Acceleration of relativistic beams using laser-generated terahertz pulses

Dielectric structures driven by laser-generated terahertz (THz) pulses may hold the key to overcoming the technological limitations of conventional particle accelerators and with recent experimental demonstrations of acceleration, compression and streaking of low-energy (sub-100 keV) electron beams, operation at relativistic beam energies is now essential to realize the full potential of THz-driven structures. We present the first THz-driven linear acceleration of relativistic 35 MeV electron bunches, exploiting the collinear excitation of a dielectric-lined waveguide driven by the longitudinal electric field component of polarization-tailored, narrowband THz pulses. Our results pave the way to unprecedented control over relativistic electron beams, providing bunch compression for ultrafast electron diffraction, energy manipulation for bunch diagnostics, and ultimately delivering high-field gradients for compact THz-driven particle acceleration.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Investigation of the human pineal gland 3D organization by X-ray phase contrast tomography

Pineal gland (PG) is a part of the human brain epithalamus that plays an important role in sleep, circadian rhythm, immunity, and reproduction. The calcium deposits and lesions in PG interfere with normal function of the organ and can be associated with different health disorders including serious neurological diseases. At the moment, the detailed mechanisms of PG calcifications and PG lesions formation as well as their involvement in pathological processes are not fully understood. The deep and comprehensive study of the structure of the uncut human PG with histological details, poses a stiff challenge to most imaging techniques, due to low spatial resolution, low visibility or to exceedingly aggressive sample preparation. Here, we investigate the whole uncut and unstained human post-mortem PGs by X-ray phase contrast tomography (XPCT). XPCT is an advanced 3D imaging technique, that permits to study of both soft and calcified tissue of a sample at different scales: from the whole organ to cell structure. In our research we simultaneously resolved 3D structure of parenchyma, vascular network and calcifications. Moreover, we distinguished structural details of intact and degenerated PG tissue. We discriminated calcifications with different structure, pinealocytes nuclei and the glial cells processes. All results were validated by histology. Our research clear demonstrated that XPCT is a potential tool for the high resolution 3D imaging of PG morphological features. This technique opens a new perspective to investigate PG dysfunction and understand the mechanisms of onset and progression of diseases involving the pineal gland

Prospects for cross-border cooperation in the Republic of Karelia : From borders to shared space - BOSS Report

This report presents the modern and future trends of social and economic development of the Republic of Karelia. The main results of the analysis of demographic processes, labor market development and the social sphere are presented on the basis of relevant statistics. One of the main results of the study is the characteristic of economic development of key industries with providing general information on largest enterprises. The report presents new directions of socio-economic development of the Republic of Karelia through the use of scientific, technical and natural potential of the Republic of Karelia. The great importance in the study is paid to cross-border cooperation in the economic and social sphere. This report is part of the From Borders to Shared Space – BOSS -project. The project strengthens co-operation between universities of applied sciences and the working life in the border districts. This is realised with the help of new implementation models within research, development and innovation. Karelia University of Applied Sciences focuses on the border districts of Russia. The districts of the Republic of Karelia and the south eastern metropolis of St Petersburg are its special focus area. The Finnish Ministry of Culture and education funds the project