation of cell survival and cell death is still unresolved and may depend on cell type and position in the cell cycle. The aim of this study was to determine if three pharmacologic inhibitors of NF-κB, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, N-tosyl-L-lysl chloromethyl ketone and calpain I inhibitor, induce apoptosis in a murine macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) at doses similar to those required for NF-κB inhibition. We found that each of the three inhibitors resulted in a dose- and time-dependent increase in morphologic indices of apoptosis in unstimulated, LPS-stimulated and TNF-stimulated cells. Lethal doses were consistent with those required for NF- κB inhibition. We conclude that nuclear NF-κB activation may represent an important survival mechanism in macrophages

The LHC superconducting cavities

The LHC RF system, which must handle high intensity (0.5 A d.c.) beams, makes use of superconducting single-cell cavities, best suited to minimizing the effects of periodic transient beam loading. There will be eight cavities per beam, each capable of delivering 2 MV (5 MV/m accelerating field) at 400 MHz. The cavities themselves are now being manufactured by industry, using niobium-on-copper technology which gives full satisfaction at LEP. A cavity unit includes a helium tank (4.5 K operating temperature) built around a cavity cell, RF and HOM couplers and a mechanical tuner, all housed in a modular cryostat. Four-unit modules are ultimately foreseen for the LHC (two per beam), while at present a prototype version with two complete units is being extensively tested. In addition to a detailed description of the cavity and its ancillary equipment, the first test results of the prototype will be reported

High-vacuum-compatible high-power Faraday isolators for gravitational-wave interferometers

Faraday isolators play a key role in the operation of large-scale gravitational-wave detectors. Second-generation gravitational-wave interferometers such as the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and Advanced Virgo will use high-average-power cw lasers (up to 200 W) requiring specially designed Faraday isolators that are immune to the effects resulting from the laser beam absorption–degraded isolation ratio, thermal lensing, and thermally induced beam steering. In this paper, we present a comprehensive study of Faraday isolators designed specifically for high-performance operation in high-power gravitational-wave interferometers

DC-readout of a signal-recycled gravitational wave detector

All first-generation large-scale gravitational wave detectors are operated at the dark fringe and use a heterodyne readout employing radio frequency (RF) modulation-demodulation techniques. However, the experience in the currently running interferometers reveals several problems connected with a heterodyne readout, of which phase noise of the RF modulation is the most serious one. A homodyne detection scheme (DC-readout), using the highly stabilized and filtered carrier light as local oscillator for the readout, is considered to be a favourable alternative. Recently a DC-readout scheme was implemented on the GEO 600 detector. We describe the results of first measurements and give a comparison of the performance achieved with homodyne and heterodyne readout. The implications of the combined use of DC-readout and signal-recycling are considered.Comment: 11 page