Center for Accelerator Science
The Center for Accelerator Science in the Physics Department at Old Dominion University was established in partnership with Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in order to meet the nation's need for scientists who will advance the sciences and technologies of particle accelerators and light sources for use in basic science, applied science and industry. The Center offers a spectrum of research opportunities for outstanding undergraduate and graduate students in accelerator sciences and technologies. The students will have access to state-of-the-art facilities at both ODU and Jefferson Lab. A search for the Director of the Center is presently underway.
Research fields
- superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) accelerating structures
- materials for future superconducting cavities
- novel accelerator designs such as energy-recovery linacs (ERLs) , Muon colliders and Electron Ion Colliders (ELICs)
- high-current (hundreds of mA), high-polarization (>90%) electron guns
- light sources, including free-electron lasers (FELs) and synchrotrons
- simulation and visualization tools for the design and operation of accelerators
- diagnostic techniques for studying beam properties
- accelerator related mechanical, electrical and control systems engineering
Old Dominion University
The center is located in the Oceanography/Physics building at 4600 Elkhorn Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23529. The faculty have office and ample laboratory space for research activities.
Jefferson Lab's Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility
The CEBAF accelerator is the world's largest installation of superconducting cavities for particle acceleration. In a racetrack shape nearly a mile around, the underground accelerator consists of two linacs (linear accelerators) through which an electron beam is recirculated up to five times before delivery to any of three experimental halls. Experiments can receive beams from different passes, making it possible to run simultaneous experiments at different energies. The high intensity (up to 200 mA) and high polarization (> 80%) of the electron gun enable unprecedented study of spin physics. The accelerator will be upgraded to 12 GeV extending its research capabilities still further.
 Cryomodules in the Accelerator |
 Large grain Niobium Cavity |
 Schematic of CEBAF Accelerator, 12 GeV upgrade and ELIC concept |
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Research Facilities for SRF Accelerator Science and Technology
Jefferson Lab has some of the best facilities available anywhere for conducting research in superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) structures. The vertical test area (VTA) with eight dewars, six of them RF-equipped, is one of the finest in the world for testing SRF cavities.
Vertical test area - Closed chemistry and high-pressure rinse
cabinets in the clean room
The materials science laboratory contains a scanning electron microscope, a scanning field emission microscope, a transmission electron microscope, a secondary ion mass spectroscope, and a scanning Auger microscope. Clean rooms are available for cavity work and for sample preparation. Also available are excellent machine shops and an electron beam welder. Research fields include materials and materiaI processing for cavities, development of SRF guns and superstructures.
Secondary ion mass spectroscope - Scanning electron microscope
High Intensity Electron Sources
Jefferson Lab's Polarized Electron Source Group develops state-of-the-art photoemission cathodes for generating highly polarized electrons for nuclear physics research. The source laboratory has a test cave and equipment for developing the lasers and the controls. The research interests include source development for ELIC and the International Linear Collider. The group is also developing a positron source.
Load lock electron gun delivers independent beams to CEBAF's three experimental halls
Beam physics and Beam diagnostics
The Beam Physics Group is actively engaged in designing The 12 GeV upgrade of the accelerator, future accelerators such as the Electron Ion Collider, and Muon Collider. The Group has access to the multiprocessor cluster at Jefferson Lab for CPU intensive simulations. In addition, the group develops novel diagnostic techniques for beam property measurements.
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Halo simulation using processorfarm Beam in Hall C after 5 passes -128 cpus, 50 minutes, 2 million particles |
6-D cooling: Helical cooling channel (red) simulation for muon cooling |
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Beam Size Measurement: Optical Diffraction Radiation Image formed when electron beam passes by a metal edge |
Ray Trace: Beam Visualization Tool One use is to show deviations from design optics |
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Faculty
Director: Search Underway
ODU Physics:
- Alexander Godunov, Ph.D., Moscow State University, 1984. Break-down phenomena in RF guns and cavities.
- Toza Popovic, Ph.D., University of Belgrade, 1977, Surface preparation of Niobium for superconducting RF cavities by plasma etching
- Charles Sukenik, Ph.D., Yale University, 1993. Ultracold molecule production, light scattering and strong localization of light in disordered atomic samples, and novel optical schemes for spatiallyconfining atoms and molecules
- Lepsha Vuskovic, Ph.D., University of Belgrade, 1972, Surface treatment of Niobium for superconducting RF cavities
Jefferson Lab Professors:
- Hari Areti, Ph.D. , University of Ottawa, 1976.
- Jean Delayen, Ph.D., Caltech, 1977. Fellow, American Physical Society. Physics and technology of superconducting linacs; RF structures design; phase and amplitude control of RF fields; interactions between particles and RF fields; beam instabilities; high-current effects in linacs; RF superconductivity; electromagnetic properties of superconductors; development of new materials and preparation techniques
- Geoffrey Krafft, Ph.D., U. California, Berkeley, 1986. Fellow, American Physical Society. Theoretical studies of collective effects; electron beam diagnostics devices; applications of recirculating and energy recovering accelerators; novel sources of electromagnetic radiation
Adjunct faculty
- S. Alex Bogacz, Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1986. Beam dynamics of superconducting recirculating linacs; beam optics and lattice design, muon accelerator concept—design of large aperture recirculating linacs; nonlinear beam dynamics and emittance compensation schemes, theory of coupled betatron motion, crystal channeling
- Arne Freyberger , Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, 1990. Positron sources, Beam diagnostics.
- Carlos Hernandez, Ph.D.*, Vanderbilt University, 2001.Design and construction of high power DC electron guns, design/modeling of high brightness injectors
- Reza Kazimi, Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 1992. Compact Accelerators and Electron Injectors for Accelerators.
- Michael Kelley, Ph.D. , Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1973. Materials Engineering, Surface science of SRF materials
- Ganapati Myneni, Ph.D., Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India, 1980. Science of RF superconductivity and extreme high vacuum
- Larry Phillips, Ph.D.,
- Matt Poelker*, Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1992. Photocathode electron guns; polarized electrons; drive laser technology.
- Gwyn Williams, Ph.D., Sheffield University, England, 1971. Ultra-bright light sources; ultrafast pump-probe dynamics of novel materials and of bonding vibrational odes in both time and frequency domains.
- Yuhong Zhang*, Ph.D., University of Maryland, 1990. Theoretical Studies of Classical and Quantum Beam Physics
Post-Doctoral Fellow
- Guimei Wang, Muon Colliders
Graduate students
- Eman Ahmed, Dipole force optical trap (FORT) for atoms and molecules
- Subashini De Silva, TBD
- Shawn Frierson, TBD
- Serkan Golge, Positron source for Jefferson Lab
- Alicia Hofler*, RF electron guns
- Gambhir Ranjit, Study of High Harmonic Generation at Jefferson Lab's FEL
- Maria Raskovic, Plasma etching for performance enhancement of Niobium superconducting RF cavities
- Hisham Sayed, Design of low beta interaction regions for colliders
- Senthilraja Singaravelu , Creating large-scale organic thin films in a pulsed laser deposition chamber
- Michael Spata, Beam optics for Jefferson Lab's 12 GeV upgrade
- Janardan Upadhyay, Surface Preparation techniques for Niobium superconducting RF cavities
- Mat Wright*, Improving the efficiency of He liquefiers
- Ashwini Jayaprakash*, High Intensity and high polarization electron guns
Degrees awarded in Accelerator Physics
- Mahesh Chowdhary*, Ph.D. (1996). Online System Identification for Control System Applications in Particle Accelerators
- Chagkun Dong, Ph.D. (2003). Field Emission Based Sensors using Carbon Nanotubes , Old Dominion University
- Gianluigi Ciovati, Ph.D. (2005). Investigation of the superconducting properties of niobium radio-frequency cavities
- Deepesh Kumar Koppunuru*, M.S. (2007). PARMELA-based simulations of Jefferson Lab 10 KW upgrade IR FEL Injector
- Peter Knudsen* M.S. (2008). Process Study for Small Scale 2K Refrigeration Systems
*Engineering College