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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.

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.

Development of THz wave source has been underway at Nihon University in collaboration with National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. The THz wave transport lines have been constructed on the same axis as the X-ray and FEL beam line. The average intensity of the backward THz CTR wave obtained at the output port of the Parametric Xray Radiation beam line in the accelerator room has been 1 mJ/macro-pulse. The superposition transport system of the THz waves to the X-ray beam-line was installed in a vacuum chamber. Additionally, the energy of the CER as high as 0.2 mJ/macro-pulse were achieved with the experimental room.

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

Drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS) is a severe systemic adverse drug reaction. Previous studies showed that DIHS is associated with the onset of fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus (FT1D). Although genetic background and abnormalities in immune response or viral infection are considered to be associated with pathogenesis of FT1D, it remains unclear whether virus infection and specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing are involved in DIHS-associated FT1D. Here, we report a case of a 78-year-old female patient with FT1D after DIHS treatment. She was diagnosed as DIHS caused by carbamazepine, and treatment with predonisolone was initiated. After 46 days from the occurrence of DIHS, she was admitted to our hospital because of type 1 diabetes mellitus and diabetic ketoacidosis. Although her Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was elevated by predonisolone treatment (HbA1c: 9.2%), we diagnosed her as fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus considering the abrupt onset of the ketoacidosis. Her general condition was improved by treatment with fluid infusion and insulin administration. During her clinical course, the infection of coxsackie B4 virus was observed. In addition, the examination of HLA typing showed HLA-A24 haplotype. These findings suggest that the coxsackie B4 virus infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of DIHS-induced FT1D, and that HLA-A24 haplotype might relate to DIHS-associated FT1D.

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.

Parametric X-ray (PXR) is a new type of radiography with variable monochrome wavelength and high coherent characteristics. The Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) at Quantum Science Institute, Nihon University generated LEBRA-PXR, a system that irradiates Si crystal with electron accelerated by linear accelerator (LINAC). LEBRA-PXR is uniquely developed for world-wide application experiment. X-ray images of tooth samples were taken with flat panel detector using LEBRA-PXR. As a result, images were captured as short as 1 sec. LEBRA-PXR uses LINAC with micro-macro pulse electron beam structure. Imaging time of 1 sec is equivalent to about 0.025 msec when x-ray is converted to actual radiation exposure. The effective dose point estimates of x-rays were about 1 μ Sv/5 sec. Results show that LEBRA-PXR can be used to generate low dose x-ray imaging advocating the possibility of its application in biological studies and medical treatment.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.