Design of the Superconducting Section of the SPL LINAC at CERN

In order to set up a powerful proton source for a future Neutrino Factory, increasing at the same time the flux of protons available for new and existing facilities, CERN is studying a 2.2 GeV superconducting H- linac for 4 MW beam power, called SPL. The superconducting part of this linac covers the energy range from 120 MeV to 2.2 GeV. Three sections made of 352 MHz cavities with nominal ß of 0.52, 0.7 and 0.8 bring the beam energy up to 1 GeV. From this energy, superconducting cavities from LEP, or ß =0.8 cavities, can be used to reach the final energy of 2.2 GeV. This paper covers the optimisation for the superconducting part, the beam dynamics design principles, the matching between sections, and the results of multiparticle simulations with up to 50 million particles. To demonstrate the stability of the design matched and mismatched input beams are used

Nanostructured Quantum Dots or Dashes in Photovoltaic Devices and Methods Thereof

A photovoltaic device includes one or more structures, an array of at least one of quantum dots and quantum dashes, at least one groove, and at least one conductor. Each of the structures comprises an intrinsic layer on one of an n type layer and a p type layer and the other one of the n type layer and the p type layer on the intrinsic layer. The array of at least one of quantum dots and quantum dashes is located in the intrinsic layer in at least one of the structures. The groove extends into at least one of the structures and the conductor is located along at least a portion of the groove

The NuMAX Long Baseline Neutrino Factory Concept

A Neutrino Factory where neutrinos of all species are produced in equal quantities by muon decay is described as a facility at the intensity frontier for exquisite precision providing ideal conditions for ultimate neutrino studies and the ideal complement to Long Baseline Facilities like LBNF at Fermilab. It is foreseen to be built in stages with progressively increasing complexity and performance, taking advantage of existing or proposed facilities at an existing laboratory like Fermilab. A tentative layout based on a recirculating linac providing opportunities for considerable saving is discussed as well as its possible evolution toward a muon collider if and when requested by Physics. Tentative parameters of the various stages are presented as well as the necessary R&D to address the technological issues and demonstrate their feasibility.Comment: JINST Special Issue on Muon Accelerators. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1308.0494, arXiv:1502.0164

Dispersion and separation of nanostructured carbon in organic solvents

The present invention relates to dispersions of nanostructured carbon in organic solvents containing alkyl amide compounds and/or diamide compounds. The invention also relates to methods of dispersing nanostructured carbon in organic solvents and methods of mobilizing nanostructured carbon. Also disclosed are methods of determining the purity of nanostructured carbon

Evidence for a Crossover from Multiple Trapping to Percolation in the High-Temperature Electrical Conductivity of Mn-doped LaCroO₃

We explain the deep electrical conductivity minimum near x=0.05 in the perovskite-type ceramic LaCr1-xMnxO3 as a crossover between two different regimes of hopping conduction. At low Mn concentrations the diffusion of small polarons among Cr ions is limited by multiple trapping at energetically lower Mn sites. At higher concentrations a percolating path of Mn sites forms and direct transport between Mn ions dominates the conduction process

Transport Anomalies in the High-Temperature Hopping Conductivity and Thermopower of Sr-doped La(Cr,Mn)O,₃

A minimum exists in the electrical conductivity of the perovskite-type ceramic LaCr1-xMnxO3 as a function of Mn content near x=0.05. This minimum has been explained in terms of a crossover from multiple trapping to percolation among energetically lower Mn sites. In this paper electrical conductivity and Seebeck measurements are presented on a similar series in which 10 mol % Sr was substituted for La in order to increase the small polaron concentration through the compensation of Sr ions according to the Verway mechanism. The data suggests that there is an apparent suppression of the Verway compensation mechanism in all Mn-doped samples. The hopping crossover observed in the Sr-free series is retained with Sr doping, although the position and depth of the electrical-conductivity minimum are altered. Difficulties in the present understanding and interpretation of the electrical conductivity and Seebeck measurements as a function of Mn and Sr content in these materials are discussed. An electronic structure is suggested, which seems to resolve many of these problems

Warp-X: a new exascale computing platform for beam-plasma simulations

Turning the current experimental plasma accelerator state-of-the-art from a promising technology into mainstream scientific tools depends critically on high-performance, high-fidelity modeling of complex processes that develop over a wide range of space and time scales. As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Exascale Computing Project, a team from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in collaboration with teams from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is developing a new plasma accelerator simulation tool that will harness the power of future exascale supercomputers for high-performance modeling of plasma accelerators. We present the various components of the codes such as the new Particle-In-Cell Scalable Application Resource (PICSAR) and the redesigned adaptive mesh refinement library AMReX, which are combined with redesigned elements of the Warp code, in the new WarpX software. The code structure, status, early examples of applications and plans are discussed

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha is produced by dying retinal neurons and is required for Müller glia proliferation during zebrafish retinal regeneration

Intense light exposure causes photoreceptor apoptosis in dark-adapted adult albino zebrafish (Danio rerio). Subsequently, Müller glia increase expression of the Achaete-scute complex-like 1a (Ascl1a) and Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) transcription factors and re-enter the cell cycle to yield undifferentiated neuronal progenitors that continue to proliferate, migrate to the outer nuclear layer, and differentiate into photoreceptors. A proteomic analysis of light-damaged retinal homogenates, which induced Müller glia proliferation when injected into an undamaged eye, revealed increased expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) signaling proteins relative to undamaged retinal homogenates. TNFα expression initially increased in apoptotic photoreceptors and later in Müller glia. Morpholino-mediated knockdown of TNFα expression before light damage diminished the expression of both Ascl1a and Stat3 in Müller glia and significantly reduced the number of proliferating Müller glia without affecting photoreceptor cell death. Knockdown of TNFα expression in the Müller glia resulted in fewer proliferating Müller glia, suggesting that Müller glial-derived TNFα recruited additional Müller glia to re-enter the cell cycle. While TNFα is required for increased Ascl1a and Stat3 expression, Ascl1a and Stat3 are both necessary for TNFα expression in Müller glia. Apoptotic inner retinal neurons, resulting from intravitreal injection of ouabain, also exhibited increased TNFα expression that was required for Müller glia proliferation. Thus, TNFα is the first molecule identified that is produced by dying retinal neurons and is necessary to induce Müller glia to proliferate in the zebrafish retinal regeneration response. © 2013 the authors