Three-cell traveling wave superconducting test structure

Use of a superconducting traveling wave accelerating (STWA) structure with a small phase advance per cell rather than a standing wave structure may provide a significant increase of the accelerating gradient in the ILC linac. For the same surface electric and magnetic fields the STWA achieves an accelerating gradient 1.2 larger than TESLA-like standing wave cavities. The STWA allows also longer acceleration cavities, reducing the number of gaps between them. However, the STWA structure requires a SC feedback waveguide to return the few hundreds of MW of circulating RF power from the structure output to the structure input. A test single-cell cavity with feedback was designed, manufactured and successfully tested demonstrating the possibility of a proper processing to achieve a high accelerating gradient. These results open way to take the next step of the TW SC cavity development: to build and test a traveling-wave three-cell cavity with a feedback waveguide. The latest results of the single-cell cavity tests are discussed as well as the design of the test 3-cell TW cavity.Comment: 3 pp. Particle Accelerator, 24th Conference (PAC'11) 28 Mar - 1 Apr 2011: New York, US

Millikelvin measurements of permittivity and loss tangent of lithium niobate

Lithium Niobate is an electro-optic material with many applications in microwave signal processing, communication, quantum sensing, and quantum computing. In this letter, we present findings on evaluating the complex electromagnetic permittivity of lithium niobate at millikelvin temperatures. Measurements are carried out using a resonant-type method with a superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavity operating at 7 GHz and designed to characterize anisotropic dielectrics. The relative permittivity tensor and loss tangent are measured at 50 mK with unprecedented accuracy.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Brillouin spectroscopy and radiography for assessment of viscoelastic and regenerative properties of mammalian bones

Biomechanical properties of mammalian bones, such as strength, toughness, and plasticity, are essential for understanding how microscopic-scale mechanical features can link to macroscale bones’ strength and fracture resistance. We employ Brillouin light scattering (BLS) microspectroscopy for local assessment of elastic properties of bones under compression and the efficacy of the tissue engineering approach based on heparin-conjugated fibrin (HCF) hydrogels, bone morphogenic proteins, and osteogenic stem cells in the regeneration of the bone tissues. BLS is noninvasive and label-free modality for probing viscoelastic properties of tissues that can give information on structure-function properties of normal and pathological tissues. Results showed that MCS and BPMs are critically important for regeneration of elastic and viscous properties, respectively, HCF gels containing combination of all factors had the best effect with complete defect regeneration at week nine after the implantation of bone grafts and that the bones with fully consolidated fractures have higher values of elastic moduli compared with defective bone

Chandra Phase-Resolved X-ray Spectroscopy of the Crab Pulsar II

We present a new study of the X-ray spectral properties of the Crab Pulsar. The superb angular resolution of the Chandra X-ray Observatory enables distinguishing the pulsar from the surrounding nebulosity. Analysis of the spectrum as a function of pulse phase allows the least-biased measure of interstellar X-ray extinction due primarily to photoelectric absorption and secondarily to scattering by dust grains in the direction of the Crab Nebula. We modify previous findings that the line-of-sight to the Crab is under-abundant in oxygen and provide measurements with improved accuracy and less bias. Using the abundances and cross sections from Wilms, Allen & McCray (2000) we find [O/H] = $(5.28 \pm 0.28)\times10^{-4}$ ($4.9 \times10^{-4}$ is solar abundance). We also measure for the first time the impact of scattering of flux out of the image by interstellar grains. We find $\tau_{\rm scat} = 0.147 \pm 0.043$. Analysis of the spectrum as a function of pulse phase also measures the X-ray spectral index even at pulse minimum --- albeit with increasing statistical uncertainty. The spectral variations are, by and large, consistent with a sinusoidal variation. The only significant variation from the sinusoid occurs over the same phase range as some rather abrupt behavior in the optical polarization magnitude and position angle. We compare these spectral variations to those observed in Gamma-rays and conclude that our measurements are both a challenge and a guide to future modeling and will thus eventually help us understand pair cascade processes in pulsar magnetospheres. The data were also used to set new, and less biased, upper limits to the surface temperature of the neutron star for different models of the neutron star atmosphere.Comment: 32 pages, 6 figures submitted to the Astrophysical journa

Chandra Phase-Resolved X-ray Spectroscopy of the Crab Pulsar II

We present a new study of the X-ray spectral properties of the Crab Pulsar. The superb angular resolution of the Chandra X-ray Observatory enables distinguishing the pulsar from the surrounding nebulosity. Analysis of the spectrum as a function of pulse phase allows the least-biased measure of interstellar X-ray extinction due primarily to photoelectric absorption and secondarily to scattering by dust grains in the direction of the Crab Nebula. We modify previous findings that the line-of-sight to the Crab is under-abundant in oxygen and provide measurements with improved accuracy and less bias. Using the abundances and cross sections from Wilms, Allen & McCray (2000) we find [O/H] = (5.28+\-0.28) x 10(exp -4) (4.9 x 10(exp -4) is solar abundance). \rVe also measure for the first time the impact of scattering of flux out of the image by interstellar grains. \rYe find T(sub scat) = 0.147+/-0.043. Analysis of the spectrum as a function of pulse phase also measures the X-ray spectral index even at pulse minimum - albeit with increasing statistical uncertainty. The spectral variations are, by and large, consistent with a sinusoidal variation. The only significant variation from the sinusoid occurs over the same phase range as some rather abrupt behavior in the optical polarization magnitude and position angle. We compare these spectral variations to those observed in Gamma-rays and conclude that our measurements are both a challenge and a guide to future modeling and will thus eventually help us understand pair cascade processes in pulsar magnetospheres. The data were also used to set new. and less biased, upper limits to the surface temperature of the neutron star for different models of the neutron star atmosphere

New Observations of the Crab Nebula and Pulsar

We present a phase-resolved study of the X-ray spectrum of the Crab Pulsar, using data obtained in a special mode with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The superb angular resolution easily enables discerning the Pulsar from the surrounding nebulosity, even at pulse minimum. We find that the Pulsar's X-ray spectral index varies sinusoidally with phase---except over the same phase range for which rather abrupt changes in optical polarization magnitude and position angle have been reported. In addition, we use the X-ray data to constrain the surface temperature for various neutron-star equations of state and atmospheres. Finally, we present new data on dynamical variations of structure within the Nebula