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This report results from a contract tasking University of Rennes I as follows: The contractor will perform a study of soot growth and nucleation by a time-resolved synchrotron radiation based x-ray absorption method'. A gaseous fuel burner will be constructed that will allow a stable flame to be produced. It is here proposed to perform synchrotron-based experiments in which the mobility of the charged species can be studied. Such measurement is possible since the synchrotron radiation has a well-defined time structure and pump-probe type experiments can be performed. In order to do this correctly however, it is desirable to perform the experiments under vacuum and so a pre-mixed type of flame will be used. The burner assembly will be mounted in a vacuum chamber that can be mounted on the synchrotron radiation experimental bench. It is proposed to use cryopumping in order to achieve the high pumping rates necessary to allow a flame to burn in vacuum. (Cryopumping rates are typically 101/sec per square centimeter of cryosurface). In addition to the mobility experiments, it is proposed to examine the effects of incident wavelength on the absorption process in order to compare the results so obtained with existing models of x-ray absorption by graphite dust particles. The goal of this work is to study the influence of the incident x-ray wavelength on the absorption process. The experimentation will be performed at the University of Rennes using the UV lasers in their laboratory. These will be used to investigate the thermal ionization of soot particles. The experiment will also be tried at the Vacuum Ultra Violet undulator beamline SU5 at the LURE synchrotron in Paris. If scheduling permits, this experiment will be performed using UV light in the 5-40 eV range.

Y-82094 is an ungrouped type 3.2 carbonaceous chondrite, with abundant chondrules making 78 vol.% of the rock. Among these chondrules, an unusual porphyritic Al-rich magnesian chondrule is reported that consists of a cordierite-like phase, Al-rich orthopyroxene, cristobalite, and spinel surrounded by an anorthitic mesostasis. The reported chemical formula of the cordierite-like phase is Na(0.19)Mg(1.95)Fe(0.02)Al(3.66)Si(5.19)O18, which is close to stoichiometric cordierite (Mg2Al3[AlSi5O18]). Although cordierite can be present in Al-rich chondrules, it has a high temperature polymorph (indialite) and it is therefore necessary to determine whether it is cordierite or indialite in order to better constrain its formation conditions. In this abstract we report on our synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (SR-XRD) study of the cordierite-like phase in Y-82094.

Y-82094 is an ungrouped type 3.2 carbonaceous chondrite, with abundant chondrules making 78 vol.% of the rock. Among these chondrules, an unusual porphyritic Al-rich magnesian chondrule is reported that consists of a cordierite-like phase, Al-rich orthopyroxene, cristobalite, and spinel surrounded by an anorthitic mesostasis. The reported chemical formula of the cordierite-like phase is Na(0.19)Mg(1.95)Fe(0.02)Al(3.66)Si(5.19)O18, which is close to stoichiometric cordierite (Mg2Al3[AlSi5O18]). Although cordierite can be present in Al-rich chondrules, it has a high temperature polymorph (indialite) and it is therefore necessary to determine whether it is cordierite or indialite in order to better constrain its formation conditions. In this abstract we report on our synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (SR-XRD) study of the cordierite-like phase in Y-82094.

Y-82094 is an ungrouped type 3.2 carbonaceous chondrite, with abundant chondrules making 78 vol.% of the rock. Among these chondrules, an unusual porphyritic Al-rich magnesian chondrule is reported that consists of a cordierite-like phase, Al-rich orthopyroxene, cristobalite, and spinel surrounded by an anorthitic mesostasis. The reported chemical formula of the cordierite-like phase is Na(0.19)Mg(1.95)Fe(0.02)Al(3.66)Si(5.19)O18, which is close to stoichiometric cordierite (Mg2Al3[AlSi5O18]). Although cordierite can be present in Al-rich chondrules, it has a high temperature polymorph (indialite) and it is therefore necessary to determine whether it is cordierite or indialite in order to better constrain its formation conditions. In this abstract we report on our synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (SR-XRD) study of the cordierite-like phase in Y-82094.

Attosecond bursts of coherent synchrotron-like radiation are found when driving ultrathin relativistic electron disks in a quasi-one-dimensional regime of wakefield acceleration, in which the laser waist is larger than the wake wavelength. The disks of overcritical density shrink radially due to the focusing wake fields, thus providing the transverse currents for the emission of an intense, radially polarized, half-cycle pulse of about 100 attoseconds in duration. The electromagnetic pulse first focuses to a peak intensity 10 times larger ($7\times10^{20}\rm W/cm^2$) than the driving pulse and then emerges as a conical beam. Saturation of the emission amplitudes is derived analytically and in agreement with particle-in-cell simulation. By making use of gas targets instead of solids to form the ultrathin disks, the new scheme allows for high repetition rate required for applications.

Using gauge/gravity duality, we compute the energy density and angular distribution of the power radiated by a quark undergoing circular motion in strongly coupled ${\cal N}=4$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills (SYM) theory. We compare the strong coupling results to those at weak coupling, and find the same angular distribution of radiated power, up to an overall prefactor. In both regimes, the angular distribution is in fact similar to that of synchrotron radiation produced by an electron in circular motion in classical electrodynamics: the quark emits radiation in a narrow beam along its velocity vector with a characteristic opening angle $\alpha \sim 1/\gamma$. To an observer far away from the quark, the emitted radiation appears as a short periodic burst, just like the light from a lighthouse does to a ship at sea. Our strong coupling results are valid for any strongly coupled conformal field theory with a dual classical gravity description.

The time evolution of the coherent forward scattering of Synchrotron radiation for resonant nuclei in Brownian motion is studied . Apart from target thickness, the appearance of dynamical beats also depends on $\alpha$ which is the ratio of harmonic force constant to the damping force constant of a harmonic oscillator undergoing Brownian motion.

This article is from PLoS ONE , volume 9 . Abstract Background: High-dose synchrotron microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) has shown the potential to deliver improved outcomes over conventional broadbeam (BB) radiation therapy. To implement synchrotron MRT clinically for cancer treatment, it is necessary to undertake dose equivalence studies to identify MRT doses that give similar outcomes to BB treatments. Aim: To develop an in vitro approach to determine biological dose equivalence between MRT and BB using two different cell-based assays. Methods: The acute response of tumour and normal cell lines (EMT6.5, 4T1.2, NMuMG, EMT6.5ch, 4T1ch5, SaOS-2) to MRT (50–560 Gy) and BB (1.5–10 Gy) irradiation was investigated using clonogenic and real time cell impedance sensing (RT-CIS)/xCELLigence assays. MRT was performed using a lattice of 25 or 50 µm-wide planar, polychromatic kilovoltage X-ray microbeams with 200 µm peak separation. BB irradiations were performed using a Co60 teletherapy unit or a synchrotron radiation source. BB doses that would generate biological responses similar to MRT were calculated by data interpolation and verified by clonogenic and RT-CIS assays. Results: For a given cell line, MRT equivalent BB doses identified by RT-CIS/xCELLigence were similar to those identified by clonogenic assays. Dose equivalence between MRT and BB were verified in vitro in two cell lines; EMT6.5ch and SaOS-2 by clonogenic assays and RT-CIS/xCELLigence. We found for example, that BB doses of 3.4±0.1 Gy and 4.40±0.04 Gy were radiobiologically equivalent to a peak, microbeam dose of 112 Gy using clonogenic and RT-CIS assays respectively on EMT6.5ch cells. Conclusion: Our data provides the first determination of biological dose equivalence between BB and MRT modalities for different cell lines and identifies RT-CIS/xCELLigence assays as a suitable substitute for clonogenic assays. These results will be useful for the safe selection of MRT doses for future veterinary and clinical trials.

The newly discovered BL Lacertae object, PKS 2155-304, was observed with the medium and high intensity energy detectors of the HEAO-1 A2 experiment. The variability by a factor of two in less than a day reported by Snyder, et al (1979) is confirmed. Two spectra, obtained a year apart, while the satellite was in scanning mode, are well fit by simple power laws with energy spectral index alpha sub 1 equals approximately 1.4. A third spectrum, of higher statistical quality, obtained while the satellite was pointed at its source, has has two components. An acceptable fit was obtained using a two power law model, with indices alpha sub 1 equals 2.0 (+1.2, -0.6) and alpha sub 2 equals -1.5 (+1.5, -2.3). An interpretation of the overall spectrum from radio through X-rays in terms of a synchrotron self-Compton model gives a good description of the data if allowance is made for relativistic beaming. Thus, from a consideration of the spectrum, combined with an estimate of the size of the source, the presence of jets is inferred without their observation.

The radial diffusion equation with synchrotron losses was solved by the Laplace transform method for near-equatorially mirroring relativistic electrons. The evolution of a power law distribution function was found and the characteristics of synchrotron burn-off are stated in terms of explicit parameters for an arbitrary diffusion coefficient. Emissivity from the radiation belts of Jupiter was studied. Asymptotic forms for the distribution in the strong synchrotron loss regime are provided.

The radial diffusion equation with synchrotron losses was solved by the Laplace transform method for near-equatorially mirroring relativistic electrons. The evolution of a power law distribution function was found and the characteristics of synchrotron burn-off are stated in terms of explicit parameters for an arbitrary diffusion coefficient. Emissivity from the radiation belts of Jupiter was studied. Asymptotic forms for the distribution in the strong synchrotron loss regime are provided.

Flattenings of nonthermal radiation spectra observed from knots and interknot locations of the jets of 3C273 and M87 in UV and X-ray bands are discussed within modern models of magnetic field generation in the relativistic jets. Specifically, we explicitly take into account the effect of the small-scale random magnetic field, probably present in such jets, which gives rise to emission of Diffusive Synchrotron Radiation, whose spectrum deviates substantially from the standard synchrotron spectrum, especially at high frequencies. The calculated spectra agree well with the observed ones if the energy densities contained in small-scale and large-scale magnetic fields are comparable. The implications of this finding for magnetic field generation, particle acceleration, and jet composition are discussed.

Diffusive Synchrotron Radiation (DSR) is produced by charged particles as they random walk in a stochastic magnetic field. The spectrum of the radiation produced by particles in such fields differs substantially from those of standard synchrotron emission because the corresponding particle trajectories deviate significantly from gyration in a regular field. The Larmor radius, therefore, is no longer a good measure of the particle trajectory. In this paper we analyze a special DSR regime which arises as highly relativistic electrons move through magnetic fields which have only random structure on a wide range of spatial scales. Such stochastic fields arise in turbulent processes, and are likely present in pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe). We show that DSR generated by a single population of electrons can reproduce the observed broad-band spectra of PWNe from the radio to the X-ray, in particular producing relatively flat spectrum radio emission as is usually observed in PWNe. DSR can explain the existence of several break frequencies in the broad-band emission spectrum without recourse to breaks in the energy spectrum of the relativistic particles. The shape of the radiation spectrum depends on the spatial spectrum of the stochastic magnetic field. The implications of the presented DSR regime for PWN physics are discussed.

This article describes a complete theory of spatial coherence for undulator radiation sources. Current estimations of coherence properties often assume that undulator sources are quasi-homogeneous, like thermal sources, and rely on the application of the van Cittert-Zernike theorem for calculating the degree of transverse coherence. Such assumption is not adequate when treating third generation light sources, because the vertical(geometrical) emittance of the electron beam is comparable or even much smaller than the radiation wavelength in a very wide spectral interval that spans over four orders of magnitude (from 0.1 Angstrom up to 10^3 Angstrom). Sometimes, the so-called Gaussian-Schell model, that is widely used in statistical optics in the description of partially-coherent sources, is applied as an alternative to the quasi-homogeneous model. However, as we will demonstrate, this model fails to properly describe coherent properties of X-ray beams from non-homogeneous undulator sources. As a result, a more rigorous analysis is required. We propose a technique, based on statistical optics and Fourier optics, to explicitly calculate the cross-spectral density of an undulator source in the most general case, at any position after the undulator. Our theory, that makes consistent use of dimensionless analysis, allows relatively easy treatment and physical understanding of many asymptotes of the parameter space, together with their region of applicability. Particular emphasis is given to the asymptotic situation when the horizontal emittance is much larger than the radiation wavelength, and the vertical emittance is arbitrary. This case is practically relevant for third generation synchrotron radiation sources.

Coherent Synchrotron Radiation (CSR) can play an important role by not only increasing the energy spread and emittance of a beam, but also leading to a potential instability. Previous studies of the CSR induced longitudinal instability were carried out for the CSR impedance due to dipole magnets. However, many storage rings include long wigglers where a large fraction of the synchrotron radiation is emitted. This includes high-luminosity factories such as DAPHNE, PEP-II, KEK-B, and CESR-C as well as the damping rings of future linear colliders. In this paper, the instability due to the CSR impedance from a wiggler is studied assuming a large wiggler parameter $K$. The primary consideration is a low frequency microwave-like instability, which arises near the pipe cut-off frequency. Detailed results are presented on the growth rate and threshold for the damping rings of several linear collider designs. Finally, the optimization of the relative fraction of damping due to the wiggler systems is discussed for the damping rings.

The temperature rise produced by synchrotron radiation incident on the vacuum chamber wall of a betatron is evaluated for a general acceleration cycle.

This report results from a contract tasking University of Rennes I as follows: The contractor will perform a study of soot growth and nucleation by a time-resolved synchrotron radiation based x-ray absorption method . A gaseous fuel burner will be constructed that will allow a stable flame to be produced. The burner will be mounted on an assembly that will allow the motorized movement in both a horizontal and vertical direction so that the two dimensional profile of the soot density can be measured via x-ray absorption. Associated fuel flow control equipment will be used to control and characterize flame conditions. The goal of this work therefore will be to (a) determine doped and undoped soot particle photoemission yields (b) map out the soot density structure in a heavily sooting flame using x-ray absorption and photoelectron detection and (c) determine the influence of enhanced ionization on subsequent soot growth in flames. This report results from a contract tasking University of Rennes I as follows: The contractor will perform a study of soot growth and nucleation by a time-resolved synchrotron radiation based x-ray absorption method%. A gaseous fuel burner will be constructed that will allow a stable flame to be produced. The burner will be mounted on an assembly that will allow the motorized movement in both a horizontal and vertical direction so that the two dimensional profile of the soot density can be measured via x-ray absorption. Associated fuel flow control equipment will be used to control and characterize flame conditions. The goal of this work therefore will be to (a) determine doped and undoped soot particle photoemission yields (b) map out the soot density structure in a heavily sooting flame using x-ray absorption and photoelectron detection and (c) determine the influence of enhanced ionization on subsequent soot growth in flames.

We report the discovery of polarized flux at 2.2 micron from the bright shell of the approximately 320 year old supernova remnant Cas A. The fractional polarizations are comparable at 6 cm and 2.2 micron, and the polarization angles are similar, demonstrating that synchrotron radiation from the same relativistic plasma is being observed at these widely separated wavebands. The relativistic electrons radiating at 2.2 micron have an energy of ~ 150 GeV, (gamma ~ 3e5), assuming an ~500 microGauss magnetic field. The total intensity at 2.2 micron lies close to the power law extrapolation from radio frequencies, showing that relativistic particle acceleration is likely an ongoing process; the infrared emitting electrons were accelerated no longer than ~80 years ago. There is a small but significant concave curvature to the spectrum, as expected if the accelerating shocks have been modified by the back pressure of the cosmic rays; given calibration uncertainties, this conclusion must be considered tentative at present. The 2.2 micron polarization angles and the emission-line filaments observed by HST are both offset from the local radial direction by 10 - 20 degrees, providing evidence that the magnetic fields in Cas A are generated by Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities in the decelerating ejecta.

The spectrum of electromagnetic emission generated by relativistic electrons scattered on small-scale random magnetic fields, implied by current models of the magnetic field generation in the gamma-ray burst sources, is considered. The theory developed includes both perturbative and non-perturbative versions and, therefore, suggests a general treatment of the radiation in arbitrary small-scale random field. It is shown that a general treatment of the random nature of the small-scale magnetic field, as well as angular diffusion of the electrons due to multiple scattering by magnetic inhomogeneities (i.e., non-perturbative effects), give rise to a radiation spectrum that differs significantly from so-called "jitter" spectrum. The spectrum of diffusive synchrotron radiation seems to be consistent with the low energy spectral index distribution of the gamma-ray bursts.

We calculate the radiated energy to $O(\hbar)$ from a charged wave-packet in the uniform magnetic field. In the high-speed and weak-field limit, while the non-commutativity of the system reduces the classical radiation, the additional corrections originated from the velocity uncertainty of the wave-packet leads to an enhancement of the radiation.

This paper describes a theory of transverse coherence properties of Undulator Radiation. Our study is of very practical relevance, because it yields specific predictions of Undulator Radiation cross-spectral density in various parts of the beamline. On the contrary, usual estimations of coherence properties assume that the undulator source is quasi-homogeneous, like thermal sources, and rely on the application of van Cittert-Zernike (VCZ) theorem, in its original or generalized form, for calculating transverse coherence length in the far-field approximation. The VCZ theorem is derived in the frame of Statistical Optics using a number of restrictive assumptions: in particular, the quasi-homogeneous assumption is demonstrated to be inaccurate in many practical situations regarding undulator sources. We propose a technique to calculate the cross-spectral density from undulator sources in the most general case. Also, we find the region of applicability of the quasi-homogeneous model and we present an analytical expression for the cross-spectral density which is valid up to the exit of the undulator. For the case of more general undulator sources, simple formulas for the transverse coherence length, interpolated from numerical calculations and suitable for beamline design applications are found. Finally, using a simple vertical slit, we show how transverse coherence properties of an X-ray beam can be manipulated to obtain a larger coherent spot-size on a sample. This invention was devised almost entirely on the basis of theoretical ideas developed throughout this paper.

This paper describes a theory of transverse coherence properties of Undulator Radiation. Our study is of very practical relevance, because it yields specific predictions of Undulator Radiation cross-spectral density in various parts of the beamline. On the contrary, usual estimations of coherence properties assume that the undulator source is quasi-homogeneous, like thermal sources, and rely on the application of van Cittert-Zernike (VCZ) theorem, in its original or generalized form, for calculating transverse coherence length in the far-field approximation. The VCZ theorem is derived in the frame of Statistical Optics using a number of restrictive assumptions: in particular, the quasi-homogeneous assumption is demonstrated to be inaccurate in many practical situations regarding undulator sources. We propose a technique to calculate the cross-spectral density from undulator sources in the most general case. Also, we find the region of applicability of the quasi-homogeneous model and we present an analytical expression for the cross-spectral density which is valid up to the exit of the undulator. For the case of more general undulator sources, simple formulas for the transverse coherence length, interpolated from numerical calculations and suitable for beamline design applications are found. Finally, using a simple vertical slit, we show how transverse coherence properties of an X-ray beam can be manipulated to obtain a larger coherent spot-size on a sample. This invention was devised almost entirely on the basis of theoretical ideas developed throughout this paper.

This paper describes a theory of transverse coherence properties of Undulator Radiation. Our study is of very practical relevance, because it yields specific predictions of Undulator Radiation cross-spectral density in various parts of the beamline. On the contrary, usual estimations of coherence properties assume that the undulator source is quasi-homogeneous, like thermal sources, and rely on the application of van Cittert-Zernike (VCZ) theorem, in its original or generalized form, for calculating transverse coherence length in the far-field approximation. The VCZ theorem is derived in the frame of Statistical Optics using a number of restrictive assumptions: in particular, the quasi-homogeneous assumption is demonstrated to be inaccurate in many practical situations regarding undulator sources. We propose a technique to calculate the cross-spectral density from undulator sources in the most general case. Also, we find the region of applicability of the quasi-homogeneous model and we present an analytical expression for the cross-spectral density which is valid up to the exit of the undulator. For the case of more general undulator sources, simple formulas for the transverse coherence length, interpolated from numerical calculations and suitable for beamline design applications are found. Finally, using a simple vertical slit, we show how transverse coherence properties of an X-ray beam can be manipulated to obtain a larger coherent spot-size on a sample. This invention was devised almost entirely on the basis of theoretical ideas developed throughout this paper.

This paper describes a theory of transverse coherence properties of Undulator Radiation. Our study is of very practical relevance, because it yields specific predictions of Undulator Radiation cross-spectral density in various parts of the beamline. On the contrary, usual estimations of coherence properties assume that the undulator source is quasi-homogeneous, like thermal sources, and rely on the application of van Cittert-Zernike (VCZ) theorem, in its original or generalized form, for calculating transverse coherence length in the far-field approximation. The VCZ theorem is derived in the frame of Statistical Optics using a number of restrictive assumptions: in particular, the quasi-homogeneous assumption is demonstrated to be inaccurate in many practical situations regarding undulator sources. We propose a technique to calculate the cross-spectral density from undulator sources in the most general case. Also, we find the region of applicability of the quasi-homogeneous model and we present an analytical expression for the cross-spectral density which is valid up to the exit of the undulator. For the case of more general undulator sources, simple formulas for the transverse coherence length, interpolated from numerical calculations and suitable for beamline design applications are found. Finally, using a simple vertical slit, we show how transverse coherence properties of an X-ray beam can be manipulated to obtain a larger coherent spot-size on a sample. This invention was devised almost entirely on the basis of theoretical ideas developed throughout this paper.

This is an amazing facility with very nice people working there: http://www.nsrrc.org.tw/

The role of longitudinal compressive failure mechanisms in notched cross-ply laminates is studied experimentally with in-situ synchrotron radiation based computed tomography. Carbon/epoxy specimens loaded monotonically in uniaxial compression exhibited a quasi-stable failure process, which was captured with computed tomography scans recorded continuously with a temporal resolutions of 2.4 seconds and a spatial resolution of 1.1 microns per voxel. A detailed chronology of the initiation and propagation of longitudinal matrix splitting cracks, in-plane and out-of-plane kink bands, shear-driven fiber failure, delamination, and transverse matrix cracks is provided with a focus on kink bands as the dominant failure mechanism. An automatic segmentation procedure is developed to identify the boundary surfaces of a kink band. The segmentation procedure enables 3-dimensional visualization of the kink band and conveys the orientation, inclination, and spatial variation of the kink band. The kink band inclination and length are examined using the segmented data revealing tunneling and spatial variations not apparent from studying the 2-dimensional section data.

The role of longitudinal compressive failure mechanisms in notched cross-ply laminates is studied experimentally with in-situ synchrotron radiation based computed tomography. Carbon/epoxy specimens loaded monotonically in uniaxial compression exhibited a quasi-stable failure process, which was captured with computed tomography scans recorded continuously with a temporal resolutions of 2.4 seconds and a spatial resolution of 1.1 microns per voxel. A detailed chronology of the initiation and propagation of longitudinal matrix splitting cracks, in-plane and out-of-plane kink bands, shear-driven fiber failure, delamination, and transverse matrix cracks is provided with a focus on kink bands as the dominant failure mechanism. An automatic segmentation procedure is developed to identify the boundary surfaces of a kink band. The segmentation procedure enables 3-dimensional visualization of the kink band and conveys the orientation, inclination, and spatial variation of the kink band. The kink band inclination and length are examined using the segmented data revealing tunneling and spatial variations not apparent from studying the 2-dimensional section data.

The role of longitudinal compressive failure mechanisms in notched cross-ply laminates is studied experimentally with in-situ synchrotron radiation based computed tomography. Carbon/epoxy specimens loaded monotonically in uniaxial compression exhibited a quasi-stable failure process, which was captured with computed tomography scans recorded continuously with a temporal resolutions of 2.4 seconds and a spatial resolution of 1.1 microns per voxel. A detailed chronology of the initiation and propagation of longitudinal matrix splitting cracks, in-plane and out-of-plane kink bands, shear-driven fiber failure, delamination, and transverse matrix cracks is provided with a focus on kink bands as the dominant failure mechanism. An automatic segmentation procedure is developed to identify the boundary surfaces of a kink band. The segmentation procedure enables 3-dimensional visualization of the kink band and conveys the orientation, inclination, and spatial variation of the kink band. The kink band inclination and length are examined using the segmented data revealing tunneling and spatial variations not apparent from studying the 2-dimensional section data.

Using multi-dimensional PIC simulations we show that the magnetic undulator-type field of the plasma magnetostatic mode is indeed produced by the interaction of a laser pulse with a relativistic ionization front, as predicted by linear theory for a cold plasma. When the front with this magnetostatic mode is followed by a relativistic electron beam, the interaction of the beam with this magnetic field, produces FEL-type synchrotron radiation, providing a direct signature of the magnetostatic mode. The possibility of generating readily detectable ultrashort wavelength radiation using this mode, by employing state-of-the-art laser systems, is demonstrated, thus opening the way towards experimental observation of the hitherto unseen magnetostatic mode and the use of this plasma FEL mechanism to provide a source of high-brilliance ultrashort wavelength radiation.

A quantitative evaluation of dilepton sources in heavy-ion reactions is performed taking into account both thermal and non-thermal production mechanisms. The hadronic thermal emission rate is based on an electromagnetic current-correlation function with a low-mass region (LMR, M \lsim 1 GeV) dominated by vector mesons (\rho, \omega, \phi) and an intermediate-mass region (IMR, 1 GeV \le M \le 3 GeV) characterized by (the onset of) a multi-meson continuum. A convolution of the emission rates over a thermal fireball expansion results in good agreement with experiment in the low-mass spectra, confirming the predicted broadening of the \rho meson in hadronic matter in connection with the prevalence of baryon-induced medium effects. The absolute magnitude of the LMR excess is mostly controlled by the fireball lifetime, which in turn leads to a consistent explanation of the dilepton excess in the IMR in terms of thermal radiation. The analysis of experimental transverse-momentum (q_T) spectra reveals discrepancies with thermal emission for q_T \gsim 1 GeV in noncentral In-In collisions, which we address by extending our calculations by: (i) a refined treatment of \rho decays at thermal freezeout, (ii) primordially produced \rho's subject to energy-loss, (iii) Drell-Yan annihilation, and (iv) thermal radiation from t-channel meson exchange processes. We investigate the sensitivity of dilepton spectra to the critical temperature and hadro-chemical freezeout of the fireball. The \rho broadening in the LMR turns out to be robust, while in the IMR Quark-Gluon Plasma radiation is moderate unless the critical temperature is rather low.

Some high-energy experiments have suffered from synchrotron-radiation background. As a measure, we have developed a new calculation method of synchrotron radiation based on a real beam orbit, aiming at quantitative estimations and the construction of a possible alarm system for the background. An explanation and a demonstration of our method are given.

Some high-energy experiments have suffered from synchrotron-radiation background. As a measure, we have developed a new calculation method of synchrotron radiation based on a real beam orbit, aiming at quantitative estimations and the construction of a possible alarm system for the background. An explanation and a demonstration of our method are given.

The measurement of vacuum polarisation effects, in particular vacuum birefringence, using combined optical and x-ray laser pulses is now actively pursued. Here we briefly examine the feasibility of two alternative setups. The first utilises an alternative target, namely a converging dipole pulse, and the second uses an alternative probe, namely the synchrotron-like emission from highly energetic particles, themselves interacting with a laser pulse. The latter setup has been proposed for experiments at ELI-NP.

The theory of incoherent nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation accompanied by absorption or emission of phonons in a crystal lattice is developed. The theory is based on the Maxwell's equations and time-dependent quantum mechanics under the condition of incoherent scattering of radiation by various nuclei. A concept of coherence in scattering processes, properties of the synchrotron radiation, and conditions of measurement are discussed. We show that employing the monochromator with a narrow bandwidth plays a decisive role.

New resonant emission of dispersive waves by oscillating solitary structures is considered analytically and numerically. The resonance condition for the radiation is derived and it is demonstrated that the predicted resonances match the spectral lines observed in numerical simulations perfectly. The complex recoil of the radiation on the soliton dynamics is discussed.

Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are well established as an important weight-reducing structural technology, particularly within the aerospace sector due to their high specific stiffness and strength. CFRPs are widely identified as being very fatigue resistant, but typically this advantage is not fully exploited in design. Understanding and predicting the durability of these materials is of great interest. The current work aimed to delineate the micro-mechanisms of fatigue damage in carbon fiber-epoxy laminated composites using in situ and ex situ synchrotron radiation computed tomography (SRCT). Several novel observations have been obtained for the micro-mechanisms of fatigue crack growth. Broadly similar micro-mechanisms of damage initiation have been identified in fatigue and quasi-static loading in a particle-toughened carbon fiber-epoxy composite system. Results showed that damage propagation is closely related to the local microstructure. Toughened systems exhibit different damage behavior in resin-rich regions and fiber-packed zones, which appears to exaggerate non-uniform crack growth. Zones of retarded crack growth correspond to resin rich regions, which contain bridging ligaments. There is evidence that the load cycling contributes to progressive failure of bridging ligaments in the crack wake, especially in the toughened particle system. The un-toughened system showed more uniform damage propagation across the crack front, due to the more uniform microstructure and showed a higher number of fiber breaks within the 0 plies with respect to the toughened systems, particularly within regions close to the 0 ply splits. It seems likely that a key mechanism of fatigue in the toughened-particle system on intralaminar loading is the degradation of bridging ligaments introduced by particles in the fatigue crack wake rather than due to processes at, or ahead of the crack tip.

Polarization of synchrotron radiation and the quasi-transverse propagation region

Galactic cosmic rays up to energies of around 10^15 eV are assumed to originate in supernova remnants (SNRs). The shock wave of a young SNR like SN 1006 AD can accelerate electrons to energies greater than 1 TeV, where they can produce synchrotron radiation in the X-ray band. A new model (SRESC) designed to model synchrotron X-rays from Type Ia supernovae can constrain values for the magnetic-field strength and electron scattering properties, with implications for the acceleration of the unseen ions which dominate the cosmic-ray energetics. New observations by ASCA, ROSAT, and RXTE have provided enormously improved data, which now extend to higher X-ray energies. These data allow much firmer constraints. We will describe model fits to these new data on SN 1006 AD, emphasizing the physical constraints that can be placed on SNRs and on the cosmic-ray acceleration process.

We investigate the effect of shear in the flow of charged particle equilibria that are unstable to the Coherent Synchrotron Radiation (CSR) instability. Shear may act to quench this instability because it acts to limit the size of the region with a fixed phase relation between emitters. The results are important for the understanding of astrophysical sources of coherent radiation where shear in the flow is likely.

We study the stability of a collisionless, relativistic, finite-strength, cylindrical layer of charged particles in free space by solving the linearized Vlasov-Maxwell equations and compute the power of the emitted electromagnetic waves. The layer is rotating in an external magnetic field parallel to the layer. This system is of interest to understanding the high brightness temperature of pulsars which cannot be explained by an incoherent radiation mechanism. Coherent synchrotron radiation has also been observed recently in bunch compressors used in particle accelerators. We consider equilibrium layers with a `thermal' energy spread and therefore a non-zero radial thickness. The particles interact with their retarded electromagnetic self-fields. The effect of the betatron oscillations is retained. A short azimuthal wavelength instability is found which causes a modulation of the charge and current densities. The growth rate is found to be an increasing function of the azimuthal wavenumber, a decreasing function of the Lorentz factor, and proportional to the square root of the total number of electrons. We argue that the growth of the unstable perturbation saturates when the trapping frequency of electrons in the wave becomes comparable to the growth rate. Owing to this saturation we can predict the radiation spectrum for a given set of parameters. Our predicted brightness temperatures are proportional to the square of the number of particles and scale by the inverse five-third power of the azimuthal wavenumber which is in rough accord with the observed spectra of radio pulsars.

We propose a hole-induced mechanism of spin-polarized current generation by circularly polarized synchrotron radiation and corresponding induced magnetization in magnetically-doped topological insulators Bi$_{1.37}$V$_{0.03}$Sb$_{0.6}$Te$_2$Se. Considered spin-polarized current is generated due to the spin-dependent depopulation of the Dirac cone topological surface states at the Fermi level and subsequent compensation of the generated holes. We have found experimentally and theoretically a relation between the generated spin-polarized current and the shift of the electrochemical potential. The out-of-plane magnetization induced by circularly polarized synchrotron radiation and its inversion with switching the direction of circular polarization were experimentally shown and theoretically confirmed.

We study the magneto-hydrodynamic tearing instability occurring in a double current sheet configuration when a guide field is present. This is investigated by means of resistive relativistic magneto-hydrodynamic (RRMHD) simulations. Following the dynamics of the double tearing mode (DTM), we are able to compute synthetic synchrotron spectra in the explosive reconnection phase. The pulsar striped wind model represents a site where such current sheets are formed, including a guide field. The variability of the Crab nebula/pulsar system, seen as flares, can be therefore naturally explained by the DTM explosive phase in the striped wind. Our results indicate that the Crab GeV flare can be explained by the double tearing mode in the striped wind region if the magnetization parameter $\sigma$ is around $10^5$.

The paper describes a new concept of visible pump/X-ray probe/slow detector experiments that could be performed at third-generation synchrotron light sources. We propose a technique that would allow time resolution up to femtosecond capabilities to be recovered from a long (100 ps) X-ray probe pulse. The visible pump pulse must be as short as the desired time resolution. The principle of operation of the proposed pump-probe scheme is essentially based on the statistical properties of the synchrotron radiation. These properties are well known in statistical optics as properties of completely chaotic polarized light. Our technique utilizes the fact that, for any synchrotron light beam there exist some characteristic time (coherence time), which determines the time-scale of the random fluctuations. The typical coherence time of soft X-ray synchrotron light at the exit of monochromator is in the femtosecond range. An excited state is prepared with a pump pulse and then projected with a probe pulse onto a final ion state. The first statistical quantity of interest is the variance of the number of photoelectrons detected during synchrotron radiation pulse. The statistics of concern are defined over an ensemble of synchrotron radiation pulses. From a set of variances measured as a function of coherence time (inversely proportional to monochromator bandwidth) it is possible to reconstruct the femtosecond dynamical process.

The radiation emitted by a charged particle moving along a helical orbit inside a dielectric cylinder immersed into a homogeneous medium is investigated. Expressions are derived for the electromagnetic potentials, electric and magnetic fields, and for the spectral-angular distribution of radiation in the exterior medium. It is shown that under the Cherenkov condition for dielectric permittivity of the cylinder and the velocity of the particle image on the cylinder surface, strong narrow peaks are present in the angular distribution for the number of radiated quanta. At these peaks the radiated energy exceeds the corresponding quantity for a homogeneous medium by some orders of magnitude. The results of numerical calculations for the angular distribution of radiated quanta are presented and they are compared with the corresponding quantities for radiation in a homogeneous medium. The special case of relativistic charged particle motion along the direction of the cylinder axis with non-relativistic transverse velocity (helical undulator) is considered in detail. Various regimes for the undulator parameter are discussed. It is shown that the presence of the cylinder can increase essentially the radiation intensity.

We performed a spectral analysis of some Chandra ACIS and RXTE PCA data for the supernova remnant Cas A. A very large (1.1 Ms) ACIS data set is used to identify regions dominated by synchrotron radiation. The best-fit spectral models for these regions are combined to obtain a composite synchrotron model for the entire remnant. The difference between this model and the observed PCA flux is fitted with a nonthermal bremsstrahlung model. The results of this analysis suggest that (1) the ratio of the nonthermal bremsstrahlung to synchrotron radiation varies from about 2:1 to 4:1 in the 10-32 keV energy band, (2) the electron spectrum is significantly steeper at 10-32 keV than it is at 1 GeV, (3) about 5% of the electrons are nonthermal and (4) about 30% of the energy in the electron distribution is in nonthermal electrons.

The notion of brightness is efficiently conveyed in geometric optics as density of rays in phase space. Wigner has introduced his famous distribution in quantum mechanics as a quasi-probability density of a quantum system in phase space. Naturally, the same formalism can be used to represent light including all the wave phenomena. It provides a natural framework for radiation propagation and optics matching by transferring the familiar `baggage' of accelerator physics (beta-function, emittance, phase space transforms, etc.) to synchrotron radiation. This paper details many of the properties of the Wigner distribution and provides examples of how its use enables physically insightful description of partially coherent synchrotron radiation in phase space.

According to literature, while calculating the brightness of synchrotron radiation from wigglers, one needs to account for the so called `depth-of-field' effects. In fact, the particle beam cross section varies along the wiggler. It is usually stated that the effective photon source size increases accordingly, while the brightness is reduced. Here we claim that this is a misconception originating from an analysis of the wiggler source based on geometrical arguments, regarded as almost self-evident. According to electrodynamics, depth-of-field effects do not exist: we demonstrate this statement both theoretically and numerically, using a well-known first-principle computer code. This fact shows that under the usually accepted approximations, the description of the wiggler brightness turns out to be inconsistent even qualitatively. Therefore, there is a need for a well-defined procedure for computing the brightness from a wiggler source. We accomplish this task based on the use of a Wigner function formalism. In the geometrical optics limit computations can be performed analytically. Within this limit, we restrict ourselves to the case of the beam size-dominated regime, which is typical for synchrotron radiation facilities in the X-ray wavelength range. We give a direct demonstration of the fact that the apparent horizontal source size is broadened in proportion to the beamline opening angle and to the length of the wiggler. While this effect is well-understood, a direct proof appears not to have been given elsewhere. We consider the problem of the calculation of the wiggler source size by means of numerical simulations alone, which play the same role of an experiment. We report a significant numerical disagreement between exact calculations and approximations currently used in literature.

The focusing strength of plasma lenses used with high energy electron or positron beams can give rise to synchrotron radiation with critical energies in the MeV range. A method is described for measuring the characteristic energy of this radiation as a way of monitoring the strength of the focus. The principle has been implemented in a plasma lens experiment with a 28.5 GeV positron beam.

The focusing strength of plasma lenses used with high energy electron or positron beams can give rise to synchrotron radiation with critical energies in the MeV range. A method is described for measuring the characteristic energy of this radiation as a way of monitoring the strength of the focus. The principle has been implemented in a plasma lens experiment with a 28.5 GeV positron beam.