Contact-cooled U-monochromators for high heat load x-ray beamlines

This paper describes the design, expected performance, and preliminary test results of a contact-cooled monochromator for use on high heat load x-ray beamlines. The monochromator has a cross section in the shape of the letter U. This monochromator should be suitable for handing heat fluxes up to 5 W/square millimeter. As such, for the present application, it is compatible with the best internally cooled crystal monochromators. There are three key features in the design of this monochromator. First, it is contact cooled, thereby eliminating fabrication of cooling channels, bonding, and undesirable strains in the monochromator due to coolant-manifold-to-crystal-interface. Second, by illuminating the entire length of the crystal and extracting the central part of the reflected beam, sharp slope changes in the beam profile and thus slope errors are avoided. Last, by appropriate cooling of the crystal, tangential slope error can be substantially reduced

A plan for the development of superconducting Undulator prototypes for LCLS-II and future FELs

Undulators serve as the primary source of radiation for modern storage rings, and more recently for the advent of Free-Electron Lasers (FELs). The performance of future FELs can be greatly enhanced using the much higher magnetic fields of superconducting undulators (SCU) [1]. For example, the LCLS-II hard x-ray undulator can be shortened by up to 70 m using an SCU in place of a PMU (permanent magnet undulator), or its spectral performance can be critically improved when using a similar length. In addition, SCUs are expected to be orders of magnitude less sensitive to radiation dose; a major issue at LCLS-II with its 1-MHz electron bunch rate. We present a funded R&D collaboration between SLAC, ANL, and LBNL, which aims to demonstrate the viability of superconducting undulators for FELs by building, testing, measuring, and tuning two 1.5-m long planar SCU prototypes using two different technologies: NbTi at ANL and Nb Sn at LBNL. Our goal is to review and reassess the LCLS-II HXR baseline plans (PMU) in July of 2015, after the development and evaluation of both prototypes, possibly in favor of an SCU for LCLS-II.

Modeling of the electronic structure of semiconductor nanoparticles

This paper deals with the mathematical modeling of the electronic structure of semiconductor particles. Mathematically, the task is reduced to a joint solution of the problem of free energy minimization and the set of chemical kinetic equations describing the processes at the surface of a nanoparticle. The numerical modeling of the sensor effect is carried out in two steps. First, the number of charged oxygen atoms on the surface of the nanoparticle (Formula presented.) is determined. This value is found by solving a system of nonlinear algebraic equations, where the unknowns are the stationary points of this system describing the processes on the surface of a nanoparticle. The specific form of such equations is determined by the type of nanoparticles and the mechanism of chemical reactions on the surface. The second step is to calculate the electron density inside the nanoparticle (Formula presented.), which gives the minimum free energy. Mathematically, this second step reduces to solving a boundary value problem for a nonlinear integro-differential equation. The calculation results are compared with experimental data on the sensor effect

Five Questions about Viral Trafficking in Neurons

One of the most exciting areas in biology is the nervous system and how it works. Viral infections of the nervous system have provided exceptional insight at many levels, from pathogenesis to basic biology. The nervous system has evolved rather complicated barriers that facilitate access to nutrients and contact with the outside world, but block entry of pathogens and toxins [1]. However, when these barriers are reduced for any number of reasons, nervous system infections are possible. When they occur, they can be devastating and, even with good antiviral drugs, difficult to manage. Viral infections can enter the brain via the blood (e.g., HIV, various encephalitis viruses) or by spread inside neurons from the body surface (e.g., rabies and alpha herpes viruses) [2,3]. In vertebrates, the nervous system comprises a peripheral collection of neurons (the peripheral nervous system, PNS) and a central set found in the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system, CNS). While neurons are central players in neurobiology, it is important to realize that the majority of cells that comprise the nervous system are highly specialized, nonneuronal cells (e.g., different types of glial cells) [4]. Cells of the immune system also engage with and signal to the PNS to affect changes in the CNS [5]. We will focus on neurons, despite the other cellular complexity, because neurons provide direct avenues for viral infection. Recognition that viral infection follows nerve pathways enabled the development of viruses for neuronal circuit tracing [6–8]

First Observation of Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission in a Free-Electron Laser at 109 nm Wavelength

We present the first observation of Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE) in a free-electron laser (FEL) in the Vacuum Ultraviolet regime at 109 nm wavelength (11 eV). The observed free-electron laser gain (approx. 3000) and the radiation characteristics, such as dependency on bunch charge, angular distribution, spectral width and intensity fluctuations all corroborate the existing models for SASE FELs.Comment: 6 pages including 6 figures; e-mail: [email protected]

Self-amplified spontaneous emission saturation at the Advanced Photon Source free-electron laser (abstract) (invited)

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