arXiv subjects

M. Turner

Publications and source records attributed to M. Turner.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Transition between Instability and Seeded Self-Modulation of a Relativistic Particle Bunch in Plasma

We use a relativistic ionization front to provide various initial transverse wakefield amplitudes for the self-modulation of a long proton bunch in plasma. We show experimentally that, with sufficient initial amplitude ($\ge(4.1\pm0.4)$ MV/m), the phase of the modulation along the bunch is reproducible from event to event, with 3 to 7% (of 2$π$) rms variations all along the bunch. The phase is not reproducible for lower initial amplitudes. We observe the transition between these two regimes. Phase reproducibility is essential for deterministic external injection of particles to be accelerated.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2020

Proton beam defocusing in AWAKE: comparison of simulations and measurements

In 2017, AWAKE demonstrated the seeded self-modulation (SSM) of a 400 GeV proton beam from the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) at CERN. The angular distribution of the protons deflected due to SSM is a quantitative measure of the process, which agrees with simulations by the two-dimensional (axisymmetric) particle-in-cell code LCODE. Agreement is achieved for beam populations between $10^{11}$ and $3 \times 10^{11}$ particles, various plasma density gradients ($-20 ÷20\%$) and two plasma densities ($2\times 10^{14} \text{cm}^{-3}$ and $7 \times 10^{14} \text{cm}^{-3}$). The agreement is reached only in the case of a wide enough simulation box (at least five plasma wavelengths).

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2020

Experimental Study of Wakefields Driven by a Self-Modulating Proton Bunch in Plasma

We study experimentally the longitudinal and transverse wakefields driven by a highly relativistic proton bunch during self-modulation in plasma. We show that the wakefields' growth and amplitude increase with increasing seed amplitude as well as with the proton bunch charge in the plasma. We study transverse wakefields using the maximum radius of the proton bunch distribution measured on a screen downstream from the plasma. We study longitudinal wakefields by externally injecting electrons and measuring their final energy. Measurements agree with trends predicted by theory and numerical simulations and validate our understanding of the development of self-modulation. Experiments were performed in the context of the Advanced Wakefield Experiment (AWAKE).

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2020

Seeding self-modulation of a long proton bunch with a short electron bunch

We briefly compare in numerical simulations the relativistic ionization front and electron bunch seeding of the self-modulation of a relativistic proton bunch in plasma. When parameters are such that initial wakefields are equal with the two seeding methods, the evolution of the maximum longitudinal wakefields along the plasma are similar. We also propose a possible seeding/injection scheme using a single plasma that we will study in upcoming simulations works.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2020

Electron beam characterization with beam loss monitors in AWAKE

We present a method to measure transverse size and position of an electron or proton beam, close to the injection point in plasma wakefields, where other diagnostics are not available. We show that transverse size measurements are in agreement with values expected from the beam optics with a $< 10\%$ uncertainty. We confirm the deflection of the low-energy 18 MeV electron beam trajectory by the Earth's magnetic field. This measurement can be used to correct for this effect and set proper electron bunch injection parameters. The advanced wakefield experiment at CERN (AWAKE) relies on these measurements for optimizing electron injection.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2018

Experimental observation of plasma wakefield growth driven by the seeded self-modulation of a proton bunch

We measure the effects of transverse wakefields driven by a relativistic proton bunch in plasma with densities of $2.1\times10^{14}$ and \unit[$7.7\times10^{14}$]{electrons/cm$^3$}. We show that these wakefields periodically defocus the proton bunch itself, consistently with the development of the seeded self-modulation process. We show that the defocusing increases both along the bunch and along the plasma by using time resolved and time-integrated measurements of the proton bunch transverse distribution. We evaluate the transverse wakefield amplitudes and show that they exceed their seed value (\unit[$<$15]{MV/m}) and reach over \unit[300]{MV/m}. All these results confirm the development of the seeded self-modulation process, a necessary condition for external injection of low energy and acceleration of electrons to multi-GeV energy levels.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2018

Acceleration of electrons in the plasma wakefield of a proton bunch

High energy particle accelerators have been crucial in providing a deeper understanding of fundamental particles and the forces that govern their interactions. In order to increase the energy or reduce the size of the accelerator, new acceleration schemes need to be developed. Plasma wakefield acceleration, in which the electrons in a plasma are excited, leading to strong electric fields, is one such promising novel acceleration technique. Pioneering experiments have shown that an intense laser pulse or electron bunch traversing a plasma, drives electric fields of 10s GV/m and above. These values are well beyond those achieved in conventional RF accelerators which are limited to ~0.1 GV/m. A limitation of laser pulses and electron bunches is their low stored energy, which motivates the use of multiple stages to reach very high energies. The use of proton bunches is compelling, as they have the potential to drive wakefields and accelerate electrons to high energy in a single accelerating stage. The long proton bunches currently available can be used, as they undergo self-modulation, a particle-plasma interaction which longitudinally splits the bunch into a series of high density microbunches, which then act resonantly to create large wakefields. The AWAKE experiment at CERN uses intense bunches of protons, each of energy 400 GeV, with a total bunch energy of 19 kJ, to drive a wakefield in a 10 m long plasma. Bunches of electrons are injected into the wakefield formed by the proton microbunches. This paper presents measurements of electrons accelerated up to 2 GeV at AWAKE. This constitutes the first demonstration of proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration. The potential for this scheme to produce very high energy electron bunches in a single accelerating stage means that the results shown here are a significant step towards the development of future high energy particle accelerators.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2018

Upgrade of the Two-Screen Measurement Setup in the AWAKE Experiment

The AWAKE project at CERN uses a self-modulated \SI{400}{GeV/c} proton bunch to drive GV/m wakefields in a \SI{10}{m} long plasma with an electron density of $n_{pe} = 7 \times 10^{14}\,\rm{electrons/cm}^3$. We present the upgrade of a proton beam diagnostic to indirectly prove that the bunch self-modulated by imaging defocused protons with two screens downstream the end of the plasma. The two-screen diagnostic has been installed, commissioned and tested in autumn 2016 and limitations were identified. We plan to install an upgraded diagnostics to overcome these limitations.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2018

Status and Prospects for the AWAKE Experiment

The AWAKE Collaboration is pursuing a demonstration of proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration of electrons. The AWAKE experiment uses a \SI{400}{GeV/c} proton bunch from the CERN SPS, with a rms bunch length of $6$-\SI{15}{cm}, to drive wakefields in a \SI{10}{m} long rubidium plasma with an electron density of $10^{14}-10^{15}$cm$^{-3}$. Since the drive bunch length is much longer than the plasma wavelength ($λ_{pe}<$\SI{3}{mm}) for these plasma densities, AWAKE performed experiments to prove that the long proton bunch self-modulates in the plasma (2017). The next step is to demonstrate acceleration of electrons in the wakefields driven by the self-modulated bunch (2018). We summarize the concept of the self-modulation measurements and describe the plans and challenges for the electron acceleration experiments.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2017

AWAKE readiness for the study of the seeded self-modulation of a 400\,GeV proton bunch

AWAKE is a proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration experiment. % We show that the experimental setup briefly described here is ready for systematic study of the seeded self-modulation of the 400\,GeV proton bunch in the 10\,m-long rubidium plasma with density adjustable from 1 to 10$\times10^{14}$\,cm$^{-3}$. % We show that the short laser pulse used for ionization of the rubidium vapor propagates all the way along the column, suggesting full ionization of the vapor. % We show that ionization occurs along the proton bunch, at the laser time and that the plasma that follows affects the proton bunch. %

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2016

Indirect Self-Modulation Instability Measurement Concept for the AWAKE Proton Beam

AWAKE, the Advanced Proton-Driven Plasma Wakefield Acceleration Experiment, is a proof-of-principle R&D experiment at CERN using a 400 GeV/c proton beam from the CERN SPS (longitudinal beam size sigma_z = 12 cm) which will be sent into a 10 m long plasma section with a nominal density of approx. 7x10^14 atoms/cm3 (plasma wavelength lambda_p = 1.2mm). In this paper we show that by measuring the time integrated transverse profile of the proton bunch at two locations downstream of the AWAKE plasma, information about the occurrence of the self-modulation instability (SMI) can be inferred. In particular we show that measuring defocused protons with an angle of 1 mrad corresponds to having electric fields in the order of GV/m and fully developed self-modulation of the proton bunch. Additionally, by measuring the defocused beam edge of the self-modulated bunch, information about the growth rate of the instability can be extracted. If hosing instability occurs, it could be detected by measuring a non-uniform defocused beam shape with changing radius. Using a 1 mm thick Chromox scintillation screen for imaging of the self-modulated proton bunch, an edge resolution of 0.6 mm and hence a SMI saturation point resolution of 1.2 m can be achieved.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2015

AWAKE, The Advanced Proton Driven Plasma Wakefield Acceleration Experiment at CERN

The Advanced Proton Driven Plasma Wakefield Acceleration Experiment (AWAKE) aims at studying plasma wakefield generation and electron acceleration driven by proton bunches. It is a proof-of-principle R&D experiment at CERN and the world's first proton driven plasma wakefield acceleration experiment. The AWAKE experiment will be installed in the former CNGS facility and uses the 400 GeV/c proton beam bunches from the SPS. The first experiments will focus on the self-modulation instability of the long (rms ~12 cm) proton bunch in the plasma. These experiments are planned for the end of 2016. Later, in 2017/2018, low energy (~15 MeV) electrons will be externally injected to sample the wakefields and be accelerated beyond 1 GeV. The main goals of the experiment will be summarized. A summary of the AWAKE design and construction status will be presented.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2014

MUSE observations of the lensing cluster SMACSJ2031.8-4036: new constraints on the mass distribution in the cluster core

We present new observations of the lensing cluster SMACSJ2031.8-4036 obtained with the MUSE integral field spectrograph as part of its commissioning on the Very Large Telescope. By providing medium-resolution spectroscopy over the full 4750-9350 Angstroms domain and a 1x1 arcmin2 field of view, MUSE is ideally suited for identifying lensed galaxies in the cluster core, in particular multiple-imaged systems. We perform a redshift analysis of all sources in the datacube and identify a total of 12 systems ranging from $z=1.46$ to $z=6.4$, with all images of each system confirmed by a spectroscopic redshift. This allows us to accurately constrain the cluster mass profile in this region. We foresee that future MUSE observations of cluster cores should help us discover very faint Lyman-alpha emitters thanks to the strong magnification and the high sensitivity of this instrument.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

Period-Color and Amplitude-Color Relations in Classical Cepheid Variables - VI. New Challenges for Pulsation Models

We present multiphase Period-Color/Amplitude-Color/Period-Luminosity relations using OGLE III and Galactic Cepheid data and compare with state of the art theoretical pulsation models. Using this new way to compare models and observations, we find convincing evidence that both Period-Color and Period-Luminosity Relations as a function of phase are dynamic and highly nonlinear at certain pulsation phases. We extend this to a multiphase Wesenheit function and find the same result. Hence our results cannot be due to reddening errors. We present statistical tests and the urls of movies depicting the Period-Color/Period Luminosity and Wesenheit relations as a function of phase for the LMC OGLE III Cepheid data: these tests and movies clearly demonstrate nonlinearity as a function of phase and offer a new window toward a deeper understanding of stellar pulsation. When comparing with models, we find that the models also predict this nonlinearity in both Period-Color and Period-Luminosity planes. The models with (Z=0.004, Y=0.25) fare better in mimicking the LMC Cepheid relations, particularly at longer periods, though the models predict systematically higher amplitudes than the observations.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2009

Multiphase PC/PL Relations: Comparison between Theory and observations

Cepheids are fundamental objects astrophysically in that they hold the key to a CMB independent estimate of Hubble's constant. A number of researchers have pointed out the possibilities of breaking degeneracies between Omega_Matter and H0 if there is a CMB independent distance scale accurate to a few percent (Hu 2005). Current uncertainties in the distance scale are about 10% but future observations, with, for example, the JWST, will be capable of estimating H0 to within a few percent. A crucial step in this process is the Cepheid PL relation. Recent evidence has emerged that the PL relation, at least in optical bands, is nonlinear and that neglect of such a nonlinearity can lead to errors in estimating H0 of up to 2 percent. Hence it is important to critically examine this possible nonlinearity both observationally and theoretically. Existing PC/PL relations rely exclusively on evaluating these relations at mean light. However, since such relations are the average of relations at different phases. Here we report on recent attempts to compare theory and observation in the multiphase PC/PL planes. We construct state of the art Cepheid pulsations models appropriate for the LMC/Galaxy and compare the resulting PC/PL relations as a function of phase with observations. For the LMC, the (V-I) period-color relation at minimum light can have quite a narrow dispersion (0.2-0.3 mags) and thus could be useful in placing constraints on models. At longer periods, the models predict significantly redder (by about 0.2-0.3 mags) V-I colors. We discuss possible reasons for this and also compare PL relations at various phases of pulsation and find clear evidence in both theory and observations for a nonlinear PL relation.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2003

SIMBOL-X : a new generation hard X-ray telescope

SIMBOL-X is a hard X-ray mission, operating in the 0.5-70 keV range, which is proposed by a consortium of European laboratories for a launch around 2010. Relying on two spacecraft in a formation flying configuration, SIMBOL-X uses a 30 m focal length X-ray mirror to achieve an unprecedented angular resolution (30 arcsec HEW) and sensitivity (100 times better than INTEGRAL below 50 keV) in the hard X-ray range. SIMBOL-X will allow to elucidate fundamental questions in high energy astrophysics, such as the physics of accretion onto Black Holes, of acceleration in quasar jets and in supernovae remnants, or the nature of the hard X-ray diffuse emission. The scientific objectives and the baseline concepts of the mission and hardware design are presented.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

The first broad-band X-ray images and spectra of the 30 Doradus region in the LMC

We present the XMM-Newton first light image, taken in January 2000 with the EPIC pn camera during the instrument's commissioning phase, when XMM-Newton was pointing towards the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The field is rich in different kinds of X-ray sources: point sources, supernova remnants (SNRs) and diffuse X-ray emission from LMC interstellar gas. The observations are of unprecedented sensitivity, reaching a few 10^32 erg/s for point sources in the LMC. We describe how these data sets were analysed and discuss some of the spectroscopic results. For the SNR N157B the power law spectrum is clearly steeper than previously determined from ROSAT and ASCA data. The existence of a significant thermal component is evident and suggests that N157B is not a Crab-like but a composite SNR. Most puzzling is the spectrum of the LMC hot interstellar medium, which indicates a significant overabundance of Ne and Mg of a few times solar.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

XMM-Newton observation of the Lockman Hole; I. The X-ray Data

We report on the first deep X-ray survey with the XMM-Newton observatory during the performance verification phase. The field of the Lockman Hole, one of the best studied sky areas over a very wide range of wavelengths, has been observed. A total of ~100 ksec good exposure time has been accumulated. Combining the images of the European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC) detectors we reach a flux limit of 0.31, 1.4 and 2.4 X 10^{-15} erg cm^{-2} s^{-1}, respectively in the 0.5-2, 2-10, and 5-10 keV band. Within an off-axis angle of 10 arcmin we detect 148, 112 and 61 sources, respectively. The log(N)-log(S) relation in the three bands is compared with previous results. In particular in the 5-10 keV band these observations present the deepest X-ray survey ever, about a factor 20 more sensitive than the previous BeppoSAX observations. Using X-ray spectral diagnostics and the set of previously known, spectroscopically identified ROSAT sources in the field, the new sources can be classified. XMM-Newton detects a significant number (~40%) of X-ray sources with hard, probably intrinsically absorbed X-ray spectra, confirming a prediction of the population synthesis models for the X-ray background.

astro-ph↗