arXiv subjects

Q. Ji

Publications and source records attributed to Q. Ji.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

W-shaped Broadband Attenuation of Longitudinal Waves through Composite Elastic Metamaterial

We investigate a composite elastic meta-slab with exceptional transmission properties, particularly the presence of a W-shaped bandgap. A comprehensive study, utilizing experimental measurements, the finite element method, and an analytical approach, identifies this specific bandgap. The meta-slab design involves cutting an array of composite materials arranged in parallel with strategically placed incisions. This configuration ensures that the materials between the slits act as plate-like waveguides within the surrounding medium. The incorporation of steel into ABS-based Fabry-Perot cavities induces a notable coupling effect between longitudinal waves and localized modes traversing the structure, leading to the formation of two distinct Fabry-Perot resonators. These coupling effects generate a series of resonances and antiresonances, ultimately producing the W-band gap through the interaction of two symmetric Fano resonances.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Modeling and Design of Compact, Permanent-Magnet Transport Systems for Highly Divergent, Broad Energy Spread Laser-Driven Proton Beams

Laser-driven (LD) ion acceleration has been explored in a newly constructed short focal length beamline at the BELLA petawatt facility (interaction point 2, iP2). For applications utilizing such LD ion beams, a beam transport system is required, which for reasons of compactness be ideally contained within 3 m. While they are generated from a micron-scale source, large divergence and energy spread of LD ion beams present a unique challenge to transporting them compared to beams from conventional accelerators. This study gives an overview of proposed compact transport designs using permanent magnets satisfying different requirements depending on the application for the iP2 proton beamline such as radiation biology, material science, and high energy density science. These designs are optimized for different parameters such as energy spread and peak proton density according to the application's need. The various designs consist solely of permanent magnet elements, which can provide high magnetic field gradients on a small footprint. While the field strengths are fixed, we have shown that the beam size is able to be tuned effectively by varying the placement of the magnets. The performance of each design was evaluated based on high order particle tracking simulations of typical LD proton beams. We also examine the ability of certain configurations to tune and select beam energies, critical for specific applications. A more detailed investigation was carried out for a design to deliver 10 MeV LD accelerated ions for radiation biology applications. With these transport system designs, the iP2 beamline is ready to house various application experiments.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2022

Carbon nanotube substrates enhance SARS-CoV-2 spike protein ion yields in matrix assisted laser desorption-ionization mass spectrometry

Nanostructured surfaces enhance ion yields in matrix assisted laser desorption-ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). The spike protein complex, S1, is one fingerprint signature of Sars-CoV-2 with a mass of 75 kDa. Here, we show that MALDI-MS yields of Sars-CoV-2 spike protein ions in the 100 kDa range are enhanced 50-fold when the matrix-analyte solution is placed on substrates that are coated with a dense forest of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, compared to yields from uncoated substrates. Nanostructured substrates can support the development of mass spectrometry techniques for sensitive pathogen detection and environmental monitoring.

physics.bio-ph↗

arXiv2021

Beam power scale-up in MEMS based multi-beam ion accelerators

We report on the development of multi-beam RF linear ion accelerators that are formed from stacks of low cost wafers and describe the status of beam power scale-up using an array of 120 beams. The total argon ion current extracted from the 120-beamlet extraction column was 0.5 mA. The measured energy gain in each RF gap reached as high as 7.25 keV. We present a path of using this technology to achieve ion currents >1 mA and ion energies >100 keV for applications in materials processing.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2019

Investigation of light ion fusion reactions with plasma discharges

The scaling of reaction yields in light ion fusion to low reaction energies is important for our understanding of stellar fuel chains and the development of future energy technologies. Experiments become progressively more challenging at lower reaction energies due to the exponential drop of fusion cross sections below the Coulomb barrier. We report on experiments where deuterium-deuterium (D-D) fusion reactions are studied in a pulsed plasma in the glow discharge regime using a benchtop apparatus. We model plasma conditions using particle-in-cell codes. Advantages of this approach are relatively high peak ion currents and current densities (0.1 to several A/cm^2) that can be applied to metal wire cathodes for several days. We detect neutrons from D-D reactions with scintillator-based detectors. For palladium targets, we find neutron yields as a function of cathode voltage that are over 100 times higher than yields expected for bare nuclei fusion at ion energies below 2 keV (center of mass frame). A possible explanation is a correction to the ion energy due to an electron screening potential of 1000+/-250 eV, which increases the probability for tunneling through the repulsive Coulomb barrier. Our compact, robust setup enables parametric studies of this effect at relatively low reaction energies.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2019

Compact, directional neutron detectors capable of high-resolution nuclear recoil imaging

We report on the design, production, and performance of compact 40-cm$^3$ Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) that detect fast neutrons by measuring the three-dimensional (3D) ionization distribution of nuclear recoils in $^4$He:CO$_2$ gas at atmospheric pressure. We use these detectors to characterize the fast-neutron flux inside the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB electron-positron collider in Tsukuba, Japan, where the primary design constraint is a small form factor. We find that the TPCs meet or exceed all design specifications, and are capable of measuring the 3D surface shape and charge density profile of ionization clouds from nuclear recoils and charged tracks in exquisite detail. Scaled-up detectors based on the detection principle demonstrated here may be suitable for directional dark matter searches, measurements of coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering, and other experiments requiring precise detection of neutrons or nuclear recoils.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

Design and Implementation of a Thomson Parabola for Fluence Dependent Energy-Loss Measurements at the Neutralized Drift Compression eXperiment

The interaction of ion beams with matter includes the investigation of the basic principles of ion stopping in heated materials. An unsolved question is the effect of different, especially higher, ion beam fluences on ion stopping in solid targets. This is relevant in applications such as in fusion sciences. To address this question, a Thomson parabola was built for the Neutralized Drift Compression eXperiment (NDCX-II) for ion energy-loss measurements at different ion beam fluences. The linear induction accelerator NDCX-II delivers 2 ns short, intense ion pulses, up to several tens of nC/pulse, or 10$^{10}$-10$^{11}$ ions, with a peak kinetic energy of ~1.1 MeV and a minimal spot size of 2 mm FWHM. For this particular accelerator the energy determination with conventional beam diagnostics, for example, time of flight measurements, is imprecise due to the non-trivial longitudinal phase space of the beam. In contrast, a Thomson parabola is well suited to reliably determine the beam energy distribution. The Thomson parabola differentiates charged particles by energy and charge-to-mass ratio, through deflection of charged particles by electric and magnetic fields. During first proof-of-principle experiments, we achieved to reproduce the average initial helium beam energy as predicted by computer simulations with a deviation of only 1.4 %. Successful energy-loss measurements with 1 μm thick Silicon Nitride foils show the suitability of the accelerator for such experiments. The initial ion energy was determined during a primary measurement without a target, while a second measurement, incorporating the target, was used to determine the transmitted energy. The energy-loss was then determined as the difference between the two energies.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

Waferscale Electrostatic Quadrupole Array for Multiple Ion Beam Manipulation

We report on the first through-wafer silicon-based Electrostatic Quadrupole Array (ESQA) to focus high energy ion beams. This device is a key enabler for a wafer based accelerator architecture that lends itself to orders-of-magnitude reduction in cost, volume and weight of charged particle accelerators. ESQs are a key building block in developing compact Multiple Electrostatic Quadrupole Array Linear Accelerator (MEQALAC) [1]. In a MEQALAC electrostatic forces are used to focus ions, and electrostatic field scaling permits high beam current densities by decreasing the beam aperture size for a given peak electric field set by breakdown limitations. Using multiple parallel beams, each totaling to an area A, can result in higher total beam current compared to a single aperture beam of the same area. Smaller dimensions also allow for higher focusing electric field gradients and therefore higher average beam current density. Here we demonstrate that Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) micromachined pillar electrodes, electrically isolated by silicon-nitride thin films enable higher performance ESQA with waferscale scalability. The fabricated ESQA are able to hold up to1 kV in air. A 3*3 array of 12 keV argon ion beams are focused in a wafer accelerator unit cell to pave the way for multiple wafer accelerator.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2018

Demonstration of a compact linear accelerator

Recently, we presented a new approach for a compact radio-frequency (RF) accelerator structure and demonstrated the functionality of the individual components: acceleration units and focusing elements. In this paper, we combine these units to form a working accelerator structure including a matching section between the ion source extraction grids and the RF-acceleration unit. The matching section consist of six electrostatic quadrupoles (ESQs) fabricated using 3D-printing techniques. The matching section enables us to capture twice the amount of beam and match the beam envelope to conditions for an acceleration lattice. We present data from an integrated accelerator consisting of the source, matching section, and an ESQ doublet sandwiched between two RF-acceleration units.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2017

Staging of RF-accelerating units in a MEMS-based ion accelerator

Multiple Electrostatic Quadrupole Array Linear Accelerators (MEQALACs) provide an opportunity to realize compact radio-frequency (RF) accelerator structures that can deliver very high beam currents. MEQALACs have been previously realized with acceleration gap distances and beam aperture sizes of the order of centimeters. Through advances in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) fabrication, MEQALACs can now be scaled down to the sub-millimeter regime and batch processed on wafer substrates. In this paper, we show first results from using three RF stages in a compact MEMS-based ion accelerator. The results presented show proof-of-concept with accelerator structures formed from printed circuit boards using a 3x3 beamlet arrangement and noble gas ions at 10 keV. We present a simple model to describe the measured results. The model is then used to examine some of the aspects of this approach, such as possible effects of alignment errors. We also discuss some of the scaling behaviour of a compact MEQALAC. The MEMS-based approach enables a low-cost, highly versatile accelerator covering a wide range of beam energies and currents. Applications include ion-beam analysis, mass spectrometry, materials processing, and at very high beam powers, plasma heating.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2017

A compact linear accelerator based on a scalable microelectromechanical-system RF-structure

A new approach for a compact radio-frequency (RF) accelerator structure is presented. The new accelerator architecture is based on the Multiple Electrostatic Quadrupole Array Linear Accelerator (MEQALAC) structure that was first developed in the 1980s. The MEQALAC utilized RF resonators producing the accelerating fields and providing for higher beam currents through parallel beamlets focused using arrays of electrostatic quadrupoles (ESQs). While the early work obtained ESQs with lateral dimensions on the order of a few centimeters, using printed circuits board (PCB), we reduce the characteristic dimension to the millimeter regime, while massively scaling up the potential number of parallel beamlets. Using Microelectromechanical systems scalable fabrication approaches, we are working on further reducing the characteristic dimension to the sub-millimeter regime. The technology is based on RF-acceleration components and ESQs implemented in PCB or silicon wafers where each beamlet passes through beam apertures in the wafer. The complete accelerator is then assembled by stacking these wafers. This approach has the potential for fast and inexpensive batch fabrication of the components and flexibility in system design for application specific beam energies and currents. For prototyping the accelerator architecture, the components have been fabricated using PCB. In this paper, we present proof of concept results of the principal components using PCB: RF acceleration and ESQ focusing. Ongoing developments on implementing components in silicon and scaling of the accelerator technology to high currents and beam energies are discussed.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2017

Irradiation of Materials with Short, Intense Ion pulses at NDCX-II

We present an overview of the performance of the Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment-II (NDCX-II) accelerator at Berkeley Lab, and report on recent target experiments on beam driven melting and transmission ion energy loss measurements with nanosecond and millimeter-scale ion beam pulses and thin tin foils. Bunches with around 10^11 ions, 1-mm radius, and 2-30 ns FWHM duration have been created with corresponding fluences in the range of 0.1 to 0.7 J/cm^2. To achieve these short pulse durations and mm-scale focal spot radii, the 1.1 MeV He+ ion beam is neutralized in a drift compression section, which removes the space charge defocusing effect during final compression and focusing. The beam space charge and drift compression techniques resemble necessary beam conditions and manipulations in heavy ion inertial fusion accelerators. Quantitative comparison of detailed particle-in-cell simulations with the experiment play an important role in optimizing accelerator performance.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2016

Recent Experiments At Ndcx-II: Irradiation Of Materials Using Short, Intense Ion Beams

We present an overview of the performance of the Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment-II (NDCX-II) accelerator at Berkeley Lab, and summarize recent studies of material properties created with nanosecond and millimeter-scale ion beam pulses. The scientific topics being explored include the dynamics of ion induced damage in materials, materials synthesis far from equilibrium, warm dense matter and intense beam-plasma physics. We summarize the improved accelerator performance, diagnostics and results of beam-induced irradiation of thin samples of, e.g., tin and silicon. Bunches with over 3x10^10 ions, 1- mm radius, and 2-30 ns FWHM duration have been created. To achieve these short pulse durations and mm-scale focal spot radii, the 1.2 MeV He+ ion beam is neutralized in a drift compression section which removes the space charge defocusing effect during final compression and focusing. Quantitative comparison of detailed particle-in-cell simulations with the experiment play an important role in optimizing accelerator performance; these keep pace with the accelerator repetition rate of ~1/minute.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2015

Study of $ψ(3686)\toπ^0 h_c, h_c\toγη_c$ via $η_c$ exclusive decays

The process $ψ(3686) \to π^0 h_c, h_c \to γη_c$ has been studied with a data sample of $106 \pm 4$ million $ψ(3686)$ events collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII storage ring. The mass and width of the $P$-wave charmonium spin-singlet state $h_c(^1P_1)$ are determined by simultaneously fitting distributions of the $π^0$ recoil mass for 16 exclusive $η_c$ decay modes. The results, $M(\hc) = 3525.31 \pm 0.11 {\rm (stat.)} \pm 0.14 {\rm (syst.)}$\,MeV/$c^2$ and $Γ(\hc) = 0.70 \pm 0.28 \pm 0.22$\,MeV, are consistent with and more precise than previous measurements. We also determine the branching ratios for the 16 exclusive $η_c$ decay modes, five of which have not been measured previously. New measurements of the $η_c$ line-shape parameters in the $E1$ transition $h_c\toγη_c$ are made by selecting candidates in the $h_c$ signal sample and simultaneously fitting the hadronic mass spectra for the 16 $η_c$ decay channels. The resulting $η_c$ mass and width values are $M(η_c) = 2984.49 \pm 1.16 \pm 0.52$\,MeV/$c^2$ and $Γ(η_c) = 36.4 \pm 3.2 \pm 1.7$\,MeV.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2015

Search for the $η_c(2S)/h_c\to p\bar{p}$ decays and measurements of the $χ_{cJ}\to p\bar{p}$ branching fractions

Using a sample of $1.06\times10^{8}~ψ(3686)$ events collected with the BESIII detector at BEPCII, the decays $η_{c}(2S)\to p\bar{p}$ and $h_{c}\to p\bar{p}$ are searched for, where $η_c(2S)$ and $h_c$ are reconstructed in the decay chains $ψ(3686)\toγη_{c}(2S)$, $η_{c}(2S)\to p\bar{p}$ and $ψ(3686)\toπ^{0}h_{c}$, $h_{c}\to p\bar{p}$, respectively. No significant signals are observed. The upper limits of the product branching fractions are determined to be $\mathcal{B}(ψ(3686)\toγη_c(2S))\times\mathcal{B}(η_{c}(2S)\to p\bar{p})<1.4\times10^{-6}$ and $\mathcal{B}(ψ(3686)\toπ^0h_c)\times\mathcal{B}(h_{c}\to p\bar{p})<1.3\times10^{-7}$ at the 90% C.L.. The branching fractions for $χ_{cJ}\to p\bar{p}$ $(J=0,~1,~2)$ are also measured to be $(24.5\pm0.8\pm1.3,~8.6\pm0.5\pm0.5,~8.4\pm0.5\pm0.5)\times10^{-5}$, which are the world's most precise measurements.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2014

Study of e$^+$e$^-$ $\rightarrow \text{p} \overline{\text{p}}π^0$ in the Vicinity of the $ψ\text{(3770)}$

The process $e^+e^-\rightarrow p\overline{p}π^0$ has been studied by analyzing data collected at $\sqrt{s}=3.773$ GeV, at $\sqrt{s}=3.650$ GeV, and during a $ψ(3770)$ line shape scan with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider. The Born cross section of $p \overline{p} π^0$ in the vicinity of the $ψ(3770)$ is measured and the Born cross section of $ψ(3770)\rightarrow p \overline{p} π^0$ is extracted considering interference between resonant and continuum production amplitudes. Two solutions with the same probability and a significance of 1.5$σ$ are found, and the Born cross section of $ψ(3770)\rightarrow p \overline{p} π^0$ is determined to be less than 0.22 pb at 90% confidence level and $33.8\pm1.8\pm2.1$ pb, respectively. Using the estimated cross section and a constant decay amplitude approximation, the cross section $σ(p\overline{p} \rightarrow ψ(3770) π^0)$ is calculated for the kinematic situation of the planned $\overline{\text{P}}\text{ANDA}$ experiment. The maximum cross section corresponding to the two solutions is expected to be less than $0.79$ nb at 90% confidence level and $122\pm10$ nb at a center of mass energy of 5.26 GeV.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2014

Study of $e^+e^- \rightarrow p\bar{p}$ in the vicinity of $ψ(3770)$

Using 2917 $\rm{pb}^{-1}$ of data accumulated at 3.773~$\rm{GeV}$, 44.5~$\rm{pb}^{-1}$ of data accumulated at 3.65~$\rm{GeV}$ and data accumulated during a $ψ(3770)$ line-shape scan with the BESIII detector, the reaction $e^+e^-\rightarrow p\bar{p}$ is studied considering a possible interference between resonant and continuum amplitudes. The cross section of $e^+e^-\rightarrowψ(3770)\rightarrow p\bar{p}$, $σ(e^+e^-\rightarrowψ(3770)\rightarrow p\bar{p})$, is found to have two solutions, determined to be ($0.059\pm0.032\pm0.012$) pb with the phase angle $ϕ= (255.8\pm37.9\pm4.8)^\circ$ ($<$0.11 pb at the 90% confidence level), or $σ(e^+e^-\rightarrowψ(3770)\rightarrow p\bar{p}) = (2.57\pm0.12\pm0.12$) pb with $ϕ= (266.9\pm6.1\pm0.9)^\circ$ both of which agree with a destructive interference. Using the obtained cross section of $ψ(3770)\rightarrow p\bar{p}$, the cross section of $p\bar{p}\rightarrow ψ(3770)$, which is useful information for the future PANDA experiment, is estimated to be either ($9.8\pm5.7$) nb ($<17.2$ nb at 90% C.L.) or $(425.6\pm42.9)$ nb.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2014

Observation of $χ_{c1}$ decays into vector meson pairs $ϕϕ$, $ωω$, and $ωϕ$

Decays of $χ_{c1}$ to vector meson pairs $ϕϕ$, $ωω$ and $ωϕ$ are observed for the first time using $(106\pm4)\times 10^6$ $\psip$ events accumulated at the BESIII detector at the BEPCII $e^+e^-$ collider. The branching fractions are measured to be $(4.4\pm 0.3\pm 0.5)\times 10^{-4}$, $(6.0\pm 0.3\pm 0.7)\times 10^{-4}$, and $(2.2\pm 0.6\pm 0.2)\times 10^{-5}$, for $χ_{c1}\to ϕϕ$, $ωω$, and $ωϕ$, respectively. The observation of $χ_{c1}$ decays into a pair of vector mesons $ϕϕ$, $ωω$ and $ωϕ$ indicates that the hadron helicity selection rule is significantly violated in $χ_{cJ}$ decays. In addition, the measurement of $χ_{cJ}\to ωϕ$ gives the rate of doubly OZI-suppressed decay. Branching fractions for $χ_{c0}$ and $χ_{c2}$ decays into other vector meson pairs are also measured with improved precision.

hep-ex↗