SLAC Publication SLAC-PUB-13664
SLAC Release Date: August 4, 2009
Experimental Studies of Light Emission Phenomena in Superconducting RF Cavitites
Anthony, P.L. (SLAC); Delayen, J.R. (Jefferson Lab); Fryberger, D. (SLAC); Goree, W.S.; Mammosser, J. (Jefferson Lab; SNS Project, Oak Ridge); Szalata, Z.M., II, J.G.Weisend (SLAC)
Experimental studies of light emission phenomena in superconducting RF cavities, which we categorize under the general heading of cavity lights, are described. The cavity lights data, which were obtained using a small CCD video camera, were collected in a series of nine experimental runs ranging from ~. to ~2 h in duration. The video data were recorded on a standard VHS tape. As the runs progressed, additional instrumentation was added. For the last three runs a LabVIEW controlled data acquisiti... Show Full Abstract
Experimental studies of light emission phenomena in superconducting RF cavities, which we categorize under the general heading of cavity lights, are described. The cavity lights data, which were obtained using a small CCD video camera, were collected in a series of nine experimental runs ranging from ~. to ~2 h in duration. The video data were recorded on a standard VHS tape. As the runs progressed, additional instrumentation was added. For the last three runs a LabVIEW controlled data acquisition system was included. These runs furnish evidence for several, possibly related, light emission phenomena. The most intriguing of these is what appear to be small luminous objects . 1.5 mm in size, freely moving about in the vacuum space, generally without wall contact, as verified by reflections of the tracks in the cavity walls. In addition, on a number of occasions, these objects were observed to bounce off of the cavity walls. The wall-bounce aspect of most of these events was clearly confirmed by pre-bounce and post-bounce reflections concurrent with the tracks. In one of the later runs, a mode of behavior was observed that was qualitatively different from anything observed in the earlier runs. Perhaps the most perplexing aspect of this new mode was the observation of as many as seven luminous objects arrayed in what might be described as a macromolecular formation, coherently moving about in the interior of the cavity for extended periods of time, evidently without any wall contact. It is suggested that these mobile luminous objects are without explanation within the realm of established physics. Some remarks about more exotic theoretical possibilities are made, and future plans are discussed. Show Partial Abstract
Download File:
  • Published in Nuclear Instrumentation and Methods (NIM) A
  • Interest Categories: Other
Powered by SciDoc

TIS: Archives and History Office | Library | InfoMedia Solutions