Project X and a muon facility at Fermilab

An integrated program is described, starting with muon experiments in the Booster era, continuing with a 2 MW target station, a 4 GeV Neutrino Factory and a 3 TeV Muon Collider, all driven by Project X. This idea provides an integrated approach to the Intensity and Energy Frontiers at Fermilab.Comment: 3 pp. 11th International Workshop on Neutrino Factories, Superbeams and Betabeams: NuFact 09. 20-25 Jul 2009. Chicago, Illinoi

Muon Acceleration in a Superconducting Proton Linac *

Abstract This note describes how a future Fermilab proton driver [1] based on TESLA superconducting linac modules can perform as both the source of protons to produce the muons and as the accelerator of the muons to be used for a neutrino factory or muon collider. Recent advances in muon cooling Introduction Fermilab has conducted design studies and cost estimates for both an 8 GeV synchrotron and an 8 GeV superconducting Linac as possible replacements for the Booster synchrotron, which now serves as the injector to the Fermilab Main Injector (FMI) and as the source of neutrinos for the MINIBOONE experiment. The recent decision to concentrate on cold technology for the International Linear Collider (ILC) has added an additional argument for the Booster replacement to be based on superconducting technology. The large number of muons needed for a collider, or for a muon storage ring to produce neutrinos, requires a high-intensity proton driver for π-production, a highacceptance π−µ decay channel, a µ-cooling system, a rapid acceleration system and a high-luminosity collider ring or muon storage ring with long straight decay or interaction region sections. Presently, the baseline design for the acceleration system assumes a high-gradient straight linac followed by several FFAG rings. In this paper the concept of a Neutrino Factory based on a highgradient proton Linac that is also used for acceleration of muons will be presented. We beleive that the incremental cost to upgrade the superconducting proton driver linac to be able to accelerate muons, including the costs to produce and cool the muons, will be considerably less than the costs estimated in previous neutrino factory design studies. We also believe that such an approach can produce a much higher neutrino flux and, because of the necessity for effective muon cooling, also be on the path to an energy frontier muon collider

Popovic, RF Cavities Loaded with Dielectric for Muon Facilities RF CAVITIES LOADED WITH DIELECTRIC FOR MUON FACILITIES

Abstract This paper discusses RF cavities loaded with dielectric material that could be used in various muon collider facilities. Most of the existing pill-box cavity designs are too large in diameter to fit efficiently in the current cooling lattice designs. The paper describes novel compact dielectric loaded RF cavities designs that fit efficiently in muon cooling lattices and allow multifrequency cavity designs in the same size cavity by changing the dielectric constant or size. The paper describes the designs of 400 and 800 MHz cavities for the (HCC) helical cooling channel. In addition to the use of the dielectric to reduce the radial size of gas-filled cavities in helical cooling channels, dielectric-loading has the potential use in vacuum cavities for suppression of dark current emission. Cavities that can be used for the phase rotation channel in the front end of a muon collider or neutrino factory are also presented

Complications of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Our Experience from a Retrospective Analysis

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the intraoperative and postoperative complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, as well as the frequency of conversions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical records of 740 patients who had laparoscopic cholecystectomy were analysed retrospectively. We evaluated patients for the presence of potential risk factors that could predict the development of complications such as age, gender, body mass index, white blood cell count and C-reactive protein (CRP), gallbladder ultrasonographic findings, and pathohistological analysis of removed gallbladders. The correlation between these risk factors was also analysed. RESULTS: There were 97 (13.1%) intraoperative complications (IOC). Iatrogenic perforations of a gallbladder were the most common complication - 39 patients (5.27%). Among the postoperative complications (POC), the most common ones were bleeding from abdominal cavity 27 (3.64%), biliary duct leaks 14 (1.89%), and infection of the surgical wound 7 patients (0.94%). There were 29 conversions (3.91%). The presence of more than one complication was more common in males (OR = 2.95, CI 95%, 1.42-4.23, p < 0.001). An especially high incidence of complications was noted in patients with elevated white blood cell count (OR = 3.98, CI 95% 1.68-16.92, p < 0.01), and CRP (OR = 2.42, CI 95% 1.23-12.54, p < 0.01). The increased incidence of complications was noted in patients with ultrasonographic finding of gallbladder empyema and increased thickness of the gallbladder wall > 3 mm (OR = 4.63, CI 95% 1.56-17.33, p < 0.001), as well as in patients with acute cholecystitis that was confirmed by pathohistological analysis (OR = 1.75, CI 95% 2.39-16.46, p < 0.001).CONCLUSION: Adopting laparoscopic cholecystectomy as a new technique for treatment of cholelithiasis, introduced a new spectrum of complications. Major biliary and vascular complications are life threatening, while minor complications cause patient discomfort and prolongation of the hospital stay. It is important recognising IOC complications during the surgery so they are taken care of in a timely manner during the surgical intervention. Conversion should not be considered a complication.Â

Genetic determinants of clinical phenotype in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

BackgroundHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited cardiovascular disease that affects approximately one in 500 people. HCM is a recognized genetic disorder most often caused by mutations involving myosin-binding protein C (MYBPC3) and beta -myosin heavy chain (MYH7) which are responsible for approximately three-quarters of the identified mutations.MethodsAs a part of the international multidisciplinary SILICOFCM project (www.silicofcm.eu) the present study evaluated the association between underlying genetic mutations and clinical phenotype in patients with HCM. Only patients with confirmed single pathogenic mutations in either MYBPC3 or MYH7 genes were included in the study and divided into two groups accordingly. The MYBPC3 group was comprised of 48 patients (76%), while the MYH7 group included 15 patients (24%). Each patient underwent clinical examination and echocardiography.ResultsThe most prevalent symptom in patients with MYBPC3 was dyspnea (44%), whereas in patients with MYH7 it was palpitations (33%). The MYBPC3 group had a significantly higher number of patients with a positive family history of HCM (46% vs. 7%; p=0.014). There was a numerically higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation in the MYH7 group (60% vs. 35%, p=0.085). Laboratory analyses revealed normal levels of creatinine (85.518.3 vs. 81.3 +/- 16.4 mu mol/l; p=0.487) and blood urea nitrogen (10.2 +/- 15.6 vs. 6.9 +/- 3.9 mmol/l; p=0.472) which were similar in both groups. The systolic anterior motion presence was significantly more frequent in patients carrying MYH7 mutation (33% vs. 10%; p=0.025), as well as mitral leaflet abnormalities (40% vs. 19%; p=0.039). Calcifications of mitral annulus were registered only in MYH7 patients (20% vs. 0%; p=0.001). The difference in diastolic function, i.e. E/e ' ratio between the two groups was also noted (MYBPC3 8.8 +/- 3.3, MYH7 13.9 +/- 6.9, p=0.079).Conclusions Major findings of the present study corroborate the notion that MYH7 gene mutation patients are presented with more pronounced disease severity than those with MYBPC3

Status of Muon Collider Research and Development and Future Plans

The status of the research on muon colliders is discussed and plans are outlined for future theoretical and experimental studies. Besides continued work on the parameters of a 3-4 and 0.5 TeV center-of-mass (CoM) energy collider, many studies are now concentrating on a machine near 0.1 TeV (CoM) that could be a factory for the s-channel production of Higgs particles. We discuss the research on the various components in such muon colliders, starting from the proton accelerator needed to generate pions from a heavy-Z target and proceeding through the phase rotation and decay ($\pi \to \mu \nu_{\mu}$) channel, muon cooling, acceleration, storage in a collider ring and the collider detector. We also present theoretical and experimental R & D plans for the next several years that should lead to a better understanding of the design and feasibility issues for all of the components. This report is an update of the progress on the R & D since the Feasibility Study of Muon Colliders presented at the Snowmass'96 Workshop [R. B. Palmer, A. Sessler and A. Tollestrup, Proceedings of the 1996 DPF/DPB Summer Study on High-Energy Physics (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Menlo Park, CA, 1997)].Comment: 95 pages, 75 figures. Submitted to Physical Review Special Topics, Accelerators and Beam