An 800-MeV proton radiography facility for dynamic experiments

The capability has been successfully developed at the Los Alamos Nuclear Science Center (LANSCE) to utilize a spatially and temporally prepared 800-MeV proton beam to produce proton radiographs. A series of proton bursts are transmitted through a dynamically varying object and transported, via a unique magnetic lens system, to an image plane. The magnetic lens system permits correcting for the effects of multiple coulomb scattering which would otherwise completely blur the spatially transmitted information at the image plane. The proton radiographs are recorded on either a time integrating film plate or with a recently developed multi-frame electronic imaging camera system. The latter technique permits obtaining a time dependent series of proton radiographs with time intervals (modulo 358 ns) up to many microseconds and variable time intervals between images. One electronically shuttered, intensified, CCD camera is required per image. These cameras can detect single protons interacting with a scintillating fiber optic array in the image plane but also have a dynamic range which permits recording radiographs with better than 5% statistics for observation of detailed density variations in the object. A number of tests have been carried out to characterize the quality of the proton radiography system for absolute mass determination, resolution, and dynamic range. Initial dynamic experiments characterized the temporal and spatial behavior of shock propagation in high explosives with up to six images per experiment. Based on experience with the prototype system, a number of upgrades are being implemented including the anticipated capability for enhanced mass discrimination through differential multiple coulomb scattering radiographs and more images with improved imaging techniques

Are Antiprotons Forever?

Up to one million antiprotons from a single LEAR spill have been captured in a large Penning trap. Surprisingly, when the antiprotons are cooled to energies significantly below 1 eV, the annihilation rate falls below background. Thus, very long storage times for antiprotons have been demonstrated in the trap, even at the compromised vacuum conditions imposed by the experimental set up. The significance for future ultra-low energy experiments, including portable antiproton traps, is discussed.Comment: 12 pages, latex; 4 figures, uufiled. Slightly expanded discussion of expected energy dependence of annihilation cross section and rate, and of estimates of trap pressure, plus minor text improvement

Experimental evidence for 56Ni-core breaking from the low-spin structure of the N=Z nucleus 58Cu

Low-spin states in the odd-odd N=Z nucleus 58Cu were investigated with the 58Ni(p,n gamma)58Cu fusion evaporation reaction at the FN-tandem accelerator in Cologne. Seventeen low spin states below 3.6 MeV and 17 new transitions were observed. Ten multipole mixing ratios and 17 gamma-branching ratios were determined for the first time. New detailed spectroscopic information on the 2+,2 state, the Isobaric Analogue State (IAS) of the 2+,1,T=1 state of 58Ni, makes 58Cu the heaviest odd-odd N=Z nucleus with known B(E2;2+,T=1 --> 0+,T=1) value. The 4^+ state at 2.751 MeV, observed here for the first time, is identified as the IAS of the 4+,1,T=1 state in 58Ni. The new data are compared to full pf-shell model calculations with the novel GXPF1 residual interaction and to calculations within a pf5/2 configurational space with a residual surface delta interaction. The role of the 56Ni core excitations for the low-spin structure in 58Cu is discussed.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Ejecta experiments at the Pegasus Pulsed Power facility

When a shock wave interacts at the surface of a metal target, target material can be emitted from the surface called ejecta. The mass, size, shape, and velocity of ejecta varies depending on the initial shock conditions, and target material properties. In order to understand this phenomena, diagnostics have been developed and implemented at the Pegasus Pulsed Power facility located at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The facility provides both radial and axial access for making measurements. There exist optical, laser, and x-ray paths for performing measurements on the target assembly located near the center of the machine. The facility can provide many mega amps of current which is transported to a 5.0 cm diameter, 2.0 cm high aluminum cylinder. The current and associated magnetic field set up forces which implode the aluminum cylinder radially inward. As the aluminum cylinder reaches the appropriate velocity it impacts a target cylinder. Due to this impact, a shock wave is set up in the target and eventually interacts at the inner surface of the target cylinder where ejecta are produced. A 1.5 cm diameter collimator cylinder located inside the target cylinder is used to control the number of ejecta particles that arrive at the center region where ejecta measurements are made. Diagnostics have been developed including in-line Fraunhofer holography and visible shadowgraph. Details of these diagnostics are described

In-line particle field holography at Pegasus

An in-line holographic imaging system has been developed for hydrodynamic experiments at the Pegasus facility located at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Holography offers the unique capability to record distributions of particles over a three dimensional volume. The system to be discussed is used to measure particle distributions of ejecta emitted after a cylindrical aluminum liner (5.0 cm in diameter, 2.0 cm high) impacts a target (3.0 cm in diameter). The ejecta emerges from the target traveling up to 7mm/{micro}s and moves toward the axial center of the system where the holographic imaging is performed. In-line holography is particularly suited for the Pegasus pulsed power facility where the geometry restrictions make off axis holography impractical. In order to record the fast moving particles a frequency-doubled Nd:-YAG laser system has been implemented which produces a 80 ps 20 millijoule pulse at 532 nm. An optical relay system composed of a Fourier optical lens pair has been developed which is placed 4.0 cm from the center of the region of interest. This relay lens pair forms an intermediate image 32 cm from the object plane and the hologram is placed 4cm downstream of the intermediate image. The holographic system and resolution capability are discussed

Overview of pulsers for nanosecond gating of image-shutter tubes

The capability of generating a useful optical shutter of a few nanoseconds or less utilizing gated proximity-focussed microchannel-plate (MCP) wafer tubes or silicon intensified target (SIT) vidicon tubes depends strongly on the driving electrical pulse. This paper will provide a summary of some of the electrical gate pulsers utilized in studying both proximity-focussed MCP imaging intensifiers and gated SIT FPS vidicon tubes. (WHK

Nanosecond optical shutters

A comparison of gated optical shuttering responses for commercially available micro-channel plate image intensifier tubes (MCPTs) with the performance of a new design for improved optical shuttering is presented. Measurements of opacity, photocathode quantum efficiency, and shutter pulse propagation characteristics are discussed

Image shutters: gated proximity-focused microchannel-plate (MCP) wafer tubes vs gated silicon intensified target (SIT) vidicons

The imaging characteristics of two fast image shutters used for recording the spatial and temporal evolution of transient optical events in the nanosecond range have been studied. Emphasis is on the comparative performances of each shutter type under similar conditions. Response data, including gating speed, gain, dynamic range, shuttering efficiency, and resolution for 18 and 25-mm-diam proximity-focused microchannel-plate (MCP) intensifiers are compared with similar data for a prototype electrostatically-focused 25-mm-diam gated silicon-intensified-target (SIT) vidicon currently under development for Los Alamos National Laboratory. Several key parameters critical to optical gating speed have been varied in both tube types in order to determine the optimum performance attainable from each design. These include conductive substrate material and thickness used to reduce photocathode resistivity, spacing between gating electrodes to minimize inter-electrode capacitance, the use of conductive grids on the photocathode substrate to permit rapid propagation of the electrical gate pulse to all areas of the photocathode, and different package geometries to provide a more effective interface with external biasing and gating circuitry. For comparable spatial resolution, most 18-mm-diam MCPs require gate times > 2.5 ns while the fastest SIT has demonstrated sub-nanosecond optical gates as short as approx. 400 +- 50 ps for full shuttering of the 25-mm-diam input window

Imaging techniques utilizing optical fibers and tomography

Two-dimensional, time-dependent images generated by neutrons, gamma rays, and x-rays incident on fast scintillators are relayed to streak and video cameras over optical fibers. Three dimensions, two spatial and one temporal, have been reduced to two, one in space and time utilizing sampling methods permitting reconstruction of a time-dependent, two-dimensional image subsequent to data recording. The manner in which the sampling is done optimized the ability to reconstruct the image via a maximization of entropy algorithm. This method uses four linear fiber optic arrays typically 30 meters long and up to 35 elements each. A further refinement of this technique collapses the linear array information into four single fibers by wavelength multiplexing. This permits economical transmission of the data over kilometer distances to the recording equipment