Fresh Perspectives 4 – Ethical consumerism: development of a global trend and its impact on development

Key messages: Consumers increasingly wish to shop ethically, but require clearer navigation of the ethical categories; Third-party accreditation systems are proving an effective mechanism to formulate and communicate ethical attributes to consumers; Ethical issues are entering the mainstream, offering increased opportunities for developing countries; Domestic and regional markets in developing countries for value-added and quality products are growing

Pulse confinement in optical fibers with random dispersion

Short range correlated uniform noise in the dispersion coefficient, inherent in many types of optical fibers, broadens and eventually destroys all initially ultra-short pulses. However, under the constraint that the integral of the random component of the dispersion coefficient is set to zero, or pinned, periodically or quasi-periodically along the fiber, the nature of the pulse propagation changes dramatically. For the case that randomness is added to constant positive dispersion, the pinning restriction significantly reduces pulse broadening. If the randomness is added to piecewise constant periodic dispersion, the pinning may even provide probability distributions of pulse parameters that are numerically indistinguishable from the statistically steady case. The pinning method can be used to both manufacture better fibers and upgrade existing fiber links.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Low energy operation of the DIAMOND light source

Abstract Within the last decade storage ring free-electron lasers (SRFELs) have reached UV output wavelengths and beyond: several facilities have achieved down to 250nm and quite recently below 200nm. The design of DIAMOND, the third-generation replacement for the existing SRS light source at Daresbury Laboratory, has been optimised at 3 GeV to provide high quality output for the scientific community, mainly from a range of insertion devices. In this paper we propose an additional DIAMOND regime at 1-1.5 GeV in an attempt also to include an SRFEL which would be of major benefit to users needing high quality, high brightness UV/VUV radiation. Such variable ring operating energy will have significant implications, not least in achieving acceptable beam lifetimes. In addition, enhanced beam coherent instabilities (notably microwave) at low energy will affect the single bunch length (peak current) and energy spread which will in turn limit the achievable FEL gain. All these factors will have to be assessed in the detailed design stages of DIAMOND. DIAMOND LIGHT SOURCE The recent successful demonstration of an SRFEL on the ELETTRA light source [1], together with earlier experience at LURE (Super-ACO) and elsewhere, has encouraged interest in the incorporation of such advanced facilities in all leading light sources. The normal operating mode of DIAMOND at 3GeV is described in detail elsewhere FEL OPERATING MODE When operating in optimised FEL mode, the storage ring will be populated with bunches spaced apart in time by twice the round trip time in the FEL cavity, ensuring energy transfer occurs as frequently as possible; the cavity length is always chosen to be a sub-harmonic of the storage ring circumference, whilst satisfying other, practical constraints. The final circumference of the DIAMOND storage ring has not yet been fixed but may be finalised at 528 m (an increase on the present 489 m layout [2] to budget for additional elements), giving a harmonic number of 880 at 500 MHz RF frequency. With 8 equally spaced bunches this leads to a required cavity length of 33 m, which is reasonable (cf. the ELETTRA device which has a cavity length of 32.4 m [1]). Since a very small vertical emittance is not necessary for FEL operation, a conservative coupling value of 3% has been assumed for these calculations, which should both be readily achievable and provide a satisfactory Touschek lifetime; both greater coupling and larger emittance could be selected if necessary. The momentum acceptance will be the primary limit on the beam lifetime at low energies, via Touschek scattering and quantum lifetime; the 4% dynamic and physical acceptance limit specified for 3 GeV operation BUNCH MODELLING To provide peak currents of tens of Amperes, as will be needed for useful FEL gains, bunch currents of several milliamperes are required. At these currents the effects of bunch lengthening from potential well distortion (PWD) and from the microwave instability (MI) are large, but are beneficial in that they provide low enough number densities within the bunches to give an acceptable Touschek lifetime; however the issue is whether sufficient peak current can then be maintained, together with acceptable energy spread. The ZAP code [3] was used to predict the effect on bunch parameters of PWD and MI (details are given in [4]); however, the implementation of Brück's approximatio

Seeded gas thrusters and related system components

A program involved with the construction and test of a number of laser heated thrusters is described. These thrusters, with a cavity approximately 23 cm long and 3.5 cm in i.d., are to be tested by NASA at a later date with a laser beam focused through the throat to heat hydrogen propellant containing an opacifier. The heated propellant exhausts through a supersonic nozzle with a 0.6 cm throat at 3000 C. Thrust stands and control systems were furnished with the thrusters. The report describes radio frequency plasma heated hot and cold flow simulation tests by the contractor

Domestic UK retrofit challenge: Barriers, incentives and current performance leading into the green deal

Copyright @ 2012 Elsevier - The official published version can be accessed from the link below.This paper reviews the thermal performance of the existing UK housing stock, the main fabric efficiency incentive schemes and the barriers to obtaining deep energy and CO2 savings throughout the stock. The UK faces a major challenge to improve the thermal performance of its existing housing stock. Millions of dwellings possess ‘hard-to-treat’ solid walls and have glazing which is not cost effective to improve. A range of fabric efficiency incentive schemes exist, but many do not target the full range of private and social housing. From now on, the Green Deal will be the UK's key energy efficiency policy. However, the scheme is forecasted to have low consumer appeal and low incentives for investors. Moreover, calculated Green Deal loan repayments will be reliant upon estimated energy savings, yet it is claimed that retrofit measures may only be half as effective as anticipated due to a lack of monitoring, poor quality installation and the increased use of heating following refurbishment. Looking to Germany, there has been success through the Passivhaus standard, but the UK currently lacks appropriate skills and cost effective components to replicate this approach. In addition, the embodied energy in retrofit products and materials threatens to counter operational savings.This study is funded by the EPSRC, Brunel University and Buro Happold Ltd

Airborne aerosol lidar

The objectives are: to analyze dual polarization lidar measurements of aerosols and polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) obtained aboard the NASA Ames DC-8 aircraft during the 1989 Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition (AASE); and to combine lidar, SAM II, and other AASE data with theoretical modeling calculations to study PSC characteristics. A summary of progress and results is given

Inducing strong density modulation with small energy dispersion in particle beams and the harmonic amplifier free electron laser

We present a possible method of inducing a periodic density modulation in a particle beam with little increase in the energy dispersion of the particles. The flow of particles in phase space does not obey Liouville's Theorem. The method relies upon the Kuramoto-like model of collective synchronism found in free electron generators of radiation, such as Cyclotron Resonance Masers and the Free Electron Laser. For the case of an FEL interaction, electrons initially begin to bunch and emit radiation energy with a correlated energy dispersion which is periodic with the FEL ponderomotive potential. The relative phase between potential and particles is then changed by approximately 180 degrees. The particles continue to bunch, however, there is now a correlated re-absorption of energy from the field. We show that, by repeating this relative phase change many times, a significant density modulation of the particles may be achieved with only relatively small energy dispersion. A similar method of repeated relative electron/radiation phase changes is used to demonstrate supression of the fundamental growth in a high gain FEL so that the FEL lases at the harmonic only