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We introduce a green approach to obtain glucose and low-molecular-weight saccharides directly from the cellulose aggregate by using near- and mid-infrared free electron lasers (IR-FELs). The IR-FEL...

Lignin monomers have attracted attention as functional materials for various industrial uses. However, it is challenging to obtain these monomers by degrading polymerized lignin due to the rigid ether linkage between the aromatic rings. Here, we propose a novel approach based on molecular vibrational excitation using infrared free electron laser (IR-FEL) for the degradation of lignin. The IR-FEL is an accelerator-based pico-second pulse laser, and commercially available powdered lignin was irradiated by the IR-FEL under atmospheric conditions. Synchrotron-radiation infrared microspectroscopy analysis showed that the absorption intensities at 1050 cm−1, 1140 cm−1, and 3400 cm−1 were largely decreased alongside decolorization. Electrospray ionization mass chromatography analysis showed that coumaryl alcohol was more abundant and a mass peak corresponding to hydrated coniferyl alcohol was detected after irradiation at 2.9 μm (νO-H) compared to the original lignin. Interestingly, a mass peak corresponding to vanillic acid appeared after irradiation at 7.1 μm (νC=C and νC-C), which was supported by our two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis. Therefore, it seems that partial depolymerization of lignin can be induced by IR-FEL irradiation in a wavelength-dependent manner.

Light perception is an intriguing subject, and it has been demonstrated that some animals can perceive wavelengths beyond human vision. However, it is still controversial whether animals can see mid-infrared radiation. A combination of two free-electron laser (FEL) facilities, LEBRA-FEL (Nihon University) and KU-FEL (Kyoto University), can provide light sources with high peak power and spatially coherent monochromatic wavelengths that are continuously tuneable from 400 nm to 20 μm. We show that the crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) compound eye responds to pulsed mid-infrared FELs (1 Hz for KU-FEL; 2 Hz for LEBRA-FEL) from 3 to 17 μm. Our finding provides insight into the animal’s visual sensing of mid-infrared radiation, and that the sensing does not depend on thermal effects. Although the behavioural reason for vision in this wavelength range and the mechanism are still under investigation, understanding this type of visual sensing may lead to applications other than photophysical applications.

The X-ray source based on parametric X-ray radiation (PXR) has been regularly providing a coherent X-ray beam for application studies at Nihon University. Recently, three dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) has become one of the most important applications of the PXR source. The methodology referred to as K-edge subtraction (KES) imaging is a particularly successful application utilizing the energy selectivity of PXR. In order to demonstrate the applicability of PXR-KES, a simultaneous KES experiment for a specimen containing strontium was performed using a PXR beam having an energy near the Sr K-edge of 16.1 keV. As a result, the 3D distribution of Sr was obtained by subtraction between the two simultaneously acquired tomographic images.

We developed a novel method for element detection utilizing an x-ray source based on parametric x-ray radiation (PXR), an accelerator-based light source at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA), Nihon University. The method is a type of $K$-edge subtraction (KES) imaging that uses the drastic change of x-ray absorption around the $K$-shell absorption edge of the target element. Using the properties of PXR, simultaneous KES imaging is possible, and can easily be applied to 3-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT). We demonstrated the feasibility of simultaneous KES-CT in our previous work. In this study, we investigate the quantitative performance of simultaneous KES imaging for a sample containing the element strontium (Sr) for which the $K$-edge energy is 16.1 keV. Results of a simultaneous KES-CT experiment employing the LEBRA-PXR source confirm that the imaging method can provide a 3D distribution of the element with a value proportional to the Sr concentration. Concerning sensitivity to element concentration, at least in the region of 0.5%-concentration, the sample was successfully distinguished from the region without Sr in the 3D tomographic image obtained using the element-imaging technique.

Nihon University and National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology have planned to develop an intense terahertz-wave (THz-wave) source based on coherent Cherenkov radiation (CCR) at Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) in Nihon University. By passing an electron beam through a hollow conical dielectric with apex facing the incident electron beam, the wave front of CCR generated on the inner surface of the hollow conical dielectric is matched to the basal plane. The CCR matched to a circle plane wave is more powerful than conventional THz-wave sources based on electron accelerators. A hollow conical high-resistance silicon with a diameter of the basal plane of 40 mm and an inner diameter of 6 mm will emit the THz-wave beam with a macropulse energy of 14 mJ at LEBRA.

We propose a high-peak-power terahertz-wave source based on an electron accelerator. By passing an electron beam through a hollow conical dielectric with apex facing the incident electron beam, the wave front of coherent Cherenkov radiation generated on the inner surface of the hollow conical dielectric matches the basal plane. Using the electron beam generated at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application at Nihon University, the calculated power of coherent Cherenkov radiation that matched the circular plane (CCR-MCP) was above 1 MW per micropulse with a short interval of 350 ps, for wavelengths ranging from 0.5 to 5 mm. The electron beam is not lost for generating the CCR-MCP beam by using the hollow conical dielectric. It is possible to combine the CCR-MCP beams with other light sources based on an accelerator.

Element-sensitive computed tomography (CT) experiments were carried out based on the absorption edge of a specific element using a finely tunable X-ray beam generated by parametric X-ray radiation (PXR). Tomographic images of specimens containing strontium were measured at energies both lower and higher than that of the Sr absorption edge. The difference between the images of the two energies successfully reveals the three-dimensional distributions of Sr. The results demonstrate that this method is effective for elemental analysis of considerably thick samples and could complement X-ray fluorescence analysis.

We study the effect of a combination of velocity bunchings and its application to THz coherent undulator radiation at LEBRA, Nihon U. by simulations. The velocity bunching is a technique that is commonly used to make the bunch length shorter at lower energies. However, since one velocity bunching has a correlation between bunch energy and length, we may not have so much room to change energies to obtain different coherent radiation wavelengths. Hence we propose a combination of velocity bunchings, that relaxes the restrictive correlation. We have three 4m traveling-wave accelerator tubes at LEBRA, Nihon U. The undulator is installed after the acceleration tubes and 2 x 45 degree bending magnets. Since the design of current undulator requires less than 25 MeV beam energy to obtain the radiation at THz region, the velocity bunching is reasonable for coherent radiation. We show the simulation results of a combination of velocity bunchings of the three tubes and the magnetic bunching at bending magnets, suitable for the coherent undulator radiation., Proceedings of the 9th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2018, Vancouver, BC, Canada

This paper describes a proposal for a compact x-ray source based on parametric x-ray radiation (PXR). The PXR, which is produced when a single crystal is bombarded with relativistic electrons, has good monochromaticity and spatial coherence, and is expected to be well suited for imaging of low-Z materials and medical application. The proposed system employs a pair of copper accelerating structures which are operated at a cryogenic temperature of 20 K and arranged to form a resonant ring configuration. The electron beam is once accelerated up to 75 MeV in one of the structures, being decelerated down to lower than 7 MeV in the other structure after generating PXR at a single crystal, and then dumped. The expected x-ray yield is $1{0}^{9}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{photons}/\mathrm{s}$ at a center energy of 15 keV or higher.

Computed tomography (CT) for light materials such as soft biological tissues was performed using a monochromatic X-ray beam provided by a parametric X-ray radiation (PXR) source at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) of Nihon University. Using a high-efficiency flat panel detector (FPD), each projection image for CT was taken with exposure times of 5 or 10 s, and 60–360 projection images in each run were obtained with total measurement time of 5 min to 1 h. CT images were obtained from the projection images using the conventional calculation method. The typical tomograms obtained had sharp outlines, which are likely attributable to the propagation-based phase contrast.

A novel X-ray source based on parametric X-ray radiation (PXR) has been put into practical use at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA), Nihon University, Japan. The PXR beam has been generated from a Si single crystal irradiated by a 100-MeV electron beam from a linac at the LEBRA. In this study, phase-contrast imaging experiments using a diffraction-enhanced imaging (DEI) method have been carried out by using the parametric X-rays at an energy of 17.5 keV. The successful images obtained by the DEI method have shown detailed inner structures of soft biological tissues more clearly as compared with those by conventional absorption radiography. Given the significant properties of the LEBRA PXR source, i.e., compact system, large X-ray beam irradiation field of approximately 80 mm in diameter and quasi-monochromaticity, the result suggests a possible construction of a compact linac-driven PXR-DEI device and application to medical diagnoses. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Tooth enamel is composed of nano-scale, needle-like biological apatite crystallites. These crystallites constitute the enamel prisms. The generally accepted Meckel's model of arrangement of crystallites in enamel prism might be slightly revised according to the variations in tooth enamel chemical composition and structures. An x-ray diffraction method was proposed to survey the three-dimensional crystallite orientation instead of electron microscopy. Preliminary results showed clear difference in the convergence and broadening of enamel crystallite orientations of human tooth enamel. This method has high potential in analyzing partial deviation in crystallite orientation as well as easy sample preparation and operation.

Wavelength-tunable monochromatic Parametric x-ray (PXR) was generated at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) at Nihon University. Using the LEBRA-PXR, phase contrast imaging was carried out. Phase contrast images of a kitten deciduous tooth were taken by diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI) method. The results showed that LEBRA-PXR is a high coherent x-ray and is suitable for phase contrast imaging.

The parametric X-ray radiation (PXR) generator system at Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) in Nihon University is a monochromatic and coherent X-ray source with horizontal wavelength dispersion. The energy definition of the X-rays, which depends on the horizontal size of the incident electron beam on the generator target crystal, has been investigated experimentally by measuring the X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra on Cu and CuO associated with conventional X-ray absorption imaging technique. The result demonstrated the controllability of the spectrum resolution of XANES by adjusting of the horizontal electron beam size on the target crystal. The XANES spectra were obtained with energy resolution of several eV at the narrowest case, which is in qualitative agreement with the energy definition of the PXR X-rays evaluated from geometrical consideration. The result also suggested that the wavelength dispersive X-ray absorption fine structure measurement associated with imaging technique is one of the promising applications of PXR.

Advanced applications of parametric X-ray radiation (PXR) such as energy-dispersive X-ray absorption fine structure (DXAFS) analysis and phase-contrast imaging have been developed at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) of Nihon University. To improve the electron beam quality and geometrical stability of the target crystal, the cooling-water system for the linac and the PXR target was replaced with a new one capable of more precise control. As a result, the reliability of the experimental data in PXR applications, especially in X-ray imaging, has improved. The effect of the electron beam focusing on the target crystal was also investigated. The results of X-ray imaging with a long propagation distance and measurement of the time-structure of the PXR intensity suggest that the correlation between the electron beam profile and the X-ray coherence is rather complicated. It is possible that incident electrons cause some deformation of the target crystal, becoming the dominant factor restricting the quality of intense PXR.

In the application of lasers in dentistry, there is a delicate balance between the benefits gained from laser treatment and the heat-related damage arising from laser irradiation. Hence, it is necessary to understand the different processes associated with the irradiation of lasers on dental materials. To obtain insight for the development of a safe and general-purpose laser for dentistry, the present study examines the physical effects associated with the irradiation of a near-infrared free-electron laser (FEL) on the surface of a commonly used silver dental alloy. The irradiation experiments using a 2900-nm FEL confirmed the formation of a pit in the dental alloy. The pit was formed with one macro-pulse of FEL irradiation, therefore, suggesting the possibility of efficient material processing with an FEL. Additionally, there was only a slight increase in the silver alloy temperature (less than 0.9 °C) despite the long duration of FEL irradiation, thus inferring that fixed prostheses in the oral cavity can be processed by FEL without thermal damage to the surrounding tissue. These results indicate that dental hard tissues and dental materials in the oral cavity can be safely and efficiently processed by the irradiation of a laser, which has the high repetition rate of a femtosecond laser pulse with a wavelength around 2900 nm.

Thermal effects produced in a laser-irradiated sample were studied by micro-X-ray diffraction and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Gypsum, transformed into bassanite at 124 degrees C and into anhydrite at 147 degrees C, was used as a thermal indicator. Pit formation by a wavelength-tunable free electron laser (FEL) irradiation on the gypsum pellet maximized at a wavelength of 3.0 microm, 2 mJ/shot, and pits were not detected in those irradiated at 2.6 or 3.8 microm compared with the maximum at 3.0 microm and diminished at 2.0 or 4.0 microm in the human tooth case. Micro-X-ray diffraction and micro-FTIR did not reveal any appreciable bassanite or anhydrite in the irradiated regions. From the laser ablation viewpoint, these results allow the FEL ablation to be considered as plasma or evaporative ones. This study indicated that the micro-pulse of laser was effective to prevent thermal damages of laser irradiation.

A parametric X-ray radiation (PXR) generator system was constructed in 2001 in a dedicated beamline connected to the 125 MeV electron linac of the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application at Nihon University. This generator system consists of two perfect-silicon-crystal plates mounted on precisely moving mechanical setup to achieve a wide tunability. The experimental operation of the PXR generator started early in 2004; X-rays were first observed through this device in April 2004. Application studies using the PXR beam from a 100 MeV electron beam have been conducted since July 2004. Preliminary results suggest the possibility of applying the PXR to advanced X-ray imaging and to the measurement of X-ray absorption fine structure.

A parametric X-ray radiation (PXR) generator system was developed at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Applications (LEBRA) at Nihon University; this PXR generator system is a tunable wavelength and quasi-monochromatic X-ray source constructed as one of the advanced applications of the LEBRA 125-MeV electron linear accelerator. The PXR beam which has characteristic of energy distribution. The theoretical values of energy distribution obtained at the output port were calculated to be approximately 300 eV and 2 keV at the central X-ray energies of 7 keV and 20 keV, respectively. In order to investigate the energy distribution, several measurements of the X-ray energy were carried out. The X-ray absorption of known materials and that of thin aluminum has been evaluated based on analyses of images taken using an imaging plate. The X-ray energy was deduced base on the identification of the absorption edges, and the energy distribution was estimated based on measurements using aluminum step method. In addition, an X-ray diffraction method using a perfect silicon crystal was employed, and spectra were measured using a solid state detector (SSD). The results of these experiments agreed with the calculated results. In particular, the well-defined absorption edges in the X-ray images and the typical rocking curves obtained by the measurement of the X-ray diffraction indicated that the distribution has a high-energy resolution.

Parametric X-rays (PXR) are a new type of X-ray that are generated by crystal-electron interactions. The Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) at Nihon University generates PXR using a double-crystal system generating electrons from a 100-MeV class LINAC. LEBRA-PXR has potential for use as a wavelength tunable, ultra-high bright X-ray source with a macro-/micro-pulse structure. LEBRA-PXR has an energy-dispersion in the horizontal axis, assumed to be 0.2% in the experimental window, but can be used as monochromatic X-ray source for diffraction using a simple slit-system. A diffraction experiment was successfully carried out by applying an 11 keV, or 1.1273 A, LEBRA-PXR. Near-perfect crystals, such as graphite used for a monochromator showed sharp diffraction peaks. Clear, transparent mineral quartz and fluorapatite crystals also showed sharp diffraction peaks, while the diffraction peaks from clear calcite and silicon powder were not detected. Possible reasons for the lack of diffraction peaks from these materials are discussed. LEBRA-PXR has potential for use in studies on the diffraction of other materials, and is therefore, expected to be a useful tool for crystallographic analysis.

To realize an X-ray source at the 100-MeV class linac of the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) at Nihon University, the application of Parametric X-ray Radiation (PXR) was proposed. In order to solve the problem of photon extraction, a PXR generator with a double-crystal system, which is similar to a monochromator for synchrotron radiation, was designed. A slightly asymmetric arrangement of the two crystals enables a relatively efficient transportation of the X-rays. Although this is not the best condition in terms of the PXR yield, there are many advantages owing to the fixed source point and the fixed radiation exit. The introduction of a focusing system of Kirkpatrik–Baez type equipped with rhodium coated elliptical mirrors into the X-ray beam line allows to improve the brilliance. A new beam line for the PXR generator has been developed and constructed at LEBRA. The experiments using this new device will begin at the end of 2003.

A large enhancement of spontaneous undulator radiation has been observed during FEL lasing experiments at LEBRA. The enhancement has been observed only with the detector for the infrared fundamental radiation. The detector output signal showed spikes during the electron beam pulse, yet no apparent enhancement was observed with a CCD camera monitoring the visible harmonic radiations. An enhancement factor greater than 10 has been obtained with a 2.4 m long undulator with a completely detuned FEL optical cavity length and depends strongly on the parameters of the linac RF system. This implies that the SASE operation is possible even with a conventional electron beam by achieving suitable bunch compression.

The short-wavelength free electron laser (FEL) requires a stable electron beam with long pulse duration, narrow energy spread, and high current density. The pulse forming network (PFN) for the klystron pulse modulator at LEBRA was designed to realize pulse flatness error within 0.05%. The PFN consists of 30 capacitors and adjustable inductors. A PFN adjustment was performed to suppress changes of the RF phase difference between the input and the output of the klystron. The flatness of the pulse voltage applied to the klystron has been adjusted to an error within 0.06% as a result of the phase flatness error within 0.3° achieved by the PFN adjustment. Furthermore, the time dependence of the energy spectrum in the pulse duration has also been suppressed.

The free electron laser (FEL) gain and the power have still been unstable, although the lasing of 1.5 μm FEL was achieved at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA). It has been observed that the FEL gain changes during the pulse duration. In order to investigate the cause of the fluctuation of the FEL gain, the beam energy spectra in the pulse duration and the IR light signals were measured with different input RF power and RF phase of the injector. It is found that the fluctuation of the beam energy during the pulse duration occurs in spite of the RF phase flatness (

The FEL system of Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) at Nihon University has provided relatively high FEL gain around 10% at the wavelength of 1.5 μm . The numerical estimation of the FEL gain suggests that LEBRA-FEL system has a sufficient performance on the electron beam bunching. In addition, the amplification of the third harmonics accompanying the intense fundamental FEL has been observed and the spectra of which have been measured. The experimental result indicates that the phenomenon is a kind of nonlinear harmonic generation.

The FEL system covering wavelengths from 800 nm to 5 μm has been developed at Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) in Nihon University. The system consists of a conventional 125 MeV S-band linac and a planar undulator with the alternative field of 50 periods. The first lasing of the system was achieved at the wavelength of 1.5 μm using dielectric mirrors. Although the saturation of the FEL power has not been observed yet, amplification of the spontaneous radiation power by about 10 8 times has been obtained with the measurement using the InSb detector. The absolute power has been estimated to be a few mJ/macropulse. An intense visible light has been observed frequently depending on the intensity of the fundamental FEL. The measured time structure of the phenomenon suggests that this is the radiation related with the formation of the microbunches in the electron beam.

A cryogenic C-band 2.6-cell photocathode RF electron gun has been studied at Nihon University in collaboration with KEK for future use in a compact electron-accelerator based monochromatic X-ray source. The cold model cavity with an input coupler was fabricated at KEK in 2016 by ultraprecision machining and diffusion bonding techniques. The RF characteristics of the cavity obtained at cryogenic measurements have been in agreement with the result of the CST Studio simulation. The unloaded quality factor of ~73000 has been obtained at the cavity temperature of 20 K, which is 5.5 times higher than that at room temperature and consistent with the simulation taking into account the anomalous skin effect of the cavity surface resistance. The input coupling coefficient of approximately 20 at 20 K has well reproduced the design value. The shift in the accelerating n-mode resonant frequency due to the cavity temperature change from 296.65 to 20 K has been 19.02 MHz, being 0.12 MHz greater than the value based on the linear expansion coefficients for copper by NIST.

We developed an intense coherent transition radiation (CTR) at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) in Nihon University. A rectangular titanium screen with dimensions of 80 × 60 mm2 was used as the target, and the backward CTR generated on the screen was extracted through a crystal quartz window to air. We observed an intense terahertz (THz) radiation and confirmed it to be the CTR by measuring the spatial distribution and the dependence of the power on the electron charge. The CTR spectrum measured using a Martin–Puplett-type interferometer showed a maximum at a frequency of 0.3 THz and was emitted up to 1.6 THz. The CTR energy and peak power of a micropulse were approximately 80 nJ and 100 kW, respectively. The CTR energy during a 4.5 µs macropulse was approximately 1 mJ, indicating that this broadband THz light source is one of the most powerful coherent radiation sources in normal conducting linac facilities.

A new project to develop a terahertz (THz)-wave light source is in progress at the parametric X-ray (PXR) beamline of the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) at Nihon University. The THz-wave source is based on coherent transition radiation (CTR) emitted from a metal foil inserted downstream from a crystal target that is the PXR radiator. Beryllium or titanium foil is the most promising candidate for a THz-wave radiator. Since the electron linac of LEBRA was developed for a free electron laser (FEL), electron beam with bunch length of 1 ps (rms) can be provided by magnetic bunching at the bending magnet section. Thus, very intense coherent transition radiation (CTR) can be obtained in the frequency region around 1 THz. The results of preliminary experiments for CTR production suggested that sufficiently intense THz-CTR can be obtained using the LEBRA linac. In order to realize a THz-wave source for practical application studies, we have a plan to add the extraction feature for THz waves to the PXR beamline.

The experiments of the PXR performance carried out for the target crystals with different cutting planes have shown significant difference in the PXR property, which suggests another way to increase the PXR intensity than by increasing the electron beam current. In order to investigate the effect of the geometrical condition of the crystal surface on the PXR property, the experiments have been carried out for the target crystal with a knife-edge-shaped cut surface. For the case with symmetric Bragg geometry on the front surface and asymmetric condition on the rear surface, the rather low intensity X-ray beam has shown considerably good spatial coherence. The X-ray beam with narrow line width has made it possible to obtain X-ray absorption spectra with a high resolution. In contrast, relatively high intensity, which enabled taking an absorption image with the exposure for several tens of seconds, has been obtained for the geometry with asymmetric front surface and symmetric rear surface. This configuration, however, has raised a problem of degradation in the spatial coherence of the X-rays due to the superposition of two different X-ray beams.

A novel X‐ray source based on Parametric X‐ray radiation (PXR) has been employed for phase‐contrast imaging at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA), Nihon University, Japan. The PXR X‐rays were generated by the 100 MeV electron beam passing through a Si single crystal. The X‐rays in the 16∼34 keV range were chosen for imaging of biological samples. The quasi‐monochromatic, tunable, and coherent X‐ray source is appropriate for this application. In addition, the large X‐ray beam irradiation field of approximately 100 mm in diameter, which was achieved without special optics, suggests that the PXR is applicable to imaging for medical diagnostics.

We have developed an initial-beam-loading compensation system by a new compensation method, where the system modulates the phase and amplitude of a low-level rf signal simultaneously, thereby optimizing a high-power rf waveform fed to an accelerating structure to compensate the beam energy spread. This compensation system is very compact and can easily be installed in and removed from a klystron system. This system was used in a beam test performed in the 125 MeV electron linac of the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application in Nihon University. Experimental results demonstrate that this system effectively corrects the beam energy spread due to the initial-beam-loading effect. The new compensation method is expected to be effective in the compensation of energy spread in high-intensity and long-pulse beams in electron linacs.

The monochromatic X-ray source based on parametric X-ray radiation (PXR) was developed by using Si(111) perfect crystals and the electron beam from the 125-MeV linac at Nihon University. Since the X-ray beam from the PXR system has a large exposure area with uniform flux density, the PXR-based source is suited for X-ray radiography. In addition to ordinary radiography, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and phase-contrast imaging have been developed as advanced applications of PXR. The absorption spectra of several samples were obtained using the energy dispersion of PXR, and the X-ray absorption fine structures (XAFS) were actually found in the spectra. With respect to phase-contrast imaging, refraction-contrast images have been obtained by using the X-ray diffraction in the (+, −, +) arrangement of perfect crystals. The high-contrast and the phase-reversal of the images taken in the experiment suggest that LEBRA-PXR has a high spatial coherence sufficient for phase-contrast imaging.

Primary adenocarcinoma rarely develops at the site of an ileostomy performed for ulcerative colitis (UC), familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), or Crohn's disease. We describe a case of ileostomy cancer found 14 years after proctocolectomy for FAP with cancer of both the sigmoid colon and rectum. Resection of the ileal mucosa around the stoma was performed three times. To our knowledge, only 35 other such cases have ever been reported. Our review of these cases indicates that routine examination of the stoma by a physician, or even by the patient, may lead to earlier detection of this rare complication, and a better chance of cure through minimal surgery.

We have successfully transported subterahertz-wave (sub-THz-wave) coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) from an accelerator room to an experimental room by using an existing IR free-electron laser (FEL) beamline at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application at Nihon University. The power of the transported CSR was 50 nJ per macropulse, and it was available at frequencies of 0.1–0.3 THz. From two-dimensional imaging performed with the sub-THz-wave CSR, metallic structures concealed by plastic in a smart card were nondestructively detected at a spatial resolution of 1.4 mm. We also verified the existence of hydrated water in a crystal by using chemometric two-band spectroscopy with the sub-THz-wave CSR and IR FEL. Pioneering applications, such as more reliable material identification, can be anticipated from this complex light source composed from the sub-THz-wave CSR and IR FEL beams.

X-ray imaging based on small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was carried out using the parametric X-ray radiation (PXR) source at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) of Nihon University. The experimental setup employed in this novel imaging approach is the same as that employed in diffraction-enhanced imaging (DEI), a kind of X-ray phase-contrast imaging method. In SAXS-based imaging, the image contrast is correlated with the broadening of the rocking curve peak due to the scattering from micron- or sub-micron-sized grains in the sample material. An experiment using the 25.5-keV PXR beam demonstrated that SAXS-based imaging with PXR provides a substantially strong contrast for granular materials despite the extremely low density of the material.

Wavelength tunable Free Electron Laser, FEL, was irradiated onto the polished surfaces of human tooth enamel and dentin using the FEL system at Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) in Nihon University. LEBRA-FEL system was so powerful that only 2 mJ/pulse shot resulted in an apparent pit on the surfaces. The pit showed neither marked scorch nor formation of secondary crystalline phase revealed by micro-XRD and micro-FTIR. Optimum wavelength for pit formation on the dental hard tissues was about 3.0 mm. However, the optimum wavelengths for enamel and dentin should be at 3.2 mm, 3.0 mm, respectively. The results strongly suggested that the ablation mechanism by laser irradiation for dental hard tissues might be not the simple interaction of laser beams with water, but complex phenomena, which could not be neglected of the hard tissue components and structure.

A novel X-ray source based on parametric X-ray radiation (PXR) has been employed for X-ray imaging at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA), Nihon University. Notable features of PXR are tunable energy, monochromaticity with spatial chirp, narrow local bandwidth and spatial coherence. Since the X-ray beam from the PXR system has a large irradiation area with uniform flux density, the PXR-based source is suited for X-ray imaging, especially for application to phase-contrast imaging. Despite the cone-like X-ray beam, diffraction-enhanced imaging (DEI) can be employed as a phase contrast imaging technique. DEI experiments were performed using 14- to 34-keV X-rays and the phase-gradient images were obtained. The results demonstrated the capability of PXR as an X-ray source for phase-contrast imaging with a large irradiation field attributed to the cone-beam effect. Given the significant properties of the LEBRA-PXR source, the result suggests the possible construction of a compact linac-driven PXR-Imaging instrument and its application to medical diagnoses.

An in-line ionization chamber has been developed for the real-time measurement of the absolute intensity of the pulsed parametric X-ray (PXR) beam during irradiation experiments. The quasi-monochromatic PXR generating system was developed at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) in Nihon University. In contrast to typical narrow X-ray beams in synchrotron radiation facilities, the PXR beam profile is as large as approximately 100 mm in diameter with rather uniform flux distribution at the X-ray output port in the experimental hall. The energy of the PXR beam ranges from 5 to 34 keV, which is specified by the PXR target crystal plane and its geometrical condition. The ionization chamber is of a plane parallel type employing 6-μm thick double-sided aluminum vapor-deposited polyester films for the plane electrodes through which the X-ray beam passes. The plane bias electrode has been placed at an equal distance of 25 mm from the two plane earth electrodes that act as the beam windows with an aperture diameter of 120 mm. Due to the pulsed property of the PXR beam and the geometrical configuration of the ionization chamber, the charge-sensitive preamplifier output pulse height represents an integral of the fast electron current, corresponding to a half of the total ionization charge produced by the beam. The intensity of the PXR beam has been measured for various X-ray energies by using nitrogen and argon, respectively, as the filling gas.

We observed intense coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) in the terahertz region using an S-band linac at the Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application at Nihon University. The evolution of the CSR power was measured, and the CSR reflected in the vacuum chamber of the bending magnet could be extracted through the quartz window for a few tens of picoseconds. The long wave packet of the delayed CSR in the autocorrelation suggests that the delayed CSR was the non-resonant ring-down of the vacuum chamber of the bending magnet. To design a high-energy accelerator, it is necessary to decrease high-energy photons resulting from Compton backscattering with intense CSR.

The first lasing of the free electron laser (FEL) was achieved in May 2001 at Nihon University. Problems occurred regarding the energy stability of the electron beam in the pulse duration and the long operation time for the FEL. The energy stability has been improved by compensation of the RF phase drift with a function generator and a feedback circuit.