Storage ring light sources are in use around the world operating as high brightness photon sources from the infrared to the X-ray photon regimes. Whilst modern light source designs achieve horizontal emittances in the few-nm range, they are only diffraction limited in the vertical plane with emittances as low as 10~pm-rad. To achieve fully diffraction limited light sources in the X-ray regime requires a fundamental change in the design of such machines. Many such designs have been proposed based on the multi-bend achromat (MBA) lattice, which have been shown to achieve the required emittance reduction. However MBA lattices typically have a reduced dynamic acceptance, and consequently shorter beam lifetimes. Whilst this can be ameliorated somewhat through the use of top-up injection schemes, many issues still remain. In this thesis we explore one possible alternative to the multi-bend achromat (MBA) paradigm: the stacked storage ring. We propose a storage ring consisting of two synchrotrons joined via a static magnetic vertical transfer line. One of the rings has a reduced emittance through the use of high field damping wigglers, whilst the other is used for standard user experiments. The cumulative emittance of the combined ring structure is a function of the emittances of the two rings. The stacked ring approach allows for a reduction in the beam emittance without a consequent increase in the machine footprint, as in the case of the MBA lattice. Additionally, we may use the more relaxed lattice structures popular in currently operating 3rd generation light sources to maintain a reasonable dynamic acceptance even with the reduced emittance. We apply the stacked storage ring concept to the design of a low emittance 700~MeV compact light source for low energy vacuum ultraviolet photon output. The desirability of such a low energy photon source for UK science has previously been explored in depth. We examine the design of such a light source based around a strong damping stacked storage ring in the presence of Touschek and Intra-Beam scattering whilst analysing the effects on the dynamic properties of the lattice. We also apply the stacked ring concept to two lattices designed to operate in the high energy X-ray region of the photon spectrum and investigate the potential advantages in this regime, including as an adjunct to further improve proposed MBA concepts.

No description available.

<p>The Duke Free-electron laser (FEL) system, driven by the Duke electron storage ring, has been at the forefront of developing new light source capabilities over the past two decades. In 1999, the Duke FEL demonstrated the first lasing of a storage ring FEL in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region at $194$ nm using two planar OK-4 undulators. With two helical undulators added to the outboard sides of the planar undulators, in 2005 the highest FEL gain ($47.8\%$) of a storage ring FEL was achieved using the Duke FEL system with a four-undulator configuration. In addition, the Duke FEL has been used as the photon source to drive the High Intensity $\gamma$-ray Source (HIGS) via Compton scattering of the FEL beam and electron beam inside the FEL cavity. Taking advantage of FEL's wavelength tunability as well as the adjustability of the energy of the electron beam in the storage ring, the nearly monochromatic $\gamma$-ray beam has been produced in a wide energy range from $1$ to $100$ MeV at the HIGS. To further push the FEL short wavelength limit and enhance the FEL gain in the VUV regime for high energy $\gamma$-ray production, two additional helical undulators were installed in 2012 using an undulator switchyard system to allow switching between the two planar and two helical undulators in the middle section of the FEL system. Using different undulator configurations made possible by the switchyard, a number of novel capabilities of the storage ring FEL have been developed and exploited for a wide FEL wavelength range from infrared (IR) to VUV. These new capabilities will eventually be made available to the $\gamma$-ray operation, which will greatly enhance the $\gamma$-ray user research program, creating new opportunities for certain types of nuclear physics research.</p><p>With the wide wavelength tuning range, the FEL is an intrinsically well-suited device to produce lasing with multiple colors. Taking advantage of the availability of an undulator system with multiple undulators, we have demonstrated the first two-color lasing of a storage ring FEL. Using either a three- or four-undulator configuration with a pair of dual-band high reflectivity mirrors, we have achieved simultaneous lasing in the IR and UV spectral regions. With the low-gain feature of the storage ring FEL, the power generated at the two wavelengths can be equally built up and precisely balanced to reach FEL saturation. A systematic experimental program to characterize this two-color FEL has been carried out, including precise power control, a study of the power stability of two-color lasing, wavelength tuning, and the impact of the FEL mirror degradation. Using this two-color laser, we have started to develop a new two-color $\gamma$-ray beam for scientific research at the HIGS.</p><p>Using the undulator switchyard, four helical undulators installed in the beamline can be configured to not only enhance the FEL gain in the VUV regime, but also allow for the full polarization control of the FEL beams. For the accelerator operation, the use of helical undulators is essential to extend the FEL mirror lifetime by reducing radiation damage from harmonic undulator radiation. Using a pair of helical undulators with opposite helicities, we have realized (1) fast helicity switching between left- and right-circular polarizations, and (2) the generation of fully controllable linear polarization. In order to extend these new capabilities of polarization control to the $\gamma$-ray operation in a wide energy range at the HIGS, a set of FEL polarization diagnostic systems need to be developed to cover the entire FEL wavelength range. The preliminary development of the polarization diagnostics for the wavelength range from IR to UV has been carried out.</p> / Dissertation

In the ejecta from ONe novae outbursts nuclei up to A~40 are observed. The 30P(p,γ)31S reaction is thought to be the bottleneck for the production of all elements heavier than sulphur. However, due to uncertainties in the properties of key proton-unbound resonances the reaction rate is not well determined. In this thesis work, excited states in 31S were populated via the 28Si(4He,n) light-ion fusion-evaporation reaction and the prompt electromagnetic radiation was then detected with the GAMMASPHERE detector array. This γ-ray spectroscopy study, and comparisons with the stable mirror nucleus 31P, allowed the determination of the 31S level structure below the proton-emission threshold and also of the key proton-unbound states for the 30P(p,γ)31S reaction. In particular, transitions from key, low-spin states were observed for the first time. This new information was then used for the re-evaluation of the 30P(p,γ)31S reaction in the temperature range relevant for ONe novae. The newly calculated rate is higher than previous estimates implying a greater flux of material processed to high-Z elements in novae. Astrophysical X-ray bursts are thought to be a result of thermonuclear explosions on the atmosphere of an accreting neutron star. Between these bursts, energy is thought to be generated by the hot CNO cycles. The 15O(α,γ)19Ne reaction is one reaction that allows breakout from these CNO cycle and into the rp-process to fuel outbursts. The reaction is expected to be dominated by a single 3/2+ resonance at 4.033 MeV in 19Ne, however, limited information is available on this key state. This thesis work reports on a pioneering study of the 20Ne(p,d)19Ne reaction in inverse kinematics performed at the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) as a means of accessing the 4.033-MeV state in 19Ne. The unique background free, high luminosity conditions of the ESR were utilised for this, the first transfer reaction performed at the ESR. The results of this pioneering test experiment are presented along with suggestions for future measurements at storage ring facilities.

No description available.

The stabilization of electron beam in the Storage Ring (SR) is an important task in the 3rd generation synchrotron facility worldwide. Deviations in the position and angle of electron beam with respect to a desired orbit must be below 10% of the beam size. This requirement corresponds to about 3 μm deviations at the Canadian Light Source (CLS). Further, the higher the correction bandwidth, the better in the stabilization process. The correction bandwidth at CLS was expected to increase to be 45 Hz or higher from the current operating rate at 18 Hz. In addition, there is requirement to control the beam deviation at specific positions on the orbit. To meet these requirements, a comparative study of the existing methods for the stabilization of electron beam in the SR is thus necessary, which is the main motivation of this thesis study. The overall objective of this thesis study was to find the most suitable method for CLS so that the correction bandwidth can be 45 Hz or higher. The study was primarily conducted by simulation due to the restriction in performing experiments on the whole beamline. The transfer functions of three important devices at the storage ring, which are Beam Position Monitor (BPM), Orbit Correction Magnets (OCM) and Vacuum Chamber (VC), were identified. Noises on the storage ring were also identified to improve the reliability of the simulation study. The existing methods for beam orbit correction, such as (1) Singular Value Decomposition (SVD), (2) Eigen Vector method with Constraints (EVC) and (3) SVD plus Proportional integral derivative (PID), were compared based on the simulation technique. Several conclusions can be drawn from this study: (1) there is no significant difference between the EVC method and SVD method in terms of overall orbit correction performance, and they both can meet the correction bandwidth of 45 Hz. The EVC method is however much better than the SVD method in terms of the beam orbit correction performance at specific positions; (2) the SVD plus PID method is much better than the SVD method as well as EVC method in terms of the overall orbit correction performance, and its performance for specific position orbit correction is comparable with the performance of EVC. Therefore, the SVD plus PID method is recommended for CLS. This study has made the following contributions on the problem of beam stabilization the storage ring in the synchrotron technology: (1) provision of the models of BPM and OCM and the PID controller tailored to specific BPM and OCM devices, which is useful to other synchrotron facilities in the world; (2) generation of the knowledge regarding the performances of SVD, EVC and SVD plus PID methods on one synchrotron facility is valuable, and this knowledge is useful to other synchrotron facilities in selection of the best methods for electron orbit correction.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.