The MYRRI-IA project aims at coupling a cw 600 MeV, 4 mA proton linac with a sub-critical reactor as the very first prototype nuclear reactor to be driven by a particle accelerator (ADS). Among several applications, MYRRHA main objective is to demonstrate the principle of partitioning and transmutation (P&T) as a viable solution to drastically reduce the radiotoxicity of long-life nuclear waste. For this purpose, the linac needs an unprecedented level of reliability in terms of allowable beam trips. The normal conducting injector delivers 16.6 MeV protons to the superconducting main linac. The first section of the injector (up to 5.9 MeV) consists of an ECR source, a 4-Rod-REQ. and a rebunchin2 line followed by 7 individual CH-type cavities. This entire section will be set up and operated by SCK"CEN in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, for ample performance and reliability testing. The first CH cavity has been sent for power tests to IAP Frankfurt, Germany. The most recent status of all cavities, couplers and the beam diagnostics of the MYRRHA injector is presented m this paper.

The standalone superconducting (SC) continuous wave (CW) heavy ion linac HELIAC (HElmholtz LInear ACcelerator) is a common project of GSI and HIM under key support of IAP Frankfurt and in collaboration with Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (MEPhI) and Moscow Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics (KI-ITEP). It is intended for future experiments with heavy ions near the Coulomb barrier within super-heavy element (SHE) research and aims at developing a linac with multiple CH cavities as key components downstream the High Charge State Injector (HLI) at GSI. The design is challenging due to the requirement of intense beams in CW mode up to a mass-to-charge ratio of 6, while covering a broad output energy range from 3:5 to 7:3MeV/u with minimum energy spread. In 2017 the first superconducting section of the linac has been successfully commissioned and extensively tested with beam at GSI. In the light of experience gained in this research so far, the beam dynamics layout for the entire linac has recently been updated and optimized with particular emphasis on realistic assumptions of cavity gap and drift lengths as well as gap voltage distributions for CH3 CH11.

For future experiments with heavy ions near the coulomb barrier within the superheavy element (SHE) research project a multi-stage R&D program of GSI/HIM and IAP is currently in progress. It aims at developing a supercon-ducting (sc) continuous wave (CW) LINAC with multiple CH cavities as key components downstream the High Charge State Injector (HLI) at GSI. The LINAC design is challenging due to the requirement of intense beams in CW mode up to a mass-to-charge ratio of 6, while covering a broad output energy range from 3.5 to 7.3MeV/u with the same minimum energy spread. Testing of the first CH-cavity in 2016 demonstrated a promising maximum accelerating gradient of E a = 9.6MV/m; the worldwide first beam test with this sc multi-gap CH-cavity in 2017 was a milestone in the R&D work of GSI/HIM and IAP. In the light of experience gained in this research so far, the beam dynamics layout for the entire LINAC has recently been updated and optimized.

A multi -stage program for the development of a heavy ion superconducting (sc) continuous wave (cw) linac is in progress at HIM (Mainz, Germany) and GSI (Darmstadt, Germany) under support of IAP (Frankfurt, Germany). In 2017 the first section of the CWLinac has been successfully commissioned at GSI. Beam acceleration at the CW-Linac is foreseen to be performed by twelve multi -gap Crossbar H -type (CH) cavities. The linac should provide the beam for physics experiments, smoothly varying the output particle energy from 3.5 to 7.3 MeV/u, simultaneously keeping high beam quality. Due to a wide variation of the input and output beam energy for each cavity, a longitudinal beam matching to every cavity is of high importance. An advanced algorithm for an optimization of matched beam parameters under variable rf-voltage and rf-phase of each cavity has been developed. The description of the method and the obtained results are presented.

Synthetic analogues of plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) bearing a yet unexplored head group motif were prepared based on a combination of agrochemical experience, in vivo hits and structure-based design. It could thus be explored how modifying key parts of ABA's cyclohexenone unit influenced receptor affinity and in vivo efficacy against drought stress in selected crops. Cyano-cyclopropyl groups proved to be suitable replacements of the cyclohexanone moiety leading to ABA analogues with strong activity in vitro and in vivo. Their efficient and versatile synthesis proceeded via Stille or Sonogashira couplings as the key steps. Combining novel cyano-cyclopropyl headgroups with previously identified substituents in the terpenoid side chain afforded the most promising effects against drought stress in crops, particularly canola and wheat.

Novel analogues of the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) were designed and prepared to explore the impact that modifications of its terpenoid side chain have on receptor affinity and in vivo efficacy against drought stress in selected crops. Their efficient and versatile synthesis proceeded via Stille or Sonogashira couplings, shortening the synthetic route significantly. In line with molecular modelling and X-ray crystallography studies novel ABA-derivatives with small alkyl, cycloalkyl or haloalkyl substituents showed strong effects in vitro and in vivo against drought stress in crops, particularly canola and wheat.

The Front Cover shows common iterative steps of modern agrochemical research in the foreground with ears of wheat plants close to being harvested in the background. Inspired by nature, that is, by plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA), novel lead structures targeting drought stress in crops such as wheat or canola have been identified. In vivo SAR studies based on greenhouse trials and chemical optimization were supported by systems biology, in vitro analyses, and X-ray crystallography. It could thus be explored how modification of the key structural features of ABA influences receptor affinity and in vivo efficacy. As a result, cyano-cyclopropyl groups proved to be suitable replacements for the cyclohexanone headgroup motif. More information can be found in the full papers by J. Frackenpohl, E. Grill et al. (ejoc.201701687 and ejoc.201701769)

The research program of antiproton beams for the FAIR facility requires a dedicated 68 MeV, 70 mA proton injector. This injector will consist of an RFQ followed by six room temperature "Crossbar H-type" CH-cavities operated at 325 MHz. The beam dynamics had been revised by IAP Frankfurt in collaboration with GSI-FAIR in Darmstadt to further optimize the design. This step was followed by cavity RF design. The detailed mechanical cavity design will begin in 2017, while the quadrupole lenses are under production already. In this paper, besides an overview the RF design of the coupled cavities with integrated focusing triplets will be a main focus.

EUROTRANS is a European research program for the transmutation of high level nuclear waste in an accelerator-driven system (ADS). As proposed, the driver linac needs to deliver a 2.5–4 mA, 600 MeV continuous-wave (CW) proton beam and later a 20 mA, 800 MeV one to the spallation target in the prototype-scale and industrial-scale demonstration phases, respectively. This paper is focusing on the conceptual studies performed with respect to the 17 MeV injector. First, the special beam dynamics strategies and methods, which have been developed and applied to design a current-variable injector up to 30 mA for allowing an easy upgrade without additional R&D costs, will be introduced. Then the error study made for evaluating the tolerance limits of the designed injector will be presented as well.