Experimental results of the laserwire emittance scanner for LINAC4 at CERN

Within the framework of the LHC Injector Upgrade (LIU), the new LINAC4 is currently being commissioned to replace the existing LINAC2 proton source at CERN. After the expected completion at the end of 2016, the LINAC4 will accelerate H- ions to 160 MeV. To measure the transverse emittance of the H- beam, a method based on photo-detachment is proposed. This system will operate using a pulsed laser with light delivered via an optical fibre and subsequently focused through a thin slice of the H- beam. The laser photons have sufficient energy to detach the outer electron and create H0/e- pairs. In a downstream dipole, the created H0 particles are separated from the unstripped H- ions and their distribution is measured with a dedicated detector. By scanning the focused laser across the H- beam, the transverse emittance of the H- beam can be reconstructed. This paper will first discuss the concept, design and simulations of the laserComment: Presented at the International Conference on Laser Applications at Accelerators, LA3NET 2015; Submitted to Nucl. Instr. and Meth. in Phys. Res. section

Association of kidney disease measures with risk of renal function worsening in patients with type 1 diabetes

Background: Albuminuria has been classically considered a marker of kidney damage progression in diabetic patients and it is routinely assessed to monitor kidney function. However, the role of a mild GFR reduction on the development of stage 653 CKD has been less explored in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of kidney disease measures, namely albuminuria and reduced GFR, on the development of stage 653 CKD in a large cohort of patients affected by T1DM. Methods: A total of 4284 patients affected by T1DM followed-up at 76 diabetes centers participating to the Italian Association of Clinical Diabetologists (Associazione Medici Diabetologi, AMD) initiative constitutes the study population. Urinary albumin excretion (ACR) and estimated GFR (eGFR) were retrieved and analyzed. The incidence of stage 653 CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) or eGFR reduction > 30% from baseline was evaluated. Results: The mean estimated GFR was 98 \ub1 17 mL/min/1.73m2 and the proportion of patients with albuminuria was 15.3% (n = 654) at baseline. About 8% (n = 337) of patients developed one of the two renal endpoints during the 4-year follow-up period. Age, albuminuria (micro or macro) and baseline eGFR < 90 ml/min/m2 were independent risk factors for stage 653 CKD and renal function worsening. When compared to patients with eGFR > 90 ml/min/1.73m2 and normoalbuminuria, those with albuminuria at baseline had a 1.69 greater risk of reaching stage 3 CKD, while patients with mild eGFR reduction (i.e. eGFR between 90 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) show a 3.81 greater risk that rose to 8.24 for those patients with albuminuria and mild eGFR reduction at baseline. Conclusions: Albuminuria and eGFR reduction represent independent risk factors for incident stage 653 CKD in T1DM patients. The simultaneous occurrence of reduced eGFR and albuminuria have a synergistic effect on renal function worsening

Triggering Assembly and Disassembly of a Supramolecular Cage

A novel supramolecular cage built from the self-assembly of tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine zinc complexes through imine condensation chemistry is reported. The cage recognition properties over a variety of structurally related guests, together with the kinetic study of the template assembly and disassembly, have been investigated in detail. This knowledge has been used to selectively modulate the rate of both assembly and disassembly processes. In particular, a novel disassembly method induced by strain release of the guest has been developed

Transverse Profile and Emittance Measurements With a Laser Stripping System During the CERN LINAC4 Commissioning at 3 and 12 MeV

The CERN LINAC4 beam commissioning at 3 and 12 MeV was completed in 2014. A novel system for measuring the transverse beam profile and emittance, based on low power laser stripping and H⁰ detection using a diamond detector, was successfully tested at these two energies. The measurement results agree with the operational slit-grid method within a few percent in terms of both transverse profile and emittance. After describing the general system setup, this remarkable achievement is discussed in detail together with the present limitations, which will be addressed in order to design a laser based emittance monitor for the LINAC4 top energy of 160 MeV

Laserwire Emittance Scanner at CERN Linac 4

Linac 4 presently under construction at CERN is designed to replace the existing 50 MeV Linac 2 in the LHC injector chain and will accelerate the beam of high current negative hydrogen ions to 160 MeV. During the commissioning a laserwire emittance scanner has been installed allowing noninvasive measuring of the emittance at 3 MeV and 12 MeV setups. A low power infrared fibre coupled laser was focused in the interaction region down to ~150 um and collided with the ion beam neutralising negative ions. At each transverse laser position with respect to the ion beam the angular distribution of the neutral particle beamlets was recorded by scanning a diamond detector across the beamlet at a certain distance from the IP while the main beam of the H⁻ ions was deflected using dipole magnet installed upstream the detector. Measuring the profile of the beamlet by scanning the laser across the beam allows to directly measure the transverse phase-space distribution and reconstruct the transverse beam emittance. In this report we will describe the analysis of the data collected during the 3 MeV and 12 MeV operation of the Linac 4. We will discuss the hardware status and future plans

Suitability of low density materials for 3D printing of physical breast phantoms

Breast physical phantoms are a basic tool for the assessment and verification of performance standards in daily clinical practice of x-ray breast imaging modalities. They are also invaluable in testing and evaluation of new x-ray breast modalities to be potentially established, e.g. breast computed tomography, dual-energy breast CT and phase-contrast mammography and tomography. Nowadays, there is a lack or there are only a limited number of breast physical phantoms available for this purpose. The aim of this study is to explore a range of 3D printing materials such as resins, PLA, ABS, Nylon etc, to determine their attenuation and refractive properties, and to finally compare them to the properties of the breast tissues: adipose, glandular and skin. To achieve this goal, step-wedge phantoms were computationally modeled and then manufactured using stereolithographic and fused-deposition modeling technologies. X-ray images of the phantoms were acquired, using monochromatic beam at ID17, ESRF, Grenoble for three energies—30 keV, 45 keV and 60 keV. Experimental data were further processed to obtain the linear attenuation coefficients of these materials. Comparison with theoretical data for the linear attenuation coefficients and the refractive indexes for breast tissues was performed. From the studied materials, most of the resins, Nylon, Hybrid, PET-G show absorption properties close to the glandular tissue, while ABS shows absorption characteristics close to these of the adipose tissue. For phase-contrast imaging, it turns out that the ABS combined with resin-based materials to represent the adipose and glandular tissues, respectively may be a good combination for manufacturing of a phantom suitable for these studies. These results can be used for the design and the construction of a new physical anthropomorphic phantom of the breast with improved anatomical and radiological characteristics dedicated for advanced mammography imaging techniques implemented at higher photon energies