Continuous Electron Beam Research Articles

Redesigning the Jefferson Lab Hall A beam line for high precision parity experiments

The Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) was built with a thermionic electron source and the three original experimental hall lines reflected this. A few years after beam delivery began a parity violation experiment was approved and two polarimeters were installed in the Hall A beam line. The beam raster system was placed after the new Compton polarimeter, before one accelerator quadrupole and four quadrupoles in the new Moller polarimeter. It was very difficult to meet experimental requirements on envelope functions and raster shape with this arrangement so a sixth quadrupole was installed downstream of the Moller polarimeter to provide an additional degree of freedome. All of the parity experiments in Hall A have been run with this still-unsatisfactory configuration. The MOLLER experiment is predicated on achieving a 2% error on a 32 ppb asymmetry. Beam line changes are required to meet the systematic error budget. This paper documents the existing beam line, an interim change which can be accomplished during a annual maintenance down, and the final configuration for MOLLER and subsequent experiments.

The microstructure and properties of Mo alloying layer after surface alloying treatment induced by continuous scanning electron beam process

Surface alloying by scanning electron beams can improve the microstructure and mechanical properties of steel. In this study. Four electron energy densities were selected during the alloying process: E1 = 1.5J/cm2, E2 = 2.9J/cm2, E3 = 4.5J/cm2 and E4 = 5.9J/cm2. The obtained results show that the sample surface is composed of alloying zone and heat-affected zone. The microstructure of the alloy zone is concealed acicular martensite and molybdenum carbide particles. The microhardness of this area is 1250HV. The sample treated with an energy density of 5.9J/cm2 has the least amount of wear. After alloying treatment, the microhardness and wear amount of the scanned samples are significantly improved.

Numerical Simulation and Microstructure and Properties of 45 Steel by Scanning Electron Beam Bevel Polishing

In order to obtain metal products with good surface quality, it is necessary to develop an efficient bevel polishing method. Therefore, this article Uses continuous scanning electron beam polishing. The surface of the material undergoes rapid melting and solidification and generates a dynamic temperature field. The polishing treatment improves the microstructure of the surface layer of the quenched and tempered 45 steel, and significantly increases the microhardness of the surface layer. The hardness after treatment can reach up to 747.6Hv, which is about 2.4 times higher than the matrix; the structure after hardening is transformed from the mixed phase of coarse acicular martensite and lath martensite to hidden acicular martensite and retained austenite a mixed phase thereof. In addition, after bevels with different inclination angles are subjected to electron beam surface polishing modification treatments with different scanning speeds, under the same parameters, as the inclination angle increases, the hardness value at the same position decreases.

Probing charged lepton flavor violation with a positron beam at CEBAF (JLAB)

The addition of a high intensity 11 GeV polarized positron beam at the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at JLAB would allow for a search of Charged Lepton Flavor Violation (CLFV) via the process $$e^+N \rightarrow \mu ^+ X$$ . The proposed Solenoidal Large Intensity Detector (SoLID) spectrometer, in the configuration with muon chambers, would be ideal for such CLFV searches. Various new physics scenarios, including the phenomenologically convenient Leptoquark (LQ) framework, predict CLFV rates that are within reach of current or planned experiments. A positron beam with instantaneous luminosity, $${{{\mathcal {L}}}}\sim 10^{38}$$ cm $$^{-2}$$ s $$^{-1}$$ , could improve on existing HERA limits by two or three orders of magnitude. The availability of positron beam polarization would also allow for distentangling CLFV effects mediated by left-handed vs. right-handed LQs.

Evidence of increased radio-frequency losses in cavities from the fundamental power coupler cold window

High radio-frequency (rf) losses measured for cavities in original Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) cryomodules, compared to the losses measured in single-cavity tests, have been a long-standing issue related to their performance. We summarize experimental evidence of increased rf losses in CEBAF cavities arising from the fundamental power coupler cold window and waveguide, respectively. Cryogenic rf tests were done on cavities tested in vertical cryostats as well as inside cryomodules in the accelerator tunnel. The cold window metallization losses were assessed by combining numerical results with measured data obtained with an existing cryogenic waveguide resonator setup. The results showed that the cold window metallization losses can increase the cavity rf heat load at 2.07 K by up to 86%, depending on the standing-wave pattern in the fundamental power coupler waveguide, and that such losses are reduced if the distance between the waveguide and the cavity cells is increased.

High‐Performance Carbon Fibers Prepared by Continuous Stabilization and Carbonization of Electron Beam‐Irradiated Textile Grade Polyacrylonitrile Fibers

AbstractThe manufacturing of high‐performance carbon fibers (CFs) from low‐cost textile grade poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) homo‐ and copolymers using continuous electron beam (EB) irradiation, stabilization, and carbonization on a kilogram scale is reported. The resulting CFs have tensile strengths of up to 3.1 ± 0.6 GPa and Young's moduli of up to 212 ± 9 GPa, exceeding standard grade CFs such as Toray T300. Additionally, the Weibull strength and modulus, the microstructure, and the morphology of these CFs are determined.

Study on surface alloying of 38CrMoAl steel by electron beam

TiN/Ni alloying of 38CrMoAl steel surface was carried out by continuous scanning electron beam. The effect of electron beam process parameters on the surface microstructures and mechanical properties of 38CrMoAl steel was studied. The results shows that the sample surface was divided into three regions: alloying layer, heat affected zone and substrate. Alloying layer made up with equiaxed crystals and short columnar crystals, microstructure of the heat affected zone was acicular and lath martensite, microstructure of substrate was tempered sorbate. The microhardness of the sample section first increased and then decreased, at a depth of 400 μm, the microhardness reached a maximum of 817.9 HV. When the beam current reached 12 mA and the moving speed reached 5.5 mm/s, the surface microhardness of the sample reached the highest 1209HV and the abrasion loss reached the lowest 4.6 mg.

Brightness evaluation of pulsed electron gun using negative electron affinity photocathode developed for time-resolved measurement using scanning electron microscope

Temporal changes in carrier relaxations, magnetic switching, and biological structures are known to be in the order of ns. These phenomena can be typically measured by means of an optical-pump & electron-probe method using an electron microscope combined with a pulsed electron source. A photoemission-type pulsed electron gun makes it possible to obtain a short-pulsed electron beam required for high temporal resolution. On the other hand, spatial resolution is restricted by the brightness of the pulsed electron gun used in electron microscopes when a low brightness electron source is used and an irradiation current larger than a certain value is required. Thus, we constructed a prototype pulsed electron gun using a negative electron affinity (NEA) photocathode for time-resolved measurement using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with high spatiotemporal resolution. In this study, a high-speed detector containing an avalanche photodiode (APD) was used to directly measure waveforms of the pulsed electron beam excited by a rectangular-shape pulsed light with a variable pulse duration in the range of several ns to several μs. The measured waveforms were the same rectangular shape as incident pulsed excitation light. The maximum peak brightness of the pulsed electron beam was 4.2×107 A/m2/sr/V with a pulse duration of 3 ns. This value was larger than that of the continuous electron beam (1.6 × 107 A/m2/sr/V). Furthermore, an SEM image with image sharpness of 6.2 nm was obtained using an SEM equipped with a prototype pulsed electron gun at an acceleration voltage of 3 kV.

Study on micro – Melt polishing and strengthening mechanism of scanning electron beam surface

Scanning electron beam micro-polishing is a new technique to reduce surface roughness using molten metal to fill pits under gravity's action spontaneously. In this study, through the establishment of the electron beam heat source model and heat conduction model, it is easy to obtain the mathematical and physical model of heat balance for continuous scanning electron beam process under micro-melting polishing and to discuss the influence of regularity of electron beam process parameters on the surface morphology and microstructure. The results showed that the surface roughness of 45 steel was reduced after scanning electron beam processing. The lowest value was 0.34 μm with a reduction of 83%. It was found that the melt zone was mostly martensite with fine grains by further measuring and analyzing the microstructure and hardness of the polished sample. The maximum hardness was 870 HV in the subsurface layer.

Plasma chemical conversion of methane by pulsed electron beams and non-self-sustained discharges

Investigations of methane conversion in atmospheric-pressure mixtures of various composition and temperature, irradiated by pulsed nanosecond electron beams and non-self-sustained discharges initiated by electron beams, were carried out. It was shown that during direct conversion at room temperature, the energy cost of the conversion of one CH4 molecule (5.6 eV molecule−1) was commensurate with that obtained in the experiments with the use of continuous electron beam. The main products of direct conversion were hydrogen and ethylene. If a small amount of oxygen was present in the mixture, methanol was added to the conversion products, which in turn decomposed into CO, CO2 and H2O. The results of numerical simulations and experiments were basically the same. The use of a non-self-sustained discharge increased the degree of direct conversion of methane, but the energy cost of conversion also increased. The main products of carbon dioxide conversion of CH4 (dry reforming) under the action of pulsed electron beam at room temperature were CO, H2, C2H6, and carbon. Energy cost of conversion (12 eV molecule−1) was about two times higher than in the case of direct conversion of methane. However, the use of pulsed electron beam for dry reforming turned out to be energetically more efficient than the use of the most types of discharges. The main products of CH4 oxidative conversion by pulsed electron beam were H2, C2H6, and C2H4. At room temperature, the energy cost of methane conversion without a catalyst was 9 eV molecule−1, whereas the use of Ni catalyst resulted in a seven-fold increase, and the use of NaOH/CaO one—in a 14-fold increase in the conversion efficiency compared to irradiation without a catalyst. When the temperature of the catalysts rised to 623 K, the conversion efficiency increased by another four times. The processes in electron-beam plasma that provide the implementation of the main mechanisms of methane conversion are also discussed in the paper.

Light dark matter searches with positrons

We discuss two complementary strategies to search for light dark matter (LDM) exploiting the positron beam possibly available in the future at Jefferson Laboratory. LDM is a new compelling hypothesis that identifies dark matter with new sub-GeV “hidden sector” states, neutral under standard model interactions and interacting with our world through a new force. Accelerator-based searches at the intensity frontier are uniquely suited to explore it. Thanks to the high intensity and the high energy of the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) beam, and relying on a novel LDM production mechanism via positron annihilation on target atomic electrons, the proposed strategies will allow us to explore new regions in the LDM parameters space, thoroughly probing the LDM hypothesis as well as more general hidden sector scenarios.

Development of a low-emittance high-current continuous electron source

The Advanced Continuous-wave Electron injector aims to provide accelerator-based light sources with a high repetition rate and high average current electron beam. The injector consists of a DC thermionic gun generating a continuous electron beam, after which a radio-frequency (rf) cavity operating in dual mode at 1.5 and 3 GHz deflects the beam onto a knife-edge, creating a pulsed beam. A final rf cavity, also operating at 1.5 and 3 GHz, compresses the electron bunches for injection into a booster linac. The DC thermionic gun is fully operational and this paper presents the first results, demonstrating a continuous beam with a transverse emittance of 49±2 nm rad at 9.6 mA.

Geometrized Models of Continuous Axisymmetric and Plane-Symmetric Relativistic Electron Beams

Geometrized Models of Continuous Axisymmetric and Plane-Symmetric Relativistic Electron Beams

Removal of NOx using electron beam process with NaOH spraying

Nitrogen oxides (NOx; NO and NO2) are major air pollutants and can cause harmful effects on the human body. Electron Beam Flue Gas Treatment (EBFGT) is a technology that generates electrons with an energy of 0.5–1 MeV using electron accelerators and effectively processes exhaust gases. In this study, NOx was removed using an electron beam accelerator with spraying additives (NaOH and NH4OH). NO and NO2 were 100% and more than 94% removed, respectively, at an electron beam absorbed dose of 20 kGy and an additive concentration of 0.02 M (mol/L). In most cases, NOx was removed better with lower initial NOx concentrations and higher electron beam absorbed doses. As the irradiation strength (mA) of the electron beam increases, the probability of electron impact on the material accordingly rises, which may lead to increase removal efficiency. The results of the present study show that the continuous electron beam process using additives achieved more effective removal efficiency than either individual process (wet-scrubbing or EB irradiation only).

Power and spectral evolution of a Free Electron Laser oscillator with electron beam energy ramping

This work is focused on experiments showing enhancements in power extraction efficiency and spectral control of a W-band Free Electron Laser oscillator (FELo) using ramping of the electron beam energy. The FELo operates at 1.4 MeV with electron beam currents of 1–2 A with pulse duration 10–20 μs. Changing the beam energy post-laser-saturation of the initially unbunched continuous electron beam changes the phase-space oscillation trajectory between the beam energy and trapping ponderomotive wave. This enables very significant increases in output power with just 2% changes in beam energy, cases of 39%, and 100% are presented. Unlike in previous work a variable delay has been introduced between the start of the electron beam and the ramp in electron beam energy such that the effect can be observed unambiguously despite significant system jitter from shot-to-shot. In addition to increasing radiative efficiency, where desirable this could be used to rapidly modulate the power without a need to modify parameters such as the beam current or resonator out-coupling. This effect is shown to pull the locked longitudinal modes up or down depending on the direction of the ramp allowing fine frequency control and influence over mode-competition and mode-hops. To complement the experiments simulations were run to map the full range of beam-energy-ramping against resonator out-coupling and beam current for the experimental system.

The effect of continuous electron beam scanning process on the microstructure and geometry of U-5.5 wt%Nb alloy

A continuous electron beam scanning process was used for the surface treatment on U-5.5Nb alloy, under various combinations of beam current, beam accelerating voltage, and scanning speed. The transverse cross-section characteristics of the resulting modification layers were metallographically measured to investigate the relationship between the electron beam processing parameters and the fusion zone geometry or the resolidification microstructure. Results showed that the resolidified modified layers were obtained with the bulk energy density (E0*) value exceeding 60.7 J/mm3. An “equiaxed-columnar-equiaxed” sandwich-type grain structure was formed in the resolidification fusion zone under the effects of local temperature gradient (G) and the growth rate (R). Different from that of traditional surface modified alloys, the cross-sectional microstructure of surface modified U-5.5Nb alloy consists of four characteristic areas: fusion zone (FZ), heat affected zone (HAZ), base metal (BM), and partially fusion zone (PFZ). The width (W) and depth (D) of the fusion zone had an almost linear increase with the bulk energy density (E0*). The Vickers hardness, Nb composition, and phase microstructures were also examined. The surface hardness values increased significantly following surface treatment, which was mainly attributed to phase transformation.

Elastic differential cross section of ep scattering fitted via the differential cross section of eq scatterings with cloud-covering effects

The angular-averaged differential cross section (dcs) of the elastic electron-proton (ep) scattering, covering ${Q}^{2}<1.0\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{GeV}}^{2}$, was fitted via a combined modified $eq$-scatterings where $q$ is a point particle. The modifications represent the cloud-covering effects to $q$. An energy-decaying ratio (edr) was derived by inspecting the generated $dc{s}_{ep}$ from the form factor data gathered at Mainz Microtron (A1-Collaboration) and Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Laboratory) when compared to the $dc{s}_{eq}$ with modified relativistic recoil factor. The diminishing cloud layer, edr, has a decay rate of $\ensuremath{-}2.8$ for the datasets under investigation. The formulated spin bare mass (SBM) and spin effective mass (SEM) fitting models use the bare and effective $u$ and $d$-quark masses, respectively, while spin with other criteria bare mass (SCBM) and spin with other criteria effective mass (SCEM) integrate other considerations. Three comparison methods were used and all of them favor the models with other additional considerations. SCEM was the most favored model in general.

Method for in situ and in operando cavity loaded Q extraction in superconducting rf accelerators

A novel method has been developed that allows extracting the loaded quality factor of particle accelerating radio-frequency cavities at any time during beam operation from acquired control system process parameters without the need of additional measurement equipment. Concurrently it assesses the attenuation in a cavities' power transmission line for any rf generator to rf cavity mismatch condition, and thus can correct calibration inaccuracies of measured forward and reflected power levels. The mathematical formalism is described. It is specifically derived for cryogenically cooled superconducting cavities for which the loaded quality factor can be equated with the external quality factor of the input power coupler. The described method has been applied for 418 superconducting cavities in operation at the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The validation of the method as well as its beneficial use as a diagnostic tool is demonstrated for a finite number of examples utilizing process variables archived during a period in the past when the linac beam current was ramped up multiple times. The method is in the process of being implemented in the machines' control system for an in situ and in operando evaluation of the power coupler's external quality factor.

Successful user operation of a superconducting radio-frequency photoelectron gun with Mg cathodes

At the electron linac for beams with high brilliance and low emittance (ELBE) center for high-power radiation sources, the second version of a superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) photoinjector has been put into operation and has been routinely applied for user operation at the ELBE electron accelerator. SRF guns are suitable for generating a continuous wave electron beam with high average currents and high beam brightness. The SRF gun at ELBE has the goal to generate short electron pulses with bunch charges of 200–300 pC at typical repetition rates of 100 kHz for the production of superradiant, coherent terahertz radiation. The SRF gun includes a 3.5-cell, 1.3-GHz niobium cavity and a superconducting solenoid. A support system with liquid nitrogen (LN2) cooling allows the operation of normal-conducting, high quantum efficiency photocathodes. We present the design and performance of the SRF gun as well as beam measurement results of the operation with Mg photocathodes at an acceleration gradient of 8 MV/m (4 MeV kinetic energy). In the last section, we discuss the SRF gun application for production of coherent terahertz radiation at the ELBE facility.

The microstructure and properties of Cr/Ni alloying layer after surface alloying treatment induced by continuous scanning electron beam process

The surface alloying of scanning electron beam can improve the microstructure and mechanical properties of steel materials. In this paper, Cr/Ni alloying treatment was performed on 35CrMo alloy structure steel by using continuous scanning electron beam to improve surface performance. The influence of scanning electron beam technology on the structure of alloy layer is studied, and the influence of coating thickness on the structure and properties of the alloying layer is discussed. The results show that the surface of 35CrMo steel is composed of alloying layer, heat affected zone and matrix. The microstructure of the alloying layer is short columnar crystal, equiaxed crystal and acicular martensite. The surface hardness can reach 770HVwhen the coating thickness is 5μm, which is 2 times of the matrix. With the increase of Cr/Ni coating thickness, the surface of sample hardness decreases, and the corrosion resistance of the sample increases.