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FACET is a new facility under construction at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The FACET beam line is designed to provide 23 GeV tightly focused and compressed electron and positron bunches for beam driven plasma wakefield acceleration research and other experiments. Achieving optimal beam parameters for various experimental conditions requires the optics capability for tuning in a sufficiently wide range. This will be achieved by using optics tuning systems (knobs). Design of such systems for FACET is discussed.

The SUPER-B detector solenoid has a strong 1.5 T field in the Interaction Region (IR) area, and its tails extend over the range of several meters. The main effect of the solenoid field is coupling of the horizontal and vertical betatron motion which must be corrected in order to preserve the small design beam size at the Interaction Point. The additional effects are orbit and dispersion caused by the angle between the solenoid and beam trajectories. The proposed correction system provides local compensation of the solenoid effects independently for each side of the IR. It includes 'bucking' solenoids to remove the solenoid field tails and a set of skew quadrupoles, dipole correctors and anti-solenoids to cancel linear perturbations to the optics. Details of the correction system are presented.

We investigate the nature of the mass-metallicity (M-Z) relation for long gamma-ray burst (LGRB) host galaxies. Recent studies suggest that the M-Z relation for local LGRB host galaxies may be systematically offset towards lower metallicities relative to the M-Z relation defined by the general star forming galaxy (SDSS) population. The nature of this offset is consistent with suggestions that low metallicity environments may be required to produce high mass progenitors, although the detection of several GRBs in high-mass, high-metallicity galaxies challenges the notion of a strict metallicity cut-off for host galaxies that are capable of producing GRBs. We show that the nature of this reported offset may be explained by a recently proposed anti-correlation between the star formation rate (SFR) and the metallicity of star forming galaxies. If low metallicity galaxies produce more stars than their equally massive, high-metallicity counterparts, then transient events that closely trace the SFR in a galaxy would be more likely to be found in these low metallicity, low mass galaxies. Therefore, the offset between the GRB and SDSS defined M-Z relations may be the result of the different methods used to select their respective galaxy populations, with GRBs being biased towards low metallicity, high SFR, …

We have searched for 14.4 keV solar axions or more general axion-like particles (ALPs), that may be emitted in the M1 nuclear transition of 57Fe, by using the axion-to-photon conversion in the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) with evacuated magnet bores (Phase I). From the absence of excess of the monoenergetic X-rays when the magnet was pointing to the Sun, we set model-independent constraints on the coupling constants of pseudoscalar particles that couple to two photons and to a nucleon g{sub ay}|-1.19g{sub aN}{sup 0}+g{sub aN}{sup 3}| < 1.36 x 10{sup -16} GeV{sup -1} for ma < 0.03 eV at the 95% confidence level.

In cyanobacteria CO2 fixation is localized in a special proteinaceous organelle, the carboxysome. The CO2 fixation enzymes are encapsulated by a selectively permeable protein shell. By structurally and functionally characterizing subunits of the carboxysome shell and the encapsulated proteins, we hope to understand what regulates the shape, assembly and permeability of the shell, as well as the targeting mechanism and organization of the encapsulated proteins. This knowledge will be used to enhance CO2 fixation in both cyanobacteria and plants through synthetic biology. The same strategy can also serve as a template for the production of modular synthetic bacterial organelles. Our research is conducted using a variety of techniques such as genomic sequencing and analysis, transcriptional regulation, DNA synthesis, synthetic biology, protein crystallization, Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), protein-protein interaction assays and phenotypic characterization using various types of cellular imaging, e.g. fluorescence microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Soft X-ray Tomography (SXT).

The successful operation of accelerator cavities has to satisfy both rf and mechanical requirements. It is highly desirable that electromagnetic, thermal and structural effects such as cavity wall heating and Lorentz force detuning in superconducting rf cavities can be addressed in an integrated analysis. Based on the SLAC parallel finite-element code infrastructure for electromagnetic modeling, a novel multi-physics analysis tool has been developed to include additional thermal and mechanical effects. The parallel computation enables virtual prototyping of accelerator cavities on computers, which would substantially reduce the cost and time of a design cycle. The multi-physics tool is applied to the LCLS rf gun for electromagnetic, thermal and structural analyses.

The CLIC Power Extraction and Transfer Structure (PETS) is a passive microwave device in which bunches of the drive beam interact with the impedance of the periodically loaded waveguide and generate RF power for the main linac accelerating structure. The demands on the high power production ({approx} 150 MW) and the needs to transport the 100 A drive beam for about 1 km without losses, makes the PETS design rather unique and the operation very challenging. In the coming year, an intense PETS testing program will be implemented. The target is to demonstrate the full performance of the PETS operation. The testing program overview and test results available to date are presented.

The advancement of computational technology has resulted in the wide-spread availability of powerful radiation transport Monte Carlo codes. Prevailing practices today rely heavily on Monte Carlo codes to provide the basis for assessing the reactivity of various fissile systems for nuclear criticality safety (NCS). In 1958, Weinberg and Wigner expressed their concerns on a 'deplorable trend in reactor design - the tendency to substitute a code for a theory'. Unfortunately, their concerns have largely become a reality in many modern NCS practices. lacking the time or information to understand the underlying neutron physics of the fissile system under consideration is indeed a deplorable trend. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that many features of criticality hand calculation methods are indeed based upon the fundamentals of the density law and that many correlations of important physics parameters can be more easily understood from such a perspective. Historically, the density law was recognized by many pioneers in the field, including during the Manhattan Project. However, it was by and large an 'oral tradition' in that bits and pieces of great physical insights of the pioneers were scattered in many earlier publications. This paper attempts to bring together some of the …

The PEP-II B-Factory at SLAC (3.1 GeV e{sup +} x 9.0 GeV e{sup -}) operated from 1999 to 2008, delivering luminosity to the BaBar experiment. The design luminosity was reached after one and a half years of operation. In the end PEP-II surpassed by four times its design luminosity reaching 1.21 x 10{sup 34} cm{sup -2} s{sup -1}. It also set stored beam current records of 2.1 A e{sup -} and 3.2 A e{sup +}. Continuous injection was implemented with BaBar taking data. The total delivered luminosity to the BaBar detector was 557.4 fb{sup -1} spanning five upsilon resonances. PEP-II was constructed by SLAC, LBNL, and LLNL with help from BINP, IHEP, the BaBar collaboration, and the US DOE OHEP.

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Geochemical environments, fates, and effects are modeled for methane released into seawater by the decomposition of climate-sensitive clathrates. A contemporary global background cycle is first constructed, within the framework of the Parallel Ocean Program. Input from organics in the upper thermocline is related to oxygen levels, and microbial consumption is parameterized from available rate measurements. Seepage into bottom layers is then superimposed, representing typical seabed fluid flow. The resulting CH{sub 4} distribution is validated against surface saturation ratios, vertical sections, and slope plume studies. Injections of clathrate-derived methane are explored by distributing a small number of point sources around the Arctic continental shelf, where stocks are extensive and susceptible to instability during the first few decades of global warming. Isolated bottom cells are assigned dissolved gas fluxes from porous-media simulation. Given the present bulk removal pattern, methane does not penetrate far from emission sites. Accumulated effects, however, spread to the regional scale following the modeled current system. Both hypoxification and acidification are documented. Sensitivity studies illustrate a potential for material restrictions to broaden the perturbations, since methanotrophic consumers require nutrients and trace metals. When such factors are considered, methane buildup within the Arctic basin is enhanced. However, freshened polar surface …

CdZnTe (CZT) semiconducting crystals are of interest for use as room temperature X- and {gamma}-ray spectrometers. Several studies have focused on understanding the various electronic properties of these materials, such as the surface and bulk resistivities and the distribution of the electric field within the crystal. Specifically of interest is how these properties are influenced by a variety of factors including structural heterogeneities, such as secondary phases (SPs) and line defects as well as environmental effects. Herein, we report the bulk current, surface current, electric field distribution and performance of a spectrometer-grade CZT crystal exposed to above band-gap energy illumination.

We summarize recent results on B{sup +} {yields} {tau}{sup +}{nu}{sub {tau}} setting constraints on the charged Higgs mass, discuss the CP puzzle in B {yields} K{pi} decays and present searches for a light neutral Higgs in radiative {Upsilon}(2S) and {Upsilon}(3S) decays. Rare decays are processes with branching fractions of {Omicron}(10{sup -4}) or smaller. Typically, they arise if amplitudes of higher-order processes (penguin loops, box diagrams) become dominant because tree amplitudes are suppressed in the Standard Model (SM). Additional suppression comes from small CKM couplings and helicity conservation. Contributions of New Physics (NP) processes may become significant modifying the prediction with respect to those in the SM. Thus, rare decays provide an interesting hunting ground for NP searches that are complementary to direct searches at the LHC.

It is widely recognized that the results of safety assessment calculations provide an important contribution to the safety arguments for a disposal facility, but cannot in themselves adequately demonstrate the safety of the disposal system. The safety assessment and a broader range of arguments and activities need to be considered holistically to justify radioactive waste disposal at any particular site. Many programs are therefore moving towards the production of what has become known as a Safety Case, which includes all of the different activities that are conducted to demonstrate the safety of a disposal concept. Recognizing the growing interest in the concept of a Safety Case, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is undertaking an intercomparison and harmonization project called PRISM (Practical Illustration and use of the Safety Case Concept in the Management of Near-surface Disposal). The PRISM project is organized into four Task Groups that address key aspects of the Safety Case concept: Task Group 1 - Understanding the Safety Case; Task Group 2 - Disposal facility design; Task Group 3 - Managing waste acceptance; and Task Group 4 - Managing uncertainty. This paper addresses the work of Task Group 4, which is investigating approaches for managing the uncertainties …

Reducing the water use of plumbing products—toilets, urinals, faucets, and showerheads —has been a popular conservation measure. Improved technologies have created opportunities for additional conservation in this area. However, plumbing products do not operate in a vacuum. This paper reviews the literature related to plumbing products to determine a systems framework for evaluating future conservation measures using these products. The main framework comprises the following categories: water use efficiency, product components, product performance, source water, energy, and plumbing/sewer infrastructure. This framework for analysis provides a starting point for professionals considering future water conservation measures to evaluate the need for additional research, collaboration with other standards or codes committees, and attachment of additional metrics to water use efficiency (such as performance).

Streak camera measurements were made at SPEAR3 to characterize longitudinal coupling impedance. For the nominal optics, data was taken at three rf voltages and a single-bunch current range of 0-20mA. Both bunchcentroid phase shift and bunch lengthening were recorded to extract values for resistive and reactive impedance. An (R+L) and a Q=1 model were then back-substituted into the Haissinski equation and compared with raw profile data. In the short bunch (low-{alpha}) mode, distribution 'bursting' was observed.

Summar of presentation is: (1) MTA is a multi task working space to investigate RF cavities for R&D of muon beam cooling channel - (a) Intense 400 MeV H{sup -} beam, (b) Handle hydrogen (flammable) gas, (c) 5 Tesla SC solenoid magnet, (d) He cryogenic/recycling system; (2) Pillbox cavity has been refurbished to search better RF material - Beryllium button test will be happened soon; (3) E x B effect has been tested in a box cavity - Under study (result seems not to be desirable); (4) 201 MHz RF cavity with SRF cavity treatment has been tested at low magnetic field - (a) Observed some B field effect on maximum field gradient and (b) Further study is needed (large bore SC magnet will be delivered end of 2011); and (5) HPRF cavity beam test has started - (a) No RF breakdown observed and (b) Design a new HPRF cavity to investigate more plasma loading effect.

The results of a theoretical study of HOCO{sup −} photodetachment are presented, with a view toward understanding the origin of two peaks observed by Lu and Continetti (Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 113005 (2007)) in the photoelectron kinetic energy spectrum very close to threshold. It is shown that the peaks can be attributed to vibrational Feshbach resonances of dipole-bound trans-HOCO{sup −}, and not s- and p-wave shape resonances as previously assumed. Fixed-nuclei variational electron-HOCO scattering calculations are used to compute photodetachment cross sections and laboratory-frame photoelectron angular distributions. The calculations show a broad A′′(#25;{pi}*)-shape resonance several eV above threshold.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) cause significant economic and ecological damage worldwide. Despite considerable efforts, a comprehensive understanding of the factors that promote these blooms has been lacking because the biochemical pathways that facilitate their dominance relative to other phytoplankton within specific environments have not been identified. Here, biogeochemical measurements demonstrated that the harmful alga Aureococcus anophagefferens outcompeted co-occurring phytoplankton in estuaries with elevated levels of dissolved organic matter and turbidity and low levels of dissolved inorganic nitrogen. We subsequently sequenced the first HAB genome (A. anophagefferens) and compared its gene complement to those of six competing phytoplankton species identified via metaproteomics. Using an ecogenomic approach, we specifically focused on the gene sets that may facilitate dominance within the environmental conditions present during blooms. A. anophagefferens possesses a larger genome (56 mbp) and more genes involved in light harvesting, organic carbon and nitrogen utilization, and encoding selenium- and metal-requiring enzymes than competing phytoplankton. Genes for the synthesis of microbial deterrents likely permit the proliferation of this species with reduced mortality losses during blooms. Collectively, these findings suggest that anthropogenic activities resulting in elevated levels of turbidity, organic matter, and metals have opened a niche within coastal ecosystems that ideally suits the …

The NLC Test Accelerator (NLCTA) at SLAC is currently configured for a proof-of-principle echo-enabled harmonic generation (EEHG) experiment using an 120 MeV beam. During commissioning, unexpected coherent optical undulator radiation (CUR) and coherent optical transition radiation (COTR) was observed when beam is accelerated off-crest and compressed after the chicanes. The CUR and COTR is likely due to a microbunching instability where the initial small ripples in cathode drive laser is compressed and amplified. In this paper we present the observation and characterization of the CUR, COTR and microbunching instability at NLCTA.

Rotation of the plane of polarization of reflected light (Kerr effect) is a direct manifestation of broken time reversal symmetry and is generally associated with the appearance of a ferromagnetic moment. Here I identify magnetic structures that may arise within the unit cell of cuprate superconductors that generate polarization rotation despite the absence of a net moment. For these magnetic symmetries the Kerr effect is mediated by magnetoelectric coupling, which can arise when antiferromagnetic order breaks inversion symmetry. The structures identifed are candidates for a time-reversal breaking phase in the pseudogap regime of the cuprates.

To date the vast majority of bacterial and archaeal genomes sequenced are of rather limited phylogenetic diversity as they were chosen based on their physiology and/ or medical importance. The Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea (GEBA) project (Wu et al. 2009) is aimed at systematically filling the gaps of the tree of life with phylogenetically diverse reference genomes. However more than 99 percent of microorganisms elude current culturing attempts, severely limiting the ability to recover complete or even partial genomes of these largely mysterious species. These limitations gave rise to the GEBA uncultured project. Here we propose to use single cell genomics to massively expand the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea by targeting 80 single cell representatives of uncultured candidate phyla which have no or very few cultured representatives. Generating these reference genomes of uncultured microbes will dramatically increase the discovery rate of novel protein families and biological functions, shed light on the numerous underrepresented phyla that likely play important roles in the environment, and will assist in improving the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of Bacteria and Archaea. Moreover, these data will improve our ability to interpret metagenomics sequence data from diverse environments, which will be of …

SLAC is developing a long-range plan to transfer the evolving scientific programs at SSRL from the SPEAR3 light source to a much higher performing synchrotron source -- PEP-X -- a new storage ring that would occupy the existing PEP-II tunnel and support two experimental halls, each containing 16 x-ray beam lines. Operating at 4.5 GeV and 1.5 A with a horizontal emittance of 0.14 nm-rad, reached using 90 m of damping wigglers, PEP-X would have an order of magnitude higher average brightness and flux in the 1-{angstrom} x-ray range than any existing or planned future storage ring sources. Higher brightness in the soft x-ray regime might be reached with partial lasing in long undulators, and high peak brightness could be reached with seeded FEL emission. The status of preliminary studies of PEP-X is presented.