AWAKE: A Proton-Driven Plasma Wakefield Acceleration Experiment at CERN

The AWAKE Collaboration has been formed in order to demonstrate proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration for the first time. This acceleration technique could lead to future colliders of high energy but of a much reduced length when compared to proposed linear accelerators. The CERN SPS proton beam in the CNGS facility will be injected into a 10 m plasma cell where the long proton bunches will be modulated into significantly shorter micro-bunches. These micro-bunches will then initiate a strong wakefield in the plasma with peak fields above 1 GV/m that will be harnessed to accelerate a bunch of electrons from about 20 MeV to the GeV scale within a few meters. The experimental program is based on detailed numerical simulations of beam and plasma interactions. The main accelerator components, the experimental area and infrastructure required as well as the plasma cell and the diagnostic equipment are discussed in detail. First protons to the experiment are expected at the end of 2016 and this will be followed by an initial three-four years experimental program. The experiment will inform future larger-scale tests of proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration and applications to high energy colliders

Experimental Observation of Proton Bunch Modulation in a Plasma at Varying Plasma Densities

We give direct experimental evidence for the observation of the full transverse self-modulation of a long, relativistic proton bunch propagating through a dense plasma. The bunch exits the plasma with a periodic density modulation resulting from radial wakefield effects. We show that the modulation is seeded by a relativistic ionization front created using an intense laser pulse copropagating with the proton bunch. The modulation extends over the length of the proton bunch following the seed point. By varying the plasma density over one order of magnitude, we show that the modulation frequency scales with the expected dependence on the plasma density, i.e., it is equal to the plasma frequency, as expected from theory

Reactive oxygen species in phagocytic leukocytes

Phagocytic leukocytes consume oxygen and generate reactive oxygen species in response to appropriate stimuli. The phagocyte NADPH oxidase, a multiprotein complex, existing in the dissociated state in resting cells becomes assembled into the functional oxidase complex upon stimulation and then generates superoxide anions. Biochemical aspects of the NADPH oxidase are briefly discussed in this review; however, the major focus relates to the contributions of various modes of microscopy to our understanding of the NADPH oxidase and the cell biology of phagocytic leukocytes

Cluster (Standortverbuende) in der Regio Rheinland

'Der globale Wettbewerb wird nicht mehr nur zwischen Unternehmen, sondern zunehmend auch zwischen Regionen als Traeger wichtiger Standortfaktoren ausgetragen. Dabei reicht es oftmals nicht aus, sich als Region mit generellen Vorteilen zu positionieren - um konkurrenzfaehig zu sein, bedarf es spezifischer Kompetenzen, die sich in regionalen Clustern zusammenfassen lassen. Wie viele andere Regionen auch, setzt die Regio Rheinland auf diese Strategie der Clusterentwicklung und hat das IAT beauftragt, die wirtschaftlichen Staerkefelder der Region in einer Clusteranalyse zu identifizieren. In der Regio Rheinland finden sich auf der einen Seite Cluster etablierter Industrien, die sich neu positionieren und damit Verbindungen zu Zukunftsmaerkten und zu innovativen Entwicklungen knuepfen. Auf der anderen Seite finden sich Cluster, die sich um neue Technologien wie die IT oder Bio- und Gentechnologie gruppieren. Der Mix dieser 'alten' und neuen Kompetenzen stellt die Staerke der Region dar und bietet mit einem entsprechenden Clustermanagement die Moeglichkeit, das Clusterkonzept Erfolg versprechend umzusetzen' (Autorenreferat)'Global competition is not only between enterprises. Increasingly, there is competition between regions as the suppliers of important location factors, too. But advertising general advantages does not seem to suffice. To be competitive, a region needs specialized competencies, which are subsumed under the term regional clusters. Like many other regions the Regio Rhineland is focussing on this cluster development strategy and commissioned the IAT to perform this cluster analysis to identify strongholds of economic importance in the region. On the one hand we found clusters in the Regio Rhineland that are based on established industries which rearrange themselves nowadays so that new chances for future markets and for innovative developments emerge. On the other hand there are clusters that emanate from new technologies like IT or biotechnologies and genetic engineering. This mix of 'old' and new competencies is the strength of the Regio Rhineland. By building up an appropriate cluster management, the Regio Rhineland gets the opportunity to implement the cluster strategy in a target-oriented and promising way' (author's abstract)SIGLEAvailable from Institut Arbeit und Technik im Wissenschaftszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Gelsenkirchen (DE) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman