Advanced beam protection systems for high-brightness electron-beam and linac-based Compton sources

The Gamma Beam System (GBS), within the ELI-NP project, under installation in Magurele (RO) by INFN, as part of EuroGammas association, can provide gamma rays that open new possibilities for nuclear photonics and nuclear physics. ELI-GBS gamma rays are produced by Compton backscattering to get monochromaticity (0,1 % bandwidth), high flux (1013 photon/s), tunable directions and energies up to 19 MeV. Such gamma beam is obtained when a highintensity laser collides a high-brightness electron beam with a repetition rate of 100 Hz in multibunch mode with trains of 32 bunches. An advanced high reliability and availability Machine Protection System, compliant with IEC61508 Functional Safety regulation, has been developed in order to ensure proper automated operation for this challenging facility. Such system operates on different layers of the control system: it is equipped with an EPICS supervisor for on-line monitoring of all subsystems, different beam loss monitors to verify electron beam transport and gamma beam luminosity, a real-time interlock system based on distributed FPGA over EtherCAT to monitor vacuum and RF systems which requires fast response within next RF pulse

Expression of Intent \"Singularity\"

L'automazione dei processi che riguardano il commissioning e l'operazione di un acceleratore prevede in prima istanza l'integrazione di hardware per la gestione dei rischi nei sistemi critici secondo standard di riferimento, come quello sulla Sicurezza Funzionale (IEC-61508) o la ANSI N43.1 "Radiation Safety for the design and operation of Particle Accelerator", e successivamente l'inserimento di software di alto livello, intelligenza artificiale (IA), per l'operazione di un acceleratore tramite controllo automatizzato di differenti apparati. Le criticità peculiari dei diversi sistemi di un acceleratore richiederanno l'impiego di diverse tecnologie (FPGA veloci e sicure con connessione diretta all'hardware, server connessi al sistema di controllo, detector per il monitoraggio perdite di fascio, ...). Il progetto che si va a proporre punta a realizzare una piattaforma composita di diversi dispositivi che consentano di integrare intelligenze artificiali per il controllo e la gestione automatizzata di intere facility. Tali dispositivi dovranno essere realizzati e mantenuti secondo gli standard della Sicurezza Funzionale con design scalabile e modulare che ne permetta il versatile upgrade per soddisfare nuove richieste dell'acceleratore o l'applicazione su nuove infrastrutture. La possibilita di sviluppare una piattaforma con IA a cui vengano affidate mansioni specifiche per la gestione di un acceleratore, la prevenzione dei rischi e la relativa realizzazione dell'hardware necessario per l'integrazione di tale "intelligenza" permettera di esplorare aspetti innovativi nel campo tecnologico quali: automazione di sistemi complessi, realizzazione ed integrazione di nuovo hardware per la diagnostica dei sistemi di un acceleratore. L'ente potra così beneficiare di una migliore gestione dei rischi e dei costi delle facility, ottimizzare l'up-time degli acceleratori e ridurre i costi del man-power coinvolto nella gestione e nella manutenzione di tali apparati. In aggiunta a questo, i dispositivi realizzati, essendo in conformita con gli standard industriali, potranno essere d'aiuto al trasferimento tecnologico arricchendo l'offerta con i partner

Proposal for the reuse of the ELI-NP GBS pre injector for a radioactive beams facility

In the framework of the ELI-NP GBS program a full pre-injector was delivered in the Magurele premises (Romania). This article develops the scenario of the re-use of the pre injector components to integrate a radioactive beams facility in the ELI site, considering the possible interest of the local nuclear physics community

Beam manipulation for resonant plasma wakefield acceleration

Plasma-based acceleration has already proved the ability to reach ultra-high accelerating gradients. However the step towards the realization of a plasma-based accelerator still requires some e ff ort to guarantee high brightness beams, stability and reliability. A significant improvement in the efficiency of PWFA has been demonstrated so far accelerating a witness bunch in the wake of a higher charge driver bunch. The transformer ratio, therefore the energy transfer from the driver to the witness beam, can be increased by resonantly exciting the plasma with a properly pre-shaped drive electron beam. Theoretical and experimental studies of beam manipulation for resonant PWFA will be presented her

Design, realization, and high power test of high gradient, high repetition rate brazing-free S -band photogun

In this paper, we address the energy spread and slice energy spread of an externally injected electron beam in plasma wakefield accelerators operating in the linear or quasilinear regime. The energy spread is first derived taking into account the phase dependence of the wakefield along the finite-length bunch together with the dephasing during acceleration and found to be strongly dependent on the bunch length. This could be compensated by the beam loading effect, the energy spread from which is then derived and found to be nearly independent of the bunch length. However, the transverse dependence of the beam loading effect also makes the particles at the same longitudinal position experience different accelerating fields, introducing a significant slice energy spread. To estimate the slice energy spread, a theoretical analysis was conducted by taking the transverse betatron motion into account. As a study case, 3D simulations for the 5 GeV laser-plasma acceleration stage of the European Plasma Research Accelerator with eXcellence in Applications project have been performed. Careful optimization of the parameters allows one to obtain an energy spread of ≤1% and a slice energy spread of ≤0.1%, with good agreement between theories and simulations

Delivery status of the ELI-NP gamma beam system

International audienceThe ELI-NP GBS is a high intensity and monochromatic gamma source under construction in Magurele (Romania). The design and construction of the Gamma Beam System complex as well as the integration of the technical plants and the commissioning of the overall facility, was awarded to the Eurogammas Consortium in March 2014. The delivery of the facility has been planned in for 4 stages and the first one was fulfilled in October 31st 2015. The engineering aspects related to the delivery stage 1 are presented

Characterization of Early and Late Damage in a Mouse Model of Pelvic Radiation Disease

Pelvic radiation disease (PRD), a frequent side effect in patients with abdominal/pelvic cancers treated with radiotherapy, remains an unmet medical need. Currently available preclinical models have limited applications for the investigation of PRD pathogenesis and possible therapeutic strategies. In order to select the most effective irradiation protocol for PRD induction in mice, we evaluated the efficacy of three different locally and fractionated X-ray exposures. Using the selected protocol (10 Gy/day x 4 days), we assessed PRD through tissue (number and length of colon crypts) and molecular (expression of genes involved in oxidative stress, cell damage, inflammation, and stem cell markers) analyses at short (3 h or 3 days after X-ray) and long (38 days after X-rays) post-irradiation times. The results show that a primary damage response in term of apoptosis, inflammation, and surrogate markers of oxidative stress was found, thus determining a consequent impairment of cell crypts differentiation and proliferation as well as a local inflammation and a bacterial translocation to mesenteric lymph nodes after several weeks post-irradiation. Changes were also found in microbiota composition, particularly in the relative abundance of dominant phyla, related families, and in alpha diversity indices, as an indication of dysbiotic conditions induced by irradiation. Fecal markers of intestinal inflammation, measured during the experimental timeline, identified lactoferrin, along with elastase, as useful non-invasive tools to monitor disease progression. Thus, our preclinical model may be useful to develop new therapeutic strategies for PRD treatment

Operational experience on the generation and control of high brightness electron bunch trains at SPARC-LAB

Sub-picosecond, high-brightness electron bunch trains are routinely produced at SPARC-LAB via the velocity bunching technique. Such bunch trains can be used to drive multi-color Free Electron Lasers (FELs) and plasma wake field accelerators. In this paper we present recent results at SPARC-LAB on the generation of such beams, highlighting the key points of our scheme. We will discuss also the on-going machine upgrades to allow driving FELs with plasma accelerated beams or with short electron pulses at an increased energy