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Provides information on a study that focused on directly measuring the damping of wake-field deflection modes in a slow-wave accelerating structure consisting of a dielectric-lined waveguide. Reason for the desire in damping deflection modes; Capability of deflection modes; Configuration that is of specific interest to the Cerenkov wake-field accelerator program; Difficulty in obtaining severe enough damping in either configuration to eliminate the head-tail instability.

A preliminary design of the multi-meter long collinear dielectric wakefield accelerator that achieves a highly efficient transfer of the drive bunch energy to the wakefields and to the witness bunch is considered. It is made from ~0.5 m long accelerator modules containing a vacuum chamber with dielectric-lined walls, a quadrupole wiggler, an rf coupler, and BPM assembly. The single bunch breakup instability is a major limiting factor for accelerator efficiency, and the BNS damping is applied to obtain the stable multi-meter long propagation of a drive bunch. Numerical simulations using a 6D particle tracking computer code are performed and tolerances to various errors are defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are exploring a new parameter space of the two-beam acceleration (TBA) scheme based on an ultra-short (~20 ns) rf pulse in a dielectric TBA. All two-beam accelerators (TBAs) use an electron drive beam to generate high-power rf in a decelerator and extract this power to drive an accelerating structure to high gradient. Typically, the rf pulse is on the order of hundreds of ns or greater in order to maintain good rf-to-beam efficiency. However, recent scaling arguments show that the rf breakdown threshold improves with decreasing rf pulse length, so it desirable to find a way to run at short-pulse length with good efficiency. In this paper, we discuss how we chose the design parameters of a short-pulse TBA for a TeV linear collider module. We then present plans for an experimental program to demonstrate TBA at Argonne wakefield accelerator (AWA) facility including high-power rf generation, high-gradient acceleration, and staging. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Dielectric structures promise to support high field, especially for short wakefield pulses produced by a high charged electron beam traveling in a dielectric tube. To push the gradient higher, we have tested two structures using recent upgraded Argonne wakefield accelerator facility that capable of producing up to 100 nC charge and bunch length of < 13ps (FWHM). Here we report on the experiment results that more than 80 nC beam passes through a 14 GHz dielectric loaded wakefield structure that produced an accelerating field of ~ 45 MV/m. The two structures consist of a cylindrical ceramic tube (cordierite) with a dielectric constant of 5, inner and outer radii of 5 mm and 7.49 mm, respectively, and with length of 102 mm and 23 mm long. We present measurements made with single electron bunches and also with two bunches separated by 1.5 ns. As a next step in these experiments, another structure, with an output coupler, has been designed and is presently being fabricated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A joint Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)/Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) program is under way to investigate X-band dielectric-loaded accelerating (DLA) structures, using high-power 11.424-GHz radiation from the NRL Magnicon Facility. DLA structures offer the potential of a simple, inexpensive alternative to copper disk-loaded structures for use in high-gradient radio-frequency (RF) linear accelerators. A central purpose of our high-power test program is to find the RF breakdown limits of these structures. In this paper, we summarize the most recent tests results for two DLA structures loaded with different ceramics: alumina and MgxCa1-xTiO3 (MCT). No RF breakdown has been observed up to 5 MW of drive power (equivalent to 8 MV/m accelerating gradient), but multipactor was observed to absorb a large fraction of the incident microwave power. The latest experimental results on suppression of multipactor using a TiN coating on the inner surface of the dielectric are reported. Although we did not observe dielectric breakdown in the structure, breakdown did occur at the ceramic joint, where the electric field is greatly enhanced. Lastly, the MCT structure showed significantly less multipactor for the same level RF field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic and protein studies have indicated abnormalities in α-synuclein in neurodegenerative diseases. However, the developmental localization and cellular role of synuclein isoforms is contentious. We investigated the cellular localization of α-, β-, and γ-synuclein in developing cultured rat neurons and following axonal transection of relatively mature neurons, a model that disrupts the axonal cytoskeleton and results in regenerative sprouting. Cortical neurons were grown up to 21 days in vitro (DIV). Axon bundles at 21 DIV were transected and cellular changes examined at 4 and 24 h post-injury. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that α- and β-synuclein were localized to cellular cytosol and growth cones at 3DIV, with accumulating puncta-like labeling within axons and growth cones by 10-21DIV. In contrast, γ-synuclein immunoreactivity was limited at all time points. By 21DIV, α- and β-synuclein were present in the same neurons but largely in separate subregions, only 26% of puncta contained both α- and β-synuclein immunoreactivity. Less than 20% of α-, β-, and pan-synuclein immunoreactive puncta directly colocalized to synaptophysin profiles at 10DIV, decreasing to 10% at 21DIV. Both α- and β-synuclein accumulated substantially within damaged axons at 21DIV and were localized to cytoskeletal abnormalities. At latter time points post-injury, α- and β-synuclein immunoreactive puncta were localized to growth cone-like structures in regenerating neurites. This study shows that α- and β-synuclein have a precise localization within cortical neurons and are generally nonoverlapping in their distribution within individual neurons. In addition, synuclein proteins accumulate rapidly in damaged axons and may have a role in regenerative sprouting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Immunohistochemical studies have shown that oligodendroglial inclusions in multiple system atrophy contain alpha-synuclein, a synaptic protein also found in Lewy bodies in Parkinson's disease. We have now used density gradient enrichment and an anti-alpha-synuclein immunomagnetic technique to isolate pure and morphologically intact oligodendroglial inclusions from brain white matter of patients dying with multiple system atrophy. Filamentous inclusion structures were obtained only from multiple system atrophy tissue, but not from normal brain tissues, or from multiple system atrophy tissue processed without anti-alpha-synuclein antibody. We confirmed the purity and morphology of isolated inclusions by electron microscopy. The inclusions comprised multiple protein bands after separation by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Immunoblotting demonstrated that these proteins included alpha-synuclein, alpha B-crystallin, tubulins, ubiquitin, and prominent, possibly truncated alpha-synuclein species as high-molecular-weight aggregates. Our study provides the first biochemical evidence that oligodendroglial inclusion filaments consist of multiple protein components, suggesting that these inclusions may form as a result of multiprotein interactions with alpha-synuclein. Key Words: alpha-Synuclein--Multiple system atrophy--Neural inclusion--Parkinson's disease--Neurodegeneration. J. Neurochem. 73,... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a design of a TM-mode based metamaterial-loaded waveguide. Network analyzer measurements demonstrated a left-handed propagation region for the TM11 mode at around 10 GHz. A beamline experiment was performed with the metamaterial-loaded waveguide. In this experiment, a 6 MeV electron beam passes through the waveguide and generates a wakefield via the Cherenkov radiation mechanism. We detected a signal in the left-handed frequency band at 10 GHz. This is an indirect demonstration of reverse Cherenkov radiation as predicted in the work of Veselago [Sov. Phys. Usp. 10, 509 (1968)] and discussed in the works of Lu et al. [Opt. Express 11, 723 (2003)], Averkov and Yakovenko [Phys. Rev. B 72, 205110 (2005)], and Tyukhtin et al. [IEEE, Proceedings of the PAC, 2007 (unpublished), pp. 4156–4158]. Cherenkov radiation in artificially constructed materials [metamaterials (MTMs)] can provide unusual engineered features that can be advantageous for particle detector design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which examined the interaction of a high current relativistic beam with dielectric loaded waveguides, as a source of electromagnetic radiation. Information on the availability of radio frequency photocathode for generating high current beams; Details on the dielectric device measurements; Discussion and summary of the study.

Reports on studies conducted on multiple-system atrophy. Multiple-system atrophy a neurodegenerative disease involving various combinations of parkinsonism, ataxia, and other symptoms; Tests run on samples of brain tissue; Use of confocal microscopy and double-staining for alpha-synuclein.

Background Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that results in the widespread loss of select classes of neurons throughout the nervous system. The pathological hallmarks of Parkinson's disease are Lewy bodies and neurites, of which α-synuclein fibrils are the major component. α-Synuclein aggregation has been reported in the gut of Parkinson's disease patients, even up to a decade before motor symptoms, and similar observations have been made in animal models of disease. However, unlike the central nervous system, the nature of α-synuclein species that form these aggregates and the classes of neurons affected in the gut are unclear. We have previously reported selective expression of α-synuclein in cholinergic neurons in the gut ( J Comp Neurol. 2013; 521:657), suggesting they may be particularly vulnerable to degeneration in Parkinson's disease. Methods In this study, we used immunohistochemistry to detect α-synuclein oligomers and fibrils via conformation-specific antibodies after rotenone treatment or prolonged exposure to high [K+] in ex vivo segments of guinea-pig ileum maintained in organotypic culture. Key Results Rotenone and prolonged raising of [K+] caused accumulation of α-synuclein fibrils in the axons of cholinergic enteric neurons. This took place in a time- and, in the case of rotenone, concentration-dependent manner. Rotenone also caused selective necrosis, indicated by increased cellular autofluorescence, of cholinergic enteric neurons, labeled by Ch AT-immunoreactivity, also in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusions & Inferences To our knowledge, this is the first report of rotenone causing selective loss of a neurochemical class in the enteric nervous system. Cholinergic enteric neurons may be particularly susceptible to Lewy pathology and degeneration in Parkinson's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the design, numerical modeling, and experimental testing of a cylindrical dielectric loaded traveling wave structure for charged particle beam acceleration. This type of structure has similar accelerating properties to disk-loaded metal slow wave structures but with some distinct advantages in terms of simplicity of fabrication and suppression of parasitic wakefield effects. Efficient coupling of external rf power to the cylindrical dielectric waveguide is a technical challenge, particularly with structures of very high dielectric constant ε. We have designed and constructed an X-band structure loaded with a permittivity ε=20 dielectric to be powered by an external rf power source. We have attained high efficiency broadband rf coupling by using a combination of a tapered dielectric end section and a carefully adjusted coupling slot. Bench testing using a network analyzer has demonstrated a power coupling efficiency in excess of 95% with bandwidth of 30 MHz, thus providing a necessary basis for construction of an accelerator using this device. We have also simulated the parameters of this structure using a finite difference time domain electromagnetic solver. Within the limits of the approximations used, the results are in reasonable agreement with the bench measurements. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative measurement of plasma Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) DNA by real-time PCR at the end of primary treatment is a robust prognostic marker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. However, up to 40% of patients who would later develop disease recurrence had undetectable post-treatment plasma EBV DNA. Targeted sequencing for the entire EBV genome potentially allows a more comprehensive and unbiased detection of plasma EBV DNA and enables the use of other parameters such as fragment size as biomarkers. Hence, we explored if plasma EBV DNA sequencing might allow more accurate prognostication of NPC patients. Plasma samples collected from 769 patients with stage IIB-IVB NPC at 6-8 weeks after radiotherapy were analysed using targeted sequencing for EBV DNA. The sensitivities of the PCR-based analysis, at a cut-off of any detectable levels of plasma EBV DNA, for prediction of local and distant recurrences were 42.3% and 85.3%, respectively. The sequencing-based analysis (involving quantitation and size profiling) achieved better performance for both local and distant recurrences than PCR. Using a cut-off of the proportion of plasma EBV DNA deduced by sequencing at 0.01%, the sensitivities of the sequencing-based analysis for local and distant recurrences were 88.5% and 97.1%, with the resultant negative predictive values of 99.1% and 99.4%, respectively. Among patients with undetectable EBV DNA on quantitative PCR, sequencing could further define a subgroup that enjoyed superior survival outcomes based on the proportion of plasma EBV DNA, with a 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) approaching 90%. On multivariate analysis, sequencing-based quantitative level of plasma EBV DNA was the independent prognostic factor with the highest hazard ratio for prediction of overall survival and PFS. NPC prognostication using post-treatment plasma EBV DNA could be enhanced through sequencing. • PCR-based analysis of plasma EBV DNA has limited sensitivity in predicting recurrences of NPC. • Sequencing analysis of post-treatment plasma EBV DNA improves the sensitivity for both local and distant relapses of NPC. • Sequencing analysis of post-treatment plasma EBV DNA could better stratify the mortality risk of NPC patients than PCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power extraction from charged particle beams is a prospective way to develop future high power radio frequency (RF) sources. We have designed and tested a 7.8 GHz power extractor based on a dielectric-loaded waveguide. Building upon earlier work on single electron bunch tests, 10 ns and 22 ns megawatt-level RF pulses have been generated with trains consisting of 16 electron bunches each, by using a laser splitting-recombination scheme. In addition, 44 MW of peak power has been generated with a train consisting 4 electron bunches. Behaviors of higher-order-modes are also explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Material properties are central to the design of particle accelerators. One area of advanced accelerator research is to investigate novel materials and structures and their potential use in extending capabilities of accelerator components. Within the past decade a new type of artificially constructed material having the unique property of simultaneously negative permittivity and permeability has been realized, and is under intense investigation, primarily by the optical physics and microwave engineering communities [C.M. Soukoulis, Science 315 (2007) 47; D.R. Smith, J.B. Pendry, M.C.K. Wiltshire, Science 305 (2004) 788; J.B. Pendry, A.J. Holden, W.J. Stewart, I. Youngs, Phys. Rev. Lett. 76 (1996) 4773]. Although they are typically constructed of arrays of discrete cells, as long as the condition that the wavelength of applied radiation is significantly greater than the cell dimensions is met, the material mimics a continuous medium and can be described with the bulk properties of permittivity, , and permeability, . When the permittivity and permeability are simultaneously negative in some frequency range, the metamaterial is called double negative (DNM) or left-handed (LHM) and has unusual properties, such as a negative index of refraction. An investigation of these materials in the context of accelerators is being carried out by IIT and the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator Facility [S. Antipov, W. Liu, W. Gai, J. Power, L. Spentzouris, AIP Conf. Proc. 877 (2006); S. Antipov, W. Liu, J. Power, L. Spentzouris, Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Left-Handed Metamaterial, Wakefield Notes at Argonne Wakefield Accelerator, http://www.hep.anl.gov/awa/wfnotes/wf229.pdf ]. Waveguides loaded with metamaterials are of interest because the DNM can change the dispersion relation of the waveguide significantly. For example, slow backward waves can be produced in a DNM-loaded waveguide without having corrugations. This article begins with a brief introduction of known design principles for realizing a DNM [J.B. Pendry, A.J. Holden, W.J. Stewart, I. Youngs, Phys. Rev. Lett. 76 (1996) 4773; D.R. Smith, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84 (2000) 4184; J.B. Pendry, A.J. Holden, D.J. Robbins, W.J. Stewart, IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech. 47 (1999) 2075], along with a description of the experimental verification of the basic DNM properties of our designs. We then present our waveguide analysis, starting with the case of a waveguide loaded with a truly continuous medium that is dispersive and anisotropic. We show that the dispersion relation of a waveguide with frequency regions of negative and negative has several interesting frequency bands. While a DNM approximates a continuous medium, it is still made up of discrete elements. We discuss some implications of the discrete nature of the material for the behavior of a loaded waveguide, particularly at frequencies below the cutoff frequency of the waveguide. We conclude by describing our experimental program at present and in the near future. This includes testing the excitation of TM modes in a DNM loaded waveguide in the interesting frequency bands, both on the bench and from particle beam excitation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Chronic oxidative stress has been linked to the neurodegenerative changes characteristic of Parkinson’s disease, particularly alpha-synuclein accumulation and aggregation. However, it remains contentious whether these alpha-synuclein changes are cytotoxic or neuroprotective. The current study utilised long-term primary neural culture techniques with antioxidant free media to study the cellular response to chronic oxidative stress. Cells maintained in antioxidant free media were exquisitely more vulnerable to acute exposure to hydrogen peroxide, yet exposure of up to 10 days in antioxidant free media did not lead to morphological alterations in neurones or glia. However, a subpopulation of neurones demonstrated a significant increase in the level of alpha-synuclein expressed within the cell body and at synaptic sites. This subset of neurones was also more resistant to apoptotic changes following exposure to antioxidant free media relative to other neurones. These data indicate that increased alpha-synuclein content is associated with neuroprotection from relatively low levels of oxidative stress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we evaluate a cylindrical metallic waveguide lined with multiple layers of dielectric for use as a slow-wave microwave accelerating structure. A general analysis of this traveling wave, multilayered, dielectric-loaded accelerating structure is presented including field solutions for both the TM (acceleration) modes and HEM (parasitic) modes. Furthermore, we present a recursive design procedure for choosing the layer thicknesses, calculation of the standard accelerator figures of merit such as the quality factor Q and shunt impedance per unit length r, and an easy to implement method for damping the HEM modes. Most importantly, it is shown that this multilayered DLA structure has a dramatically improved attenuation compared to the conventional single-layered dielectric-loaded structure while maintaining comparable shunt impedance. As a numerical example, we compare an 11.424GHz multilayered structure using 4 layers and an 11.424GHz conventional single-layered structure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary. The progressive, neurodegenerative process underlying idiopathic Parkinson's disease is associated with the formation of proteinaceous inclusion bodies that involve a few susceptible neuronal types of the human nervous system. In the lower brain stem, the process begins in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve and advances from there essentially upwards through susceptible regions of the medulla oblongata, pontine tegmentum, midbrain, and basal forebrain until it reaches the cerebral cortex. With time, multiple components of the autonomic, limbic, and motor systems become severely impaired. All of the vulnerable subcortical grays and cortical areas are closely interconnected. Incidental cases of idiopathic Parkinson's disease may show involvement of both the enteric nervous system and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve. This observation, combined with the working hypothesis that the stereotypic topographic expansion pattern of the lesions may resemble that of a falling row of dominos, prompts the question whether the disorder might originate outside of the central nervous system, caused by a yet unidentified pathogen that is capable of passing the mucosal barrier of the gastrointestinal tract and, via postganglionic enteric neurons, entering the central nervous system along unmyelinated praeganglionic fibers generated from the visceromotor projection cells of the vagus nerve. By way of retrograde axonal and transneuronal transport, such a causative pathogen could reach selectively vulnerable subcortical nuclei and, unimpeded, gain access to the cerebral cortex. The here hypothesized mechanism offers one possible explanation for the sequential and apparently uninterrupted manner in which vulnerable brain regions, subcortical grays and cortical areas become involved in idiopathic Parkinson's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metamaterials (MTMs) are artificial structures made of periodic elements and are designed to obtain specific electromagnetic properties. As long as the periodicity and the size of the elements are much smaller than the wavelength of interest, an artificial structure can be assigned a permittivity and permeability, just like natural materials. Metamaterials can be customized to have the permittivity and permeability desired for a particular application. When the permittivity and permeability are made simultaneously negative in some frequency range, the metamaterial is called double-negative or left-handed and has some unusual properties. For example, Cherenkov radiation (CR) in a left-handed metamaterial is backward; radiated energy propagates in the opposite direction to particle velocity. This property can be used to improve the design of particle detectors. Waveguides loaded with metamaterials are of interest because the metamaterials can change the dispersion relation of the waveguide significantly. Slow backward waves, for example, can be produced in a MTM-loaded waveguide without corrugations. In this paper we present theoretical studies of waveguides loaded with an anisotropic and dispersive medium (metamaterial). The dispersion relation of a MTM-loaded waveguide has several interesting frequency bands which are described. We present a universal method to simulate wakefield (CR) generation in a waveguide loaded with a dispersive and anisotropic medium. This method allows simulation of different waveguide cross sections, any transverse beam distribution, and any physical dispersion, of the medium. The method is benchmarked against simple cases, which can be theoretically calculated. Results show excellent agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure based wakefield acceleration may provide a viable approach for accelerating sufficiently large numbers of electrons and positrons at the high gradient needed to meet the luminosity, efficiency, and cost requirements of a future linear collider. An important step in proving its viability is the demonstration of acceleration in multiple stages. Here we show the results of the first experimental demonstration of staged two beam wakefield acceleration, conducted at the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator Facility (AWA), in which a 0.5 nC electron bunch gained equal amounts of energy in two stages ( ∼ 2.4 MeV per stage, corresponding to an average acceleration gradient of ∼ 70 MeV/m). Meanwhile 150MeV/m of acceleration in a single stage has been achieved. The demonstration experiment should be scalable to staged-acceleration at gradients of the order of 200 to 300 MeV/m. Such a development would considerably reduce both the cost and footprint of both a future high-energy physics (HEP) collider, as well as future X-ray light sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A beam line dedicated to high-energy electron radiography experimental research with linear achromat and imaging lens systems has been designed. The field of view requirement on the target and the beam angle-position correlation correction can be achieved by fine-tuning the fields of the quadrupoles used in the achromat in combination with already existing six quadrupoles before the achromat. The radiography system is designed by fully considering the space limitation of the laboratory and the beam diagnostics devices. Two kinds of imaging lens system, a quadruplet and an octuplet system are integrated into one beam line with the same object plane and image plane but with different magnification factor. The beam angle-position correlation on the target required by the imaging lens system and the aperture effect on the images are studied with particle tracking simulation. It is shown that the aperture position is also correlated to the beam angle-position on the target. With matched beam on the target, corresponding aperture position and suitable aperture radius, clear pictures can be imaged by both lens systems. The aperture is very important for the imaging. The details of the beam optical requirements, optimized parameters and the simulation results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multipactor is a major issue limiting the gradient of rf-driven Dielectric-Loaded Accelerating (DLA) structures. Theoretical models have predicted that an axial magnetic field applied to DLA structures may completely block the multipactor discharge. However, previous attempts to demonstrate this magnetic field effect in an X-band traveling-wave DLA structure were inconclusive, due to the axial variation of the applied magnetic field, and showed only partial suppression of the multipactor loading [Jing et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 103, 213503 (2013)]. The present experiment has been performed under improved conditions with a uniform axial magnetic field extending along the length of an X-band standing-wave DLA structure. Multipactor loading began to be continuously reduced starting from 3.5kG applied magnetic field and was completely suppressed at ~8 kG. Dependence of multipactor suppression on the rf gradient inside the DLA structure was also measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric-loaded accelerating structures (DLAs) for wakefield applications are an alternative to conventional corrugated metal structures. These structures have simple geometry, scale up to THz frequencies, and feature higher breakdown threshold. Diamond has been proposed as a loading material for DLAs due to a number of its unique thermal, microwave, and electrical properties. In this paper we report results of a wakefield breakdown test of a single crystal diamond resonator. A large, 72 nC, charge beam with 2.5 mm length, 8.6 kA peak current was transmitted through a diamond-loaded parallel plate resonator, and induced a standing wave with a 70 MV/m electric field strength. One of the diamond plates had a laser cut, 20 μm wide and 200 μm deep groove, that provided an additional ~ 5-fold field enhancement at edges of the groove resulting in an electric gradient as high as 0.3 GV/m on the surface of the groove. SEM and x-ray topography analyses before and after the test did not reveal any structural damage to the diamond resonator plates. This corroborates further promotion of diamond for high gradient wakefield acceleration at high repetition rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]