Interferometer-based high-accuracy white light measurement of neutral rubidium density and gradient at AWAKE

The AWAKE experiment requires an automated online rubidium (Rb) plasma density and gradient diagnostic for densities between 1 and 10$\cdot$10$^{14}$ cm$^{-3}$. A linear density gradient along the plasma source at the percent level may be useful to improve the electron acceleration process. Because of full laser ionization of Rb vapor to Rb$^{+}$ within a radius of 1 mm, the plasma density equals the vapor density. We measure the Rb vapor densities at both ends of the source, with high precision using, white light interferometry. At either source end, broadband laser light passes a remotely controlled Mach-Zehnder interferometer built out of single mode fibers. The resulting interference signal, influenced by dispersion in the vicinity of the Rb D1 and D2 transitions, is dispersed in wavelength by a spectrograph. Fully automated Fourier-based signal conditioning and a fit algorithm yield the density with an uncertainty between the measurements at both ends of 0.11 to 0.46 $\%$ over the entire density range. These densities used to operate the plasma source are displayed live in the control room.Comment: 5 pages, 8 figures, EAAC2017 conference proceedin

Predicting the Trajectory of a Relativistic Electron Beam for External Injection in Plasma Wakefields

We use beam position measurements over the first part of the AWAKE electron beamline, together with beamline modeling, to deduce the beam average momentum and to predict the beam position in the second part of the beamline. Results show that using only the first five beam position monitors leads to much larger differences between predicted and measured positions at the last two monitors than when using the first eight beam position monitors. These last two positions can in principle be used with ballistic calculations to predict the parameters of closest approach of the electron bunch with the proton beam. In external injection experiments of the electron bunch into plasma wakefields driven by the proton bunch, only the first five beam position monitors measurements remain un-affected by the presence of the much higher charge proton bunch. Results with eight beam position monitors show the prediction method works in principle to determine electron and proton beams closest approach within the wakefields width ($<$1\,mm), corresponding to injection of electrons into the wakefields. Using five beam position monitors is not sufficient.Comment: seven pages, five figures, submitted for EAAC 2019 Proceeding

Control of platelet CLEC-2-mediated activation by receptor clustering and tyrosine kinase signalling

Platelets are blood cells responsible for vascular integrity preservation. The activation of platelet receptor CLEC-2 could partially mediate the latter function. Although this receptor is considered to be of importance for hemostasis, the rate-limiting steps of CLEC-2 induced platelet activation are not clear. Here we aimed to investigate CLEC-2-induced platelet signal transduction using computational modelling in combination with experimental approaches. We developed a stochastic multicompartmental computational model of CLEC-2 signalling. The model described platelet activation beginning with CLEC-2 receptor clustering, followed by Syk and SFK phosphorylation, determined by the cluster size. Active Syk mediated LAT protein phosphorylation and membrane signalosome formation, which resulted in the activation of Btk, PLC and PI3K, calcium and phosphoinositide signalling. The model parameters were assessed from published experimental data. Flow cytometry, TIRF and confocal microscopy and western blotting quantification of the protein phosphorylation were used for the assessment of the experimental dynamics of CLEC-2-induced platelet activation. Analysis of the model revealed that the CLEC-2 receptor clustering leading to the membrane-based signalosome formation is a critical element required for the accurate description of the experimental data. Both receptor clustering and signalosome formation are among the rate-limiting steps of CLEC-2-mediated platelet activation. In agreement with these predictions, the CLEC-2 induced platelet activation, but not activation mediated by G-protein coupled receptors, was strongly dependent on temperature conditions and cholesterol depletion. Besides, the model predicted that CLEC-2 induced platelet activation results in cytosolic calcium spiking, which was confirmed by single platelet TIRF microscopy imaging. Our results suggest a refined picture of the platelet signal transduction network associated with CLEC-2. We show that the tyrosine kinases activation is not the only rate-limiting step in CLEC-2 induced activation of platelets. Translocation of receptor-agonist complexes to the signalling region and LAT-signalosome formation in this region are limiting CLEC-2-induced activation as well

Induced Modulation of a Chirped Laser Pulse at Terahertz Frequency with Spectral Phase Shaping

The possibility of using harmonic modulation of the spectral phase to generate multiple replicas of the original short laser pulse or controlled periodic intensity modulation at the terahertz frequency of the stretched chirped laser pulse is shown theoretically and experimentally

Studies of Cs3Sb cathodes for the CLIC drive beam photo injector option

Within the CLIC (Compact Linear Collider) project, feasibility studies of a photo injector option for the drive beam as an alternative to its baseline design using a thermionic electron gun are on-going. This R&D program covers both the laser and the photocathode side. Whereas the available laser pulse energy in ultra-violet (UV) is currently limited by the optical defects in the 4thharmonics frequency conversion crystal induced by the0.14 ms long pulse trains, recent measurements of Cs3Sbphotocathodes sensitive to green light showed their potential to overcome this limitation. Moreover, using visible laser beams leads to better stability of produced electron bunches and one can take advantages of the availability of higher quality optics. The studied Cs3Sbphotocathodes have been produced in the CERN photo emission laboratory using the co-deposition technique and tested in a DC gun set-up. The analysis of data acquired during the cathode production process will be presented in this paper, as well as the results of lifetime measurements in the DC gu

Recent Results on the Performance of Cs3Sb Photocathodes in the PHIN RF-Gun

For the CLIC drive beam a photoinjector option is under study at CERN as an alternative to the thermionic electron gun in the CLIC baseline design. The CLIC drive beam requires a high bunch charge of 8.4 nC and 0.14 ms long trains with 2 ns bunch spacing, which is challenging for a photoinjector. In particular the required long and high intensity laser pulses cause a degradation of the beam quality during the frequency conversion process, which generates the ultra-violet laser beam needed for standard Cs2Te photocathodes. To overcome this issue Cs3Sb cathodes sensitive to green light have been studied at the high-charge PHIN photoinjector since a few years. In this paper recent measurements of fundamental properties of Cs3Sb photocathodes such as quantum efficiency, cathode lifetime and dark current from summer 2014 will be presented, and compared with previous measurements and with the performance of Cs2Te photocathodes