Electron beam profile imaging in the presence of coherent optical radiation effects

High-brightness electron beams with low energy spread at existing and future x-ray free-electron lasers are affected by various collective beam self-interactions and microbunching instabilities. The corresponding coherent optical radiation effects, e.g., coherent optical transition radiation, render electron beam profile imaging impossible and become a serious issue for all kinds of electron beam diagnostics using imaging screens. Furthermore, coherent optical radiation effects can also be related to intrinsically ultrashort electron bunches or the existence of ultrashort spikes inside the electron bunches. In this paper, we discuss methods to suppress coherent optical radiation effects both by electron beam profile imaging in dispersive beamlines and by using scintillation imaging screens in combination with separation techniques. The suppression of coherent optical emission in dispersive beamlines is shown by analytical calculations, numerical simulations, and measurements. Transverse and longitudinal electron beam profile measurements in the presence of coherent optical radiation effects in non-dispersive beamlines are demonstrated by applying a temporal separation technique.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beam

Matching small β\beta functions using centroid jitter and two beam position monitors

Matching to small beta functions is required to preserve emittance in plasma accelerators. The plasma wake provides strong focusing fields, which typically require beta functions on the mm-scale, comparable to those found in the final focusing of a linear collider. Such beams can be time consuming to experimentally produce and diagnose. We present a simple, fast, and noninvasive method to measure Twiss parameters in a linac using two beam position monitors only, relying on the similarity of the beam phase space and the jitter phase space. By benchmarking against conventional quadrupole scans, the viability of this technique was experimentally demonstrated at the FLASHForward plasma-accelerator facility.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Analysis of radon-associated squamous cell carcinomas of the lung for ap53 gene hotspot mutation

Squamous cell lung carcinomas (SCC) from former employees of the Wismut uranium mining company (Saxony, Germany) were obtained from the Stollberg Archive in order to screen for p53 tumour suppressor gene codon 249 arg→met hotspot mutations, a putative molecular bio-dosimeter of alpha-particle (radon) exposure (Taylor et al (1994) Lancet343: 86–87; McDonald et al (1995) Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prevent4: 791–793). Of the 29 archived samples of SCC meeting quality criteria for DNA analysis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Hae III restriction enzyme digestion, two tumours were found that harboured this mutation. DNA sequencing confirmed the presence of a G to T base substitution within the Hae III site spanning codons 249 and 250 of the p53 gene that results in replacement of arginine (wild-type) by methionine at residue 249. When these data are combined with those from our previous study of tumours from the Stollberg Archive in which 50 lung tumours were examined, (including nine SCCs), we conclude that the G→T (arg→met) codon 249 mutation prevalence in the Wismut miner cohort is not sharply elevated in lung cancers in general (two mutations/79 tumours), or specifically in SCCs of the lung (two mutations/38 SCC) when compared to data from lung cancer patients with no reported occupational exposure to radon gas. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

Machine Protection Considerations for BERLinPro

The Berlin energy recovery linac project BERLinPro at the HZB is a 50 MeV ERL test facility, which addresses physical and technological questions for future superconducting rf based high brightness, high current electron beam sources. The combination of a 100 mA cw beam, electron bunches with normalized emittances lower than 1 mm mrad and the magnet optics of BERLinPro leads to power densities capable to harm the accelerator components within microseconds if total beam loss occurs. Furthermore, continuous beam loss on the level of 10 5 has to be controlled to avoid activation and to protect the SRF, beam diagnostics and other infrastructure components. In this paper, we present the evaluation of the required key parameters of the BERLinPro machine protection system and present its first conceptual desig

Booster cavity and fundamental power coupler design issues for bERLinPro

HZB has started building the 50 MeV, 100mA demonstrator energy recovery linac ERL facility bERLinPro. The high power injector system needs to deliver this beam at 6.5 MeV by combining the energy gain of a 1.4 cell SRF photo injector and three Cornell style 2 cell booster cavities. One booster cavity will be operated at zero crossing for bunch energy chirping. Thus two booster cavities have to deliver 2MV each requiring a strong coupling with a loaded Q of 105. To house the two envisaged KEK fundamental power couplers FPC with the cavity, the geometry was slightly modified. Further, to increase coupling and reduce transverse kick effects to the beam, a golf tee antenna tip was designed. This paper summarizes the SRF challenges for the booster cavities, the operational conditions and the modification to the KEK couplers, including tracking calculations to estimate the coupler kick effect to higher orde

The Injector Layout of BERLinPro

BERLinPro is an Energy Recovery Linac Project running since 2011 at the HZB in Berlin. A conceptual design report has been published in 2012 [1]. One of the key components of the project is the 100 mA superconducting RF photocathode gun under development at the HZB since 2010. Starting in 2016 the injector will go into operation, providing 6.6 MeV electrons with an emittance well below 1mm mrad and bunches shorter than 5 ps. In 2017 the 50 MeV linac will be set up and full recirculation is planned for 2018. The injector design has been finalized and is described in detail in this paper. Emphasis is further laid on beam dynamics aspects and performance simulations of two different gun cavitie

Identifying and understanding factors that affect the translation of therapies from the laboratory to patients: a study protocol

Background: The process of translating preclinical findings into a clinical setting takes decades. Previous studies have suggested that only 5-10% of the most promising preclinical studies are successfully translated into viable clinical applications. The underlying determinants of this low success rate (e.g. poor experimental design, suboptimal animal models, poor reporting) have not been examined in an empirical manner. Our study aims to determine the contemporary success rate of preclinical-to-clinical translation, and subsequently determine if an association between preclinical study design and translational success/failure exists. Methods: Established systematic review methodology will be used with regards to the literature search, article screening and study selection process. Preclinical, basic science studies published in high impact basic science journals between 1995 and 2015 will be included. Included studies will focus on publicly available interventions with potential clinical promise. The primary outcome will be successful clinical translation of promising therapies - defined as the conduct of at least one Phase II trial (or greater) with a positive finding. A case-control study will then be performed to evaluate the association between elements of preclinical study design and reporting and the likelihood of successful translation. Discussion: This study will provide a comprehensive analysis of the therapeutic translation from the laboratory bench to the bedside. Importantly, any association between factors of study design and the success of translation will be identified. These findings may inform future research teams attempting preclinical-to-clinical translation. Results will be disseminated to identified knowledge users that fund/support preclinical research

Cyborg Activism: Exploring the reconfigurations of democratic subjectivity in Anonymous

This article develops the concept of cyborg activism as novel configuration of democratic subjectivity in the Information Age by exploring the online collectivity Anonymous as a prototype. By fusing elements of human/machine and organic/digital the cyborg disrupts modern logics of binary thinking. Cyborg activism emerges as the reconfiguration of equality/hierarchy, reason/emotion, and nihilism/idealism. Anonymous demonstrates how through the use of contingent and ephemeral digital personae hierarchies in cyborg activism prove more volatile than in face-to-face settings. Emotions appear as an essential part of a politics of passion, which enables pursuing laughter and joy, expressing anger, and experiencing empowerment as part of a reasoned, strategic politics. Anonymous’ political content reconfigures nihilist sentiments, frustration, and political disenchantment on the one hand with idealist world views on the other. This enables the cohabitation and partial integration of a great diversity of political claims rooted in various ideologies