Generalized Courant–Snyder theory and Kapchinskij–Vladimirskij distribution for high-intensity beams in a coupled transverse focusing lattice

The Courant-Snyder (CS) theory and the Kapchinskij-Vladimirskij (KV) distribution for high-intensity beams in a uncoupled focusing lattice are generalized to the case of coupled transverse dynamics. The envelope function is generalized to an envelope matrix, and the envelope equation becomes a matrix envelope equation with matrix operations that are non-commutative. In an uncoupled lattice, the KV distribution function, first analyzed in 1959, is the only known exact solution of the nonlinear Vlasov-Maxwell equations for high-intensity beams including self-fields in a self-consistent manner. The KV solution is generalized to high-intensity beams in a coupled transverse lattice using the generalized CS invariant. This solution projects to a rotating, pulsating elliptical beam in transverse configuration space. The fully self-consistent solution reduces the nonlinear Vlasov-Maxwell equations to a nonlinear matrix ordinary differential equation for the envelope matrix, which determines the geometry of the pulsating and rotating beam ellipse. These results provide us with a new theoretical tool to investigate the dynamics of high-intensity beams in a coupled transverse lattice. A strongly coupled lattice, a so-called N-rolling lattice, is studied as an example. It is found that strong coupling does not deteriorate the beam quality. Instead, the coupling induces beam rotation, and reduces beam pulsation

Generalized Courant-Snyder Theory for Charged-Particle Dynamics in General Focusing Lattices

The Courant-Snyder (CS) theory for one degree of freedom is generalized to the case of coupled transverse dynamics in general linear focusing lattices with quadrupole, skew-quadrupole, dipole, and solenoidal components, as well as torsion of the fiducial orbit and variation of beam energy. The envelope function is generalized into an envelope matrix, and the phase advance is generalized into a 4D sympletic rotation. The envelope equation, the transfer matrix, and the CS invariant of the original CS theory all have their counterparts, with remarkably similar expressions, in the generalized theory.open7

Scaling and Formulary cross sections for ion-atom impact ionization

The values of ion-atom ionization cross sections are frequently needed for many applications that utilize the propagation of fast ions through matter. When experimental data and theoretical calculations are not available, approximate formulas are frequently used. This paper briefly summarizes the most important theoretical results and approaches to cross section calculations in order to place the discussion in historical perspective and offer a concise introduction to the topic. Based on experimental data and theoretical predictions, a new fit for ionization cross sections is proposed. The range of validity and accuracy of several frequently used approximations (classical trajectory, the Born approximation, and so forth) are discussed using, as examples, the ionization cross sections of hydrogen and helium atoms by various fully stripped ions.Comment: 46 pages, 8 figure

Appraising and applying evidence about a diagnostic test during a performance-based assessment

BACKGROUND: The practice of Evidence-based Medicine requires that clinicians assess the validity of published research and then apply the results to patient care. We wanted to assess whether our soon-to-graduate medical students could appraise and apply research about a diagnostic test within a clinical context and to compare our students with peers trained at other institutions. METHODS: 4(th )year medical students who previously had demonstrated competency at probability revision and just starting first-year Internal Medicine residents were used for this research. Following an encounter with a simulated patient, subjects critically appraised a paper about an applicable diagnostic test and revised the patient's pretest probability given the test result. RESULTS: The medical students and residents demonstrated similar skills at critical appraisal, correctly answering 4.7 and 4.9, respectively, of 6 questions (p = 0.67). Only one out of 28 (3%) medical students and none of the 15 residents were able to correctly complete the probability revision task (p = 1.00). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that most students completing medical school are able to appraise an article about a diagnostic test but few are able to apply the information from the article to a patient. These findings raise questions about the clinical usefulness of the EBM skills possessed by graduating medical students within the area of diagnostic testing

Short intense ion pulses for materials and warm dense matter research

We have commenced experiments with intense short pulses of ion beams on the Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment-II at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, by generating beam spots size with radius r < 1 mm within 2 ns FWHM and approximately 10^10 ions/pulse. To enable the short pulse durations and mm-scale focal spot radii, the 1.2 MeV Li+ ion beam is neutralized in a 1.6-meter drift compression section located after the last accelerator magnet. An 8-Tesla short focal length solenoid compresses the beam in the presence of the large volume plasma near the end of this section before the target. The scientific topics to be explored are warm dense matter, the dynamics of radiation damage in materials, and intense beam and beam-plasma physics including selected topics of relevance to the development of heavy-ion drivers for inertial fusion energy. Here we describe the accelerator commissioning and time-resolved ionoluminescence measurements of yttrium aluminium perovskite using the fully integrated accelerator and neutralized drift compression components.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figure

Analytical methods for describing charged particle dynamics in general focusing lattices using generalized Courant-Snyder theory

The dynamics of charged particles in general linear focusing lattices with quadrupole, skew-quadrupole, dipole, and solenoidal components, as well as torsion of the fiducial orbit and variation of beam energy is parametrized using a generalized Courant-Snyder (CS) theory, which extends the original CS theory for one degree of freedom to higher dimensions. The envelope function is generalized into an envelope matrix, and the phase advance is generalized into a 4D symplectic rotation, or a U(2) element. The 1D envelope equation, also known as the Ermakov-Milne-Pinney equation in quantum mechanics, is generalized to an envelope matrix equation in higher dimensions. Other components of the original CS theory, such as the transfer matrix, Twiss functions, and CS invariant (also known as the Lewis invariant) all have their counterparts, with remarkably similar expressions, in the generalized theory. The gauge group structure of the generalized theory is analyzed. By fixing the gauge freedom with a desired symmetry, the generalized CS parametrization assumes the form of the modified Iwasawa decomposition, whose importance in phase space optics and phase space quantum mechanics has been recently realized. This gauge fixing also symmetrizes the generalized envelope equation and expresses the theory using only the generalized Twiss function beta. The generalized phase advance completely determines the spectral and structural stability properties of a general focusing lattice. For structural stability, the generalized CS theory enables application of the Krein-Moser theory to greatly simplify the stability analysis. The generalized CS theory provides an effective tool to study coupled dynamics and to discover more optimized lattice designs in the larger parameter space of general focusing lattices.open3

Experimental investigation of random noise-induced beam degradation in high-intensity accelerators using a linear Paul trap

A random noise-induced beam degradation that could affect intense beam transport over long propagation distances has been experimentally investigated by making use of the transverse beam dynamics equivalence between an alternating-gradient focusing system and a linear Paul trap system. For the present study, machine imperfections in the quadrupole focusing lattice are considered, which are emulated by adding small random noise on the voltage waveform of the quadrupole electrodes in the Paul trap. It is observed that externally driven noise continuously increases the rms radius, transverse emittance, and nonthermal tail of the trapped charge bunch almost linearly with the duration of the noise. The combined effects of collective modes and colored noise are also investigated and compared with numerical simulationsclose3

A genomic storm in critically injured humans

Critical injury in humans induces a genomic storm with simultaneous changes in expression of innate and adaptive immunity genes

Regulation of Ubx Expression by Epigenetic Enhancer Silencing in Response to Ubx Levels and Genetic Variation

For gene products that must be present in cells at defined concentrations, expression levels must be tightly controlled to ensure robustness against environmental, genetic, and developmental noise. By studying the regulation of the concentration-sensitive Drosophila melanogaster Hox gene Ultrabithorax (Ubx), we found that Ubx enhancer activities respond to both increases in Ubx levels and genetic background. Large, transient increases in Ubx levels are capable of silencing all enhancer input into Ubx transcription, resulting in the complete silencing of this gene. Small increases in Ubx levels, brought about by duplications of the Ubx locus, cause sporadic silencing of subsets of Ubx enhancers. Ubx enhancer silencing can also be induced by outcrossing laboratory stocks to D. melanogaster strains established from wild flies from around the world. These results suggest that enhancer activities are not rigidly determined, but instead are sensitive to genetic background. Together, these findings suggest that enhancer silencing may be used to maintain gene product levels within the correct range in response to natural genetic variation