Single radio frequency bucket injection in the 88-Inch Cyclotron using a pulsed high voltage chopper.

A single radio frequency bucket of the 88-Inch Cyclotron is filled using a fast chopper located in the axial line. The bucket then accelerates until it reaches the deflector, at which point, it is extracted as a train of bunches. This phenomenon can be attributed to the characteristic multi-turn extraction of the cyclotron and, by simplifying the complex dynamics of a cyclotron, corresponds to the conceptual transfer function of the cyclotron. The confirmation of the single radio frequency bucket injection was achieved by operating the cyclotron in the third harmonic mode and observing the absence of intermediate bunches during the multiple-bunch extraction.

First Direct Measurements of Superheavy-Element Mass Numbers.

An experiment was performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's 88-in. Cyclotron to determine the mass number of a superheavy element. The measurement resulted in the observation of two α-decay chains, produced via the ^{243}Am(^{48}Ca,xn)^{291-x}Mc reaction, that were separated by mass-to-charge ratio (A/q) and identified by the combined BGS+FIONA apparatus. One event occurred at A/q=284 and was assigned to ^{284}Nh (Z=113), the α-decay daughter of ^{288}Mc (Z=115), while the second occurred at A/q=288 and was assigned to ^{288}Mc. This experiment represents the first direct measurements of the mass numbers of superheavy elements, confirming previous (indirect) mass-number assignments.

Thermoacoustic range verification using a clinical ultrasound array provides perfectly co-registered overlay of the Bragg peak onto an ultrasound image.

The potential of particle therapy due to focused dose deposition in the Bragg peak has not yet been fully realized due to inaccuracies in range verification. The purpose of this work was to correlate the Bragg peak location with target structure, by overlaying the location of the Bragg peak onto a standard ultrasound image. Pulsed delivery of 50 MeV protons was accomplished by a fast chopper installed between the ion source and the cyclotron inflector. The chopper limited the train of bunches so that 2 Gy were delivered in [Formula: see text]. The ion pulse generated thermoacoustic pulses that were detected by a cardiac ultrasound array, which also produced a grayscale ultrasound image. A filtered backprojection algorithm focused the received signal to the Bragg peak location with perfect co-registration to the ultrasound images. Data was collected in a room temperature water bath and gelatin phantom with a cavity designed to mimic the intestine, in which gas pockets can displace the Bragg peak. Phantom experiments performed with the cavity both empty and filled with olive oil confirmed that displacement of the Bragg peak due to anatomical change could be detected. Thermoacoustic range measurements in the waterbath agreed with Monte Carlo simulation within 1.2 mm. In the phantom, thermoacoustic range estimates and first-order range estimates from CT images agreed to within 1.5 mm.

Development status of a next generation ECRIS: MARS-D at LBNL.

To demonstrate a Mixed Axial and Radial field System (MARS) as the best magnet scheme for future ECRISs, MARS-D, a demonstrative ECRIS using a NbTi MARS magnet is progressing at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. An optimized MARS design can use either NbTi or Nb3Sn coils with reduced engineering complexities to construct the needed high-field magnets. The optimized magnet design could enhance MARS-D to a next generation ECRIS by producing minimum-B field maxima of 5.6 T axially and 3.2 T radially for operating frequencies up to 45 GHz. In-progress test winding has achieved a milestone demonstrating the fabrication feasibility of a MARS closed-loop coil.

Development of a new superconducting Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source for operations up to 18 GHz at LBNL.

A new superconducting Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source (ECRIS) is under development at LBNL to harness the winding techniques of a closed-loop sextupole coil for the next generation ECRIS and to enhance the capability of the 88-in. cyclotron facility. The proposed ECRIS will use a superconducting closed-loop sextupole coil to produce the radial field and a substantial portion of the axial field. The field strengths of the injection, central and extraction regions are adjusted by a three solenoids outside the closed-loop sextupole coil. In addition to maintaining the typical ECRIS magnetic field configuration, this new source will also be able to produce a dustpan-like minimum-B field to explore possible ECRIS performance enhancement. The dustpan-like minimum-B field configuration has about the same strengths for the maximum axial field at the injection region and the maximum radial pole fields at the plasma chamber walls but it can be substantially lower at the extraction region. The dustpan-like minimum-B will have a field maximum Bmax ≥ 2.6 T for operations up to 18 GHz with a ratio of Bmax/Bres ≥ 4 and higher ratios for lower frequencies. The field maxima of this new source can reach over 3 T both at the injection and the plasma chamber walls which could also support operation at 28 GHz. The source will be built of cryogen-free with the magnets directly cooled by cryo-coolers to simplify the cryostat structure. The source design features will be presented and discussed.

Safeguarding vulnerable older people in hospital.

Safeguarding vulnerable older people is the responsibility of all healthcare professionals, but what this means in reality and how it can be achieved in practice is not always well understood. This article provides guidance on how government initiatives can be used by nurses to improve the care of older people. The article identifies criteria for determining when a concern should be raised as a safeguarding alert and when neglect may be occurring. A positive culture encompassing zero tolerance of poor care in the hospital setting is advocated.

Low-energy enhancement in the photon strength of 95Mo.

A new experimental technique is presented using proton-γ-γ correlations from (94)Mo(d,p)(95)Mo reactions which allows for the model-independent extraction of the photon strength function at various excitation energies using primary γ-ray decay from the quasicontinuum to individual low-lying levels. Detected particle energies provide the entrance excitation energies into the residual nucleus while γ-ray transitions from low-lying levels specify the discrete states being fed. Results strongly support the existence of the previously reported low-energy enhancement in the photon strength function.

Recent progress on the superconducting ion source VENUS.

The 28 GHz Ion Source VENUS (versatile ECR for nuclear science) is back in operation after the superconducting sextupole leads were repaired and a fourth cryocooler was added. VENUS serves as an R&D device to explore the limits of electron cyclotron resonance source performance at 28 GHz with its 10 kW gryotron and optimum magnetic fields and as an ion source to increase the capabilities of the 88-Inch Cyclotron both for nuclear physics research and applications. The development and testing of ovens and sputtering techniques cover a wide range of applications. Recent experiments on bismuth demonstrated stable operation at 300 eµA of Bi(31+), which is in the intensity range of interest for high performance heavy-ion drivers such as FRIB (Facility for Rare Isotope Beams). In addition, the space radiation effects testing program at the cyclotron relies on the production of a cocktail beam with many species produced simultaneously in the ion source and this can be done with a combination of gases, sputter probes, and an oven. These capabilities are being developed with VENUS by adding a low temperature oven, sputter probes, as well as studying the RF coupling into the source.

Lifetime measurement of the first excited 2+ state in 16C.

The lifetime of the 2_+(1) state in 16C has been measured with the recoil distance method using the 9Be(9Be,2p) fusion-evaporation reaction at a beam energy of 40 MeV. The mean lifetime was measured to be 11.7(20) ps corresponding to a B(E2;2_+(1)-->0+) value of 4.15(73)e_2 fm_4 [1.73(30) W.u.], consistent with other even-even closed shell nuclei. Our result does not support an interpretation for "decoupled" valence neutrons.

Surface partition of large clusters.

The surface partition of large clusters is derived analytically for a simple statistical model by using the Laplace-Fourier transformation method. In the limit of small amplitude deformations, a suggested "hills and dales model" reproduces the leading term of the Fisher result for the surface entropy to within a few percent. The model also gives the degeneracy prefactor of large clusters. The surface partition of finite clusters is also discussed.

The complement: a solution to liquid drop finite size effects in phase transitions.

The effects of the finite size of a liquid drop undergoing a phase transition are described in terms of the complement, the largest (but mesoscopic) drop representing the liquid in equilibrium with the vapor. Vapor cluster concentrations, pressure, and density from fixed mean density lattice gas (Ising) calculations are explained in terms of the complement generalization of Fisher's model. Accounting for this finite size effect is important for extracting the infinite nuclear matter phase diagram from experimental data.

Liquid to vapor phase transition in excited nuclei.

The thermal component of the 8 GeV/c pi+ Au data of the ISiS Collaboration is shown to follow the scaling predicted by Fisher's model when Coulomb energy is taken into account. Critical exponents tau and sigma, the critical point (p(c),rho(c),T(c)), surface energy coefficient c(0), enthalpy of evaporation DeltaH, and critical compressibility factor C(F)(c) are determined. For the first time, the experimental phase diagrams, (p,T) and (T,rho), describing the liquid vapor coexistence of finite neutral nuclear matter have been constructed.

Nuclear multifragmentation, percolation, and the fisher droplet model: common features of reducibility and thermal scaling

It is shown that the Fisher droplet model, percolation, and nuclear multifragmentation share the common features of reducibility (stochasticity in multiplicity distributions) and thermal scaling (one-fragment production probabilities are Boltzmann factors). Barriers obtained, for cluster production on percolation lattices, from the Boltzmann factors show a power-law dependence on cluster size with an exponent of 0.42+/-0.02. The EOS Collaboration Au multifragmentation data yield barriers with a power-law exponent of 0.68+/-0.03. Values of the surface energy coefficient of a low density nuclear system are also extracted.

Living environments and older people.

The influence of care environments on patients has long been a fundamental concern for nurses. Considerations of how environments might be defined, particularly how multiple aspects of environments might impact on any individual, are complex. This article aims to unpick some of the complexities and to offer ideas on how nurses can positively influence environments, particularly in settings where older people live and are offered care.

Measurements of low-energy (d,n) reactions for BNCT. Boron Neutron Capture Therapy.

Neutron yields and energy spectra have been measured for various deuteron-induced reactions at low energy. Neutrons of energy > 100 keV emitted in the 9Be(d,n)10B, 12C(d,n)13N, and 13C(d,n)14N reactions at Ed= 1.5 MeV were detected at five angles by means of liquid scintillator detectors. While low-energy neutrons were observed in all studied reactions, only 13C(d,n)14N is characterized by a relatively large yield with spectral features potentially interesting for an accelerator-based neutron source for BNCT.