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Abstract We present the experimental observation of the reduction of multiple scattering of high-energy positively charged particles during channeling in single crystals. According to our measurements the rms angle of multiple scattering in the plane orthogonal to the plane of the channeling is less than half that for non-channeled particles moving in the same crystal. In the experiment we use focusing bent single crystals. Such crystals have a variable thickness in the direction of beam propagation. This allows us to measure rms angles of scattering as a function of thickness for channeled and non-channeled particles. The behaviour with thickness of non-channeled particles is in agreement with expectations whereas the behaviour of channeled particles has unexpected features.

Abstract Inelastic nuclear interaction probability of 400 GeV/c protons interacting with bent silicon crystals was investigated, in particular for both types of crystals installed at the CERN Large Hadron Collider for beam collimation purposes. In comparison to amorphous scattering interaction, in planar channeling this probability is $$\sim 36\%$$ ∼36% for the quasi-mosaic type (planes (111)), and $$\sim 27\%$$ ∼27% for the strip type (planes (110)). Moreover, the absolute inelastic nuclear interaction probability in the axial channeling orientation, along the $$\langle 110\rangle $$ ⟨110⟩ axis, was estimated for the first time, finding a value of $$0.6\%$$ 0.6% for a crystal 2 mm long along the beam direction, with a bending angle of 55 $$\upmu $$ μ rad. This value is more than two times lower with respect to the planar channeling orientation of the same crystal, and increases with the vertical angular misalignment. Finally, the correlation between the inelastic nuclear interaction probability in the planar channeling and the silicon crystal curvature is reported.

Recently studies are started on the application of volume reflection of particles in crystals for the steering beams (for extraction and collimation of a circulating beam in accelerators). Volume reflection is more efficient than channeling, but requires amplification of the deflection angle by applying multicrystals. The report discusses two new applications of multicrystals made like multistrip structures: (i) the property of effective deflection of particle beam was used to protect the septum magnets of the U-70 in the process of extraction of the proton beam with energy of 50 GeV; (ii) the possibility of generation of gamma radiation was studied in the secondary electron beam with energy of 7 GeV. In both cases, promising preliminary data were obtained.

This paper is devoted to an experimental study of focusing and defocusing positively charged particle beams with the help of specially bent single crystals. Four crystals have been fabricated for this purpose. The studies have been performed at the CERN SPS in 400 GeV/c proton and 180 GeV/c pion beams. The results of measurements of beam envelopes are presented. The rms size of the horizontal profile at the focus was 5–8 times smaller than at the exit of the crystals. The measured focal lengths were 4–21 m. The results of measurements are in good agreement with calculations. Possible applications of focusing crystals in present and future high energy accelerators are discussed.

The paper is devoted to the investigation of volume reflection and channeling processes of ultrarelativistic positive charged particles moving in germanium single crystals. We demonstrate that the choice of atomic potential on the basis of the Hartree-Fock method and the correct choice of the Debye temperature allow us to describe the above mentioned processes in a good agreement with the recent experiments. Moreover, the universal form of equations for volume reflection presented in the paper gives a true description of the process at a wide range of particle energies. Standing on this study we make predictions for the mean angle reflection (as a function of the bending radius) of positive and negative particles for germanium (110) and (111) crystallographic planes.

The paper is devoted to the study of volume reflection and volume capture of high energy particles moving in planar fields of bent single crystals. The influence of volume capture on the process of volume reflection was considered analytically. Relations describing various distributions of particles involved in the process, the probability of volume capture and the behavior of channeling and dechanneling fractions of a beam were obtained. Results of the study will be useful in the realization of multicrystal devices for collimation and extraction of beams on modern and future accelerators.

In the experiment the efficiency of the 50 GeV proton beam extraction from accelerator by means of a bent crystal as a function of crystal orientation was measured. This allowed one to make a comparative analysis of efficiencies of high-energy protons deflection by different crystal atomic planes with different values of the electrostatic field. The results of simulation of high-energy protons deflection by means of crystal atomic planes and crystal atomic strings are also presented in the article. In the case of planar channeling the simulation shows a good agreement with experimental data. In the case of proton motion in the regime of stochastic scattering by bent atomic strings the simulation shows that angles of particle deflection are much greater than the critical channeling angle.

The process of photoproduction of electron-positron pairs in bent single crystals is considered. This consideration is based on the theory of coherent pairproduction in straight single crystals and take into account the linear polarization of the photon beam. In particular, it is shown that the probability of the process for γ quanta with energies from 100 GeV is significantly higher than the one in an amorphous medium. The positive features of the photoproduction in bent crystals compared to straight ones are underlined from the point of view of possible applications.

An analytical description of volume reflection of charged ultrarelativistic particles in bent single crystals is considered. The relation describing the angle of volume reflection as a function of the transversal energy is obtained. Different angle distributions of the scattered protons in single crystals are found. Results of calculations for 400 GeV protons scattered by the silicon single crystal are presented.

Crystalline undulators with periodically deformed crystallographic planes offer coherent electromagnetic fields on the order of 1000 T and provide undulator period L in submillimeter range. We present an idea for creation of a crystalline undulator and report its realization. One face of a silicon crystal was given periodic microscratches (grooves) by means of a diamond blade, with a period ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 mm in different samples. The x-ray tests of the crystal deformation have shown that a sinusoidal-like shape of crystalline planes goes through the bulk of the crystals. This opens up the possibility for experiments with high-energy particles channeled in the crystalline undulator, a new compact source of radiation. The first experiments on photon emission in the crystal undulator are in preparation at IHEP (Protvino) with 2–15 GeV positrons and at LNF (Frascati) with 500–800 MeV positrons, aiming to produce undulator photons in the range of 50–500 keV. The results of Monte Carlo simulations for the planned experiments are presented as well.