Accelerator Physics
Accelerator theory and experiments.டesign, optimization, beam physics, synchrotron radiation sources.
Accelerator theory and experiments.டesign, optimization, beam physics, synchrotron radiation sources.
The development of nuclear fusion requires materials that can withstand extreme conditions. The IFMIF-DONES facility, a high-power particle accelerator, is being designed to qualify these materials. A critical testbed for its development is the MuVacAS prototype, which replicates the final segment of the accelerator beamline. Precise regulation of argon gas pressure within its ultra-high vacuum chamber is vital for this task. This work presents a fully data-driven approach for autonomous pressure control. A Deep Learning Surrogate Model, trained on real operational data, emulates the dynamics of the argon injection system. This high-fidelity digital twin then serves as a fast-simulation environment to train a Deep Reinforcement Learning agent. The results demonstrate that the agent successfully learns a control policy that maintains gas pressure within strict operational limits despite dynamic disturbances. This approach marks a significant step toward the intelligent, autonomous control systems required for the demanding next-generation particle accelerator facilities.
We propose a small, shared core ontology for particle accelerators that provides a semantic backbone for interoperable data and workflows across facilities. The ontology names key device types, signals, parameters, and regions, and relates them through explicit properties (e.g., hasSetpoint, hasReadback, partOf). Each site contributes a lightweight facility bundle, a profile that maps local conventions into the shared vocabulary plus data slices that instantiate those mappings, without renaming channel addresses or changing existing systems. Using standard W3C technologies, the approach supports both sparse and rich descriptions. We demonstrate the idea on two beamline segments at different laboratories. A single semantic query is expressed once and evaluated against both knowledge bases, returning the locally correct PVs. The ontology thereby enables not only portable workflows but also interoperable data, since measurements and catalogs are annotated with shared semantics rather than facility-specific names. The framework complements, rather than replaces, existing middle layers and lattice/data standards, and it creates a stable foundation for reusable tools and agentic workflows.
We demonstrate that multipoint Bayesian algorithm execution can overcome fundamental computational challenges in storage ring design optimization. Dynamic (DA) and momentum (MA) optimization is a multipoint, multiobjective design task for storage rings, ultimately informing the flux of x-ray sources and luminosity of colliders. Current state-of-art black-box optimization methods require extensive particle-tracking simulations for each trial configuration; the high computational cost restricts the extent of the search to $\sim 10^3$ configurations, and therefore limits the quality of the final design. We remove this bottleneck using multipointBAX, which selects, simulates, and models each trial configuration at the single particle level. We demonstrate our approach on a novel design for a fourth-generation light source, with neural-network powered multipointBAX achieving equivalent Pareto front results using more than two orders of magnitude fewer tracking computations compared to genetic algorithms. The significant reduction in cost positions multipointBAX as a promising alternative to black-box optimization, and we anticipate multipointBAX will be instrumental in the design of future light sources, colliders, and large-scale scientific facilities.
RF pulse modulation techniques are widely applied to shape RF pulses for various types of RF stations of particle accelerators. The amplitude and phase modulations are typically implemented with additional RF components that require drive or control electronics. For the RF system-on-chip (RFSoC) based next generation LLRF (NG-LLRF) platform, which we have developed in the last several years, RF modulation and demodulation are fully implemented in the digital domain. Therefore, arbitrary RF pulse shaping can be realized without any additional analogue components. We performed a range of high-power experiments with the NG-LLRF and a prototype Cool Copper Collider (C\(^3\)) structure. In this paper, the RF field measured at different stages with different pulse shapes and peak power levels up to 16.45 MW will be demonstrated and analyzed. The high precision pulse shaping schemes of the NG-LLRF can be applied to realize the phase modulation for a linear accelerator injector, the phase reversal for a pulse compressor, or the modulation required to compensate for the beam loading effect.
Slow resonant extraction from synchrotrons via radio-frequency knock-out is a well-established technique to deliver charged particle beams for various applications. In this contribution, we present explicit analytical expressions for calculating the number of particles slowly extracted over time, commonly referred to as spills. The proposed formulation enables the semi-analytical determination of an amplitude modulation curve to be applied to the radio-frequency exciter, which flattens the spill macrostructure, a feature of high relevance to all users requiring uniform beam delivery.
2511.08025To describe longitudinal fine structure like microbunching within a particle beam, a classical approach is to define a bunching factor which is the Fourier transform of the particle longitudinal density distribution. Such a 1D definition of bunching factor can be generalized to a 6D spectral form function (SFF) to describe more complicated structure in phase space. The complex SFF is another complete description of beam in spectral domain and can offer complementary and valuable insight in beam dynamics study which usually invokes the real particle density distribution. The basic property and Fokker-Planck equation of the SFF is presented, along with its solution in a general coupled linear lattice. The example applications of SFF in electron storage ring physics and laser-induced microbunching are presented.
SRF CW accelerator constructed for Coherent electron Cooling (CeC) Proof-of-principle (POP) experiment at Brookhaven National Laboratory has frequently demonstrated record parameters using 1.5 nC 350 ps long electron bunches, typically compressed to FWHM of 30 ps using ballistic compression. We report experimental demonstration of CW electron beam with parameters fully satisfying requirements for hard X-ray FEL and significantly exceeding those demonstrated by APEX LCLS II electron gun. This was achieved using a 10-year-old SRF gun with a modest accelerating gradient of $\sim$15 MV/m, a bunching cavity followed by ballistic compression to generate 100 pC, $\sim$15 ps FWHM electron bunches with a normalized slice emittance of $\sim$0.2 mm-mrad and a normalized projected emittance of $\sim$0.25 mm-mrad. Hence, in this paper, we present an alternative method for generating CW electron beams for hard-X-ray FELs using existing and proven accelerator technology. We present a description of the accelerator system settings, details of projected and slice emittance measurements as well as relevant beam dynamics simulations.
One pathway to producing high brightness electron beams is to use a radio-frequency (rf) driven high field photogun to rapidly accelerate photoemitted electrons to the relativistic regime and preserve the brightness. However, the highest attainable field is limited by rf breakdowns of materials used in a photogun. Shortening rf pulse duration feeding into a photogun provides a viable pathway to achieve high field and prevent rf breakdowns. Here we propose and investigate Compressed Ultrashort Pulse Injector Demonstrator (CUPID), a nanosecond rf pulses driven photogun powered by a klystron and rf pulse compression system capable of achieving 300 MW at 20 ns duration, to produce bright electron beams with high electric field. We first introduce the design of the CUPID photogun and its expected rf performance at 500 MV/m driven by high power nanosecond rf pulses, followed by beam dynamics studies showing its capability for producing bright electron beams with 60 nm emittance when forming a photoinjector with a superconducting solenoid and downstream accelerating structures. Finally, we show a proof-of-concept start-to-end simulation of the CUPID photoinjector paired with the existing Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) copper accelerator free-electron laser (FEL) to demonstrate achievable mJ pulse energy very hard x-ray photons at 40 keV or higher.
Plasma processing has been shown to help mitigate degradation of the performance of superconducting radio-frequency cavities, providing an alternative to removal of cryomodules from the accelerator for refurbishment. Studies of plasma processing for quarter-wave resonators (QWRs) and half-wave resonators (HWRs) are underway at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), where a total of 324 such resonators are presently in operation. Plasma processing tests were done on several QWRs using the fundamental power coupler (FPC) to drive the plasma, with promising results. Driving the plasma with a higher-order mode allows for less mismatch at the FPC and higher plasma density. The first plasma processing trial for FRIB QWRs in a cryomodule was conducted in January 2024. Cold tests of the cryomodule showed a significant reduction in field emission X-rays after plasma processing.
Beam halo formation poses a critical challenge for high-repetition-rate continuous-wave (CW) free-electron lasers (FELs), directly affecting beam quality and machine protection, as observed during the LCLS-II commissioning. We identify and experimentally validate a previously unrecognized three-step mechanism for halo generation in the photoinjector, arising from coupled longitudinal-transverse dynamics in the low-energy beam. Theoretical analysis reveals that (i) the RF buncher induces an energy-radius correlation, (ii) velocity bunching transforms this correlation into hollowed density structures in the bunch head and tail, and (iii) differential overfocusing of these hollowed regions by downstream focusing forms the observed halo. This mechanism is confirmed by particle-in-cell simulations and direct experimental measurements, including controlled formation of a core-ring profile via solenoid tuning. The results establish the physical origin of the halo and demonstrate a mitigation via buncher compression tuning that reduces halo and downstream loss, supporting sustained high-repetition-rate FEL operation.
We present the physical design and systematic optimization of a high-performance storage ring tailored for the generation of high-power coherent radiation, with particular emphasis on the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) regime. The proposed ring adopts a Double Bend Achromat (DBA) lattice configuration and integrates 12 superconducting wigglers to significantly enhance radiation damping and minimize the natural emittance. And a bypass line is adopted to generate high power coherent radiation. Comprehensive linear and nonlinear beam dynamics analyses have been conducted to ensure beam stability and robustness across the operational parameter space. The optimized design achieves a natural emittance of approximately 0.8 nm and a longitudinal damping time of around 1.4 ms, enabling the efficient buildup of coherent radiation. Three-dimensional numerical simulations, incorporating the previously proposed angular dispersion-induced microbunching (ADM) mechanism, further confirm the system's capability to generate high-power EUV coherent radiation, with output powers reaching the order of several hundred watts. These results underscore the strong potential of the proposed design for applications in coherent photon science and EUV lithography.
Collimation systems in particle accelerators are designed to safely and efficiently dispose of unavoidable beam losses during operation. Their specific roles vary depending on the type of accelerator. The state of the art in hadron beam collimation for high-intensity, high-energy superconducting colliders is exemplified by the system implemented at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In this machine, the stored beam energy reaches levels several orders of magnitude higher than the tiny energy required to quench superconducting magnets. It also exceeds by orders of magnitude the damage thresholds of typical accelerator components, placing stringent demands on beam loss control. Collimation systems are therefore essential for the reliable daily operation of modern accelerators. This lecture reviews the design of a multistage collimation system, using the LHC as a case study. The LHC collimation system has achieved unprecedented cleaning performance, with a level of complexity unmatched by any other accelerator. Design aspects and operational challenges of such large-scale collimation systems are also discussed.
We propose a novel acceleration scheme for fixed-field accelerators (FFAs), in which RF buckets with harmonic numbers $h = 1$ and $h = 2$ are time-sequenced to form a single, continuous acceleration path. This approach completes acceleration in two RF frequency sweeps, thereby reducing the total frequency sweep range and shortening the repetition period. The feasibility of this method is demonstrated through longitudinal simulations based on parameters of the FFA at the Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University (KURNS). We also establish operational conditions under which the second harmonic RF bucket remains stable and practically usable.
Improvement in SRF accelerator performance after in-tunnel plasma processing has been seen at SNS and CEBAF. Plasma processing development for FRIB quarter-wave and half-wave resonators (QWRs, HWRs) was initiated in 2020. Plasma processing on individual QWRs (beta = 0.085) and HWRs (beta = 0.53) has been found to significantly reduce field emission. A challenge for the FRIB cavities is the relatively weak fundamental power coupler (FPC) coupling strength (chosen for efficient continuous-wave acceleration), which produces a lot of mismatch during plasma processing at room temperature. For FRIB QWRs, driving the plasma with higher-order modes (HOMs) is beneficial to reduce the FPC mismatch and increase the plasma density. The first plasma processing trial on a spare FRIB QWR cryomodule was done in January 2024, with before-and-after bunker tests and subsequent installation into the linac tunnel. The first in-tunnel plasma processing trial was completed in September 2025. For both cryomodules, before-and-after cold tests showed a significant increase in the average accelerating gradient for field emission onset after plasma processing for some cavities. In parallel with the cryomodule trials, the use of dual-drive plasma is being explored with the goal of improving the effectiveness of plasma processing.
We investigate the limits of photoemission yield in a high-gradient S-band radiofrequency photoinjector in the space-charge-dominated regime. Using an RF phase-scan technique, where the emitted charge is measured as a function of the RF-field phase in the gun, we directly monitor photoemission over a range of launch fields and laser parameters, enabling quantitative characterization of space-charge saturation. Measurements, supported by simulations and analytic modeling, confirm the characteristic charge-field scaling laws for pancake beams and provide the first experimental verification of cigar-regime scaling in an RF photogun. These results establish a predictive framework for identifying the onset of space-charge saturation and guide the optimization of photoinjectors for ultrafast electron diffraction, microscopy, and high-brightness light sources operating at ultra-high gradients.
This document is comprised of a collection of consolidated parameters for the key parts of the muon collider. These consolidated parameters follow on from the October 2024 Preliminary Parameters Report. Attention has been given to a high-level consistent set of baseline parameters throughout all systems of the complex, following a 10 TeV center-of-mass design. Additional details of the designs contributing to this baseline design are featured in the appendix. Likewise, explorative variations from this baseline set can be found in the appendix. The data is collected from a collaborative spreadsheet and transferred to overleaf.
Automatic differentiation provides an efficient means of computing derivatives of complex functions with machine precision, thereby enabling differentiable simulation. In this work, we propose the use of the norm of the tangent map, obtained from differentiable tracking of particle trajectories, as a computationally efficient indicator of chaotic behavior in phase space. In many cases, a one-turn or few-turn tangent map is sufficient for this purpose, significantly reducing the computational cost associated with dynamic aperture optimization. As an illustrative application, the proposed indicator is employed in the dynamic aperture optimization of an ALS-U lattice design.
In this paper, we present the Distributed Inter-Strand Coupling Current (DISCC) model. It is a finite element (FE) model based on a homogenization approach enabling efficient and accurate simulation of the transient magnetic response of superconducting Rutherford cables without explicitly representing individual strands. The DISCC model reproduces the inter-strand coupling current dynamics via a novel mixed FE formulation, and can be combined with the Reduced Order Hysteretic Magnetization (ROHM) and Flux (ROHF) models applied at the strand level in order to reproduce the internal strand dynamics: hysteresis, eddy, and inter-filament coupling currents, as well as ohmic effects. We first analyze the performance of the DISCC model alone, as a linear problem. We then extend the analysis to include the internal strand dynamics that make the problem nonlinear. In all cases, the DISCC model offers a massive reduction of the computational time compared to conventional fully detailed FE models while still accounting for all types of loss, magnetization and inductance contributions. Rutherford cables homogenized with the DISCC model can be directly included in FE models of magnet cross-sections for efficient electro-magneto-thermal simulations of their transient response. We present two possible FE formulations for the implementation of the DISCC model, a first one based on the h-phi-formulation, and a second one based on the h-phi-a-formulation, which is well suited for an efficient treatment of the ferromagnetic regions in magnet cross-sections.
Plasma-based accelerators are beginning to employ relativistic beams with unprecedented charge and ultrashort durations. These dense driver beams can drive wakes even in high-density plasmas ($\gtrsim10^{19}$ cm$^{-3}$), where betatron radiation becomes increasingly important and begins to affect the dynamics of the accelerated beam. In this Letter, we show that betatron cooling leads to a strong, structuring of the phase space of the beam. This gives rise to bunched, ring-like structures with positive radial position and momentum gradients, \emph{i.e.}, population inversion of the amplitude of oscillation. We derive the characteristic timescales for this process analytically and confirm our predictions with multi-dimensional Particle-in-Cell simulations. The radiation-dominated regime of beam dynamics fundamentally alters the acceleration process and produces self-structured beams capable of triggering coherent betatron emission in ion channels.
PIP-II is a superconducting linac that is in the initial acceleration chain for the Fermilab accelerator complex. The RF system consists of a warm front-end with an RFQ and buncher cavities along with 25 superconducting cryo-modules comprised of cavities with five different acceleration \(β\). The LLRF system for the linac has to provide field and resonance control for a total of 125 RF cavities. Various components of the LLRF system have been tested with and without beam at the PIP-II test stands. The LLRF system design is derived from the LCLS-II project with its self-excited loop architecture used in the majority of the cryo-modules. The PIP-II beam loading at 2 mA is much higher than the LCLS-II linac. The control system architecture is analyzed and evaluated for the operational limits of feedback gains and their ability to meet the project regulation requirements for cavity field amplitude and phase regulation.