Multigap cavities are used extensively in linear accelerators to achieve velocities up to a few percent of the speed of light, driving nuclear physics research around the world. Unlike for single-gap structures, there is no closed-form expression to calculate the output beam parameters from the cavity voltage and phase. To overcome this, we propose to use a method based on the integration of the first and second moments of the beam distribution through the axially symmetric time-dependent fields of the cavity. A beam-based calibration between the model's electric field scaling and the machine's rf amplitudes is presented, yielding a fast online energy change method, returning cavity amplitude and phase necessary for a desired output beam energy and energy spread. The method is validated with 23Na6+ beam energy measurements.

An ion beam transport system has been designed to transport a highly intense and bright beam extracted from the H- ion source. This new system will be installed at the new injection terminal for the TRIUMF's 500 MeV H- cyclotron. The low energy part of the transport section (25 keV) in the injection terminal has been designed with magnetic optical elements in order to maintain space charge neutralization. The injection terminal includes a permanent magnet lens, magnetic steerers, a pulser, a beam dump, and a 300 kV acceleration column with electron and positive ion suppressor rings. Beam optics calculations have been performed, including space charge effects up to 1 mA. The simulation results of the beam optics design are presented in this paper.

We're concerned with future accelerators of high intensity protons for isotope production. To this end, we initiate a proposal to design an innovative superconducting H+3 cyclotron TR150, aiming at proton energy of 70-150 MeV and proton current of -1.0 mA. Cyclotrons in this energy range are not developed world-wide; moreover numerous highly interesting and increasingly demanded radionuclides are in this energy range. Our machine shall be designed to accelerate H+3 ion, the simplest and stable triatomic molecular ion, by injection from an external ion source and extraction by stripping. This has potential to extract proton beam of variable energies with very high extraction efficiency, and thus enables to simultaneously provide multiple proton beams for multiple external production targets. A baseline design of our machine and the beam dynamics studies are presented in this paper.

The horizontal and vertical betatron tunes vary during acceleration in TRIUMF 500 MeV cyclotron, leading the beam to cross the linear coupling resonance nu(r) - nu(z) = 1 multiple times. This results in a measurable transfer of betatron amplitude between the horizontal and the vertical planes. In this paper, we report the observation of an unanticipated crossing of this resonance which cannot be understood from the tune diagram derived from the original magnetic field survey of the cyclotron. We present how we have resolved this conundrum and the technique we have developed to measure the vertical tune, which is particularly challenging in a cyclotron. To correct the deleterious effects of this particular crossing, rather than canceling the resonance driving term, a new strategy was adopted whereby the vertical tune is adjusted locally and pushed away from the resonance line. This is accomplished using the axial field of trim coils, while also maintaining the overall isochronism of the machine.

We report the state of the field of High-Power Fixed-Field Accelerators (with an emphasis on cyclotrons) as discussed by international experts during a three-day workshop of the same name in 2021. The workshop was part of the Snowmass'21 Community Planning Exercise. Here, we take stock of the world inventory of high-power fixed-field accelerators, assess available beam currents and beam powers, and investigate limitations. Furthermore, we evaluate the role of these machines in particle physics, directly used or as injectors to other machines, and in industry, as drivers for (medical) isotope production and, potentially, for accelerator-driven systems and sub-critical reactors. Finally, we discuss novel concepts and cutting-edge developments to push the available current higher at several energy scales, thereby increasing relative power. Highlights include new spiral inflector types, direct RFQ injection, H+2 acceleration, utilizing vortex motion, and self-extraction schemes. We also discuss modern computational frameworks to optimize accelerators more efficiently, and better describe the relevant physical processes in simulations.

BACKGROUND:Mandatory mask-wearing policies were one of several measures employed to reduce hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection throughout the pandemic. Many nations have removed healthcare mask mandates, but there remains a risk of new SARS-CoV-2 variants or epidemics of other respiratory viruses. AIM:To demonstrate the impact of removing the healthcare mask mandate. METHODS:SARS-CoV-2 infections were analysed in a large teaching hospital for 40 weeks in 2022 using a controlled interrupted time-series design. The intervention was the removal of a staff/visitor surgical mask-wearing policy for the most wards at week 26 (intervention group) with a subset of specific wards retaining the mask policy (control group). The hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was adjusted by the underlying community infection rate. FINDINGS:In the context of a surge in SARS-CoV-2 infection, removal of the mask mandate for staff/visitors was not associated with a statistically significant change in the rate of nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infection in the intervention group (incidence rate ratio: 1.105; 95% confidence interval: 0.523-2.334; P = 0.79) and there was no post-intervention trend (1.013; 0.932-1.100; P = 0.76) to suggest a delayed effect. The control group also showed no immediate or delayed change in infection rate. CONCLUSION:No evidence was found that removal of a staff/visitor mask-wearing policy had a significant effect on the rate of hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection. This does not demonstrate that masks were ineffective through the pandemic, but provides some objective evidence to justify the removal of healthcare mask mandates once there was widespread immunity and reduced disease severity.

precision sin 2 independent left-right asymmetry measurements of e + e − transitions to pairs of muons, taus, and b-quarks.

The search for a dark photon holds considerable interest in the physics community. Such a force carrier would begin to illuminate the dark sector. Many experiments have searched for such a particle, but so far it has proven elusive. In recent years the concept of a low mass dark photon has gained popularity in the physics community. Of particular recent interest is the ^8Be and ^4He anomaly, which could be explained by a new fifth force carrier with a mass of 17 MeV/c^2. The proposed DarkLight experiment would search for this potential low mass force carrier at ARIEL in the 10-20 MeV e^+e^- invariant mass range. This proceeding will focus on the experimental design and physics case of the DarkLight experiment.

Upgrading the SuperKEKB electron-positron collider with polarized electron beams opens a new program of precision physics at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV. This white paper describes the physics potential of this `Chiral Belle' program. It includes projections for precision measurements of $\sin^2\theta_W$ that can be obtained from independent left-right asymmetry measurements of $e^+e^-$ transitions to pairs of electrons, muons, taus, charm and b-quarks. The $\sin^2\theta_W$ precision obtainable at SuperKEKB will match that of the LEP/SLC world average, but at the centre-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV. Measurements of the couplings for muons, charm, and $b$-quarks will be substantially improved and the existing $3\sigma$ discrepancy between the SLC $A_{LR}$ and LEP $A_{FB}^b$ measurements will be addressed. Precision measurements of neutral current universality will be more than an order of magnitude more precise than currently available. As the energy scale is well away from the $Z^0$-pole, the precision measurements will have sensitivity to the presence of a parity-violating dark sector gauge boson, $Z_{\rm dark}$. The program also enables the measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment $g-2$ form factor of the $\tau$ to be made at an unprecedented level of precision. A precision of $10^{-5}$ level is accessible with 40~ab$^{-1}$ and with more data it would start to approach the $10^{-6}$ level. This technique would provide the most precise information from the third generation about potential new physics explanations of the muon $g-2$ $4\sigma$ anomaly. Additional $\tau$ and QCD physics programs enabled or enhanced with having polarized electron beams are also discussed in this White Paper. This paper includes a summary of the path forward in R&D and next steps required to implement this upgrade and access its exciting discovery potential.

The muon has played a central role in establishing the Standard Model of particle physics, and continues to provide valuable information about the nature of new physics. A new complex at Fermilab, the Advanced Muon Facility, would provide the world's most intense positive and negative muon beams by exploiting the full potential of PIP-II and the Booster upgrade. This facility would enable a broad muon physics program, including studies of charged lepton flavor violation, muonium-antimuonium transitions, a storage ring muon EDM experiment, and muon spin rotation experiments. This document describes a staged realization of this complex, together with a series of next-generation experiments to search for charged lepton flavor violation.

Background: Novel rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (RAST) methods promise quicker de-escalation of broad-spectrum antibiotics. However, other behavioural and situational factors influencing antimicrobial prescription are not well known. Aim: To explore factors associated with optimal antimicrobial prescription in patients with Gram-negative bloodstream infection and to propose specific scenarios in which a rapid antimicrobial susceptibility result may help to optimize prescribing. Methods: Exploratory survey (April-August 2018) in the UK and Spain using clinical caserelated questions. Seniority, specialty and country of practice were recorded. Cases described patients with Gram-negative bloodstream infections, their empirical treatment and clinical course and the hypothetical RAST result. Respondents chose one of several options regarding antibiotic treatment management. Microbiologically optimal antibiotic choice (MOAC) was agreed by expert consensus beforehand. Responses were categorized as MOAC, request for support or sub-optimal choice. The relationship between the RAST result and the clinical course was defined as concordant (susceptible organism-clinical improvement; resistant organism-clinical deterioration) or as discordant otherwise. Findings: A total of 426 respondents (UK: 332; Spain: 94) and 1494 answers were analysed. Multivariate analysis identified that requests for support were 87% less likely in Spain; that antimicrobial resistance and clinical deterioration were associated with both increased request for support (odds ratio (OR) 7.66 and OR 4.26, respectively) and MOAC (OR 2.08 and OR 2.06, respectively). A discordant clinical course was associated with 82% lower odds for MOAC. Out-of-hours results, seniority and specialty did not have an effect.Conclusion: Antimicrobial choice is influenced by each country's type of practice, clinical course and susceptibility results. Antimicrobial resistance was associated with increased optimal treatment, suggesting RAST may be less useful for step-down decisions in settings with low baseline resistance rates. (c) 2021 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two AC magnets were installed to scan the 500 MeV proton beam in a circular pattern on the TRIUMF ISAC target. Rotating the proton beam produces a more uniform average power deposition, which increases the maximum amount of total beam power that targets can tolerate. The magnet system consists of a pair of two ferrite AC magnets that rotate the proton beam at a frequency of up to 400 Hz. A new tune was developed to produce a controllable spot size, while having an approximate parallel beam on target and a 90 phase advance between the raster magnets and the target. A set of diagnostics was developed to monitor the rotating beam. Online tests have shown that we can increase the radioactive ion beams (RIB) yields from a target while maintaining same maximum temperature.

Objectives: We conducted a cluster-randomized feasibility trial of 90-minute Chlamydia trachomatis tests and same day on-site treatment ('Test n Treat/TnT') in six technical colleges in London, England, to assess TnT uptake rates; follow-up rates; prevalence of C. trachomatis at baseline and 7 months; time to treatment; acceptability of TnT. Methods: Participants completed questionnaires and provided genitourinary samples at baseline and 7 months. Participants were informed that baseline samples would not be tested for 7 months and were advised to get screened independently. Colleges were randomly allocated 1:1 to intervention (TnT) or control (no TnT). One month and 4 months post recruitment, participants at intervention colleges were texted invitations for on-site free C. trachomatis tests. A purposive sample of students who did/did not attend for screening were interviewed (n = 26). Results: Five hundred and nine sexually active students were recruited: median age 17.9 years, 47% male, 50% black ethnicity, 55% reporting two or more sexual partners in the previous year. TnT uptake was 13% (33/259; 95% CI 8.9-17.4%) at 1 month and 10% (26/259; 6.7-14.4%) at 4 months with overall C. trachomatis positivity 5.1% (3/59; 1.1-14.2%). Follow-up at 7 months was 62% (317/509) for questionnaires and 52% (264/509) for samples. C. trachomatis prevalence was 6.2% (31/503) at baseline and 6.1% (16/264) at 7 months. Median time from test to treatment was 15 h. Interviews suggested low test uptake was associated with not feeling at risk, perceptions of stigma, and little knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Conclusions: Despite high C. trachomatis rates at baseline and follow-up, uptake of testing was low. Like many countries, England urgently needs better sex education, including making STI testing routine/ normal. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.