Compton Scattered X-Gamma Rays with Orbital Momentum.

We study the possibility of producing x-gamma rays with orbital angular momentum by means of the inverse Compton backscattering between a high brightness electron beam and a twisted laser pulse. We use the classical electrodynamics retarded fields for evaluating the orbital angular momentum of the radiation and connecting it to that of the primary laser pulse. We then propose the dimensioning of a linearly polarized x-ray source with orbital angular momentum, starting from the parameters of operating Thomson setups.

Two-Color Radiation Generated in a Seeded Free-Electron Laser with Two Electron Beams.

We present the experimental evidence of the generation of coherent and statistically stable two-color free-electron laser radiation obtained by seeding an electron beam double peaked in energy with a laser pulse single spiked in frequency. The radiation presents two neat spectral lines, with time delay, frequency separation, and relative intensity that can be accurately controlled. The analysis of the emitted radiation shows a temporal coherence and a shot-to-shot regularity in frequency significantly enhanced with respect to the self-amplified spontaneous emission.

Two color free-electron laser and frequency beating.

We review the theory of two color high gain free-electron laser emission, derive the integral equation characterizing the evolution of the optical intensities, and provide a description of the relevant dynamics. The characteristic feature of this regime is the existence of a mutual bunching, whose origin and role are discussed.

Observation of time-domain modulation of free-electron-laser pulses by multipeaked electron-energy spectrum.

We present the experimental demonstration of a new scheme for the generation of ultrashort pulse trains based on free-electron-laser (FEL) emission from a multipeaked electron energy distribution. Two electron beamlets with energy difference larger than the FEL parameter ρ have been generated by illuminating the cathode with two ps-spaced laser pulses, followed by a rotation of the longitudinal phase space by velocity bunching in the linac. The resulting self-amplified spontaneous emission FEL radiation, measured through frequency-resolved optical gating diagnostics, reveals a double-peaked spectrum and a temporally modulated pulse structure.

High-order-harmonic generation and superradiance in a seeded free-electron laser.

Higher order harmonic generation in a free-electron laser amplifier operating in the superradiant regime [R. H. Dicke, Phys. Rev. 93, 99 (1954).] has been observed. Superradiance has been induced by seeding a single-pass amplifier with the second harmonic of a Ti:sapphire laser, generated in a ß-Barium borate crystal, at seed intensities comparable to the free-electron laser saturation intensity. Pulse energy and spectral distributions of the harmonics up to the 11th order have been measured and compared with simulations.

Self-amplified spontaneous emission free-electron laser with an energy-chirped electron beam and undulator tapering.

We report the first experimental implementation of a method based on simultaneous use of an energy chirp in the electron beam and a tapered undulator, for the generation of ultrashort pulses in a self-amplified spontaneous emission mode free-electron laser (SASE FEL). The experiment, performed at the SPARC FEL test facility, demonstrates the possibility of compensating the nominally detrimental effect of the chirp by a proper taper of the undulator gaps. An increase of more than 1 order of magnitude in the pulse energy is observed in comparison to the untapered case, accompanied by FEL spectra where the typical SASE spiking is suppressed.

Cancer metabolism and the dynamics of metastasis.

Cancer growth dynamics, commonly simulated with a Gompertzian model, is analyzed in the framework of a more recent and realistic model. In particular, we consider the setting of a tumor embedded in a host organ and investigate their interaction. We assume that, at least in some cases, tumor metastasis may be triggered by an 'energetic crisis', when the tumor exceeds the 'carrying capacity' of the host organ. As a consequence, dissemination of clusters of cancer cells is set in motion, with a statistical probability given by a Poisson distribution. The model, although still at a preclinical level, is fully quantitative and is applied, as an example, to the case of prostate cancer. The results confirm that, at least for the more aggressive cancers, metastasis starts very early during tumorigenesis and a quantitative link is found between the tumor's doubling time, its 'aggressiveness' and the metastatic potential.

A myeloma paraprotein with specificity for platelet glycoprotein IIIa in a patient with a fatal bleeding disorder.

Impaired platelet aggregation, normal shape change, and agglutination and normal ATP secretion and thromboxane synthesis in response to high concentrations of thrombin or arachidonic acid were found in a patient with multiple myeloma and hemorrhagic tendency. The purified IgG1 kappa or its F(ab1)2 fragments induced similar changes when added in vitro to platelet-rich plasma from normal subjects. In addition, the paraprotein inhibited adhesion to glass microbeads, fibrin clot retraction, and binding of radiolabeled fibrinogen or von Willebrand factor to platelets exposed to thrombin or arachidonic acid without affecting intraplatelet levels of cAMP. The radiolabeled para-protein bound to an average of 35,000 sites on normal platelets but it bound to less than 2,000 sites on the platelets from a patient with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia. Immunoprecipitation studies showed that the platelet antigen identified by the paraprotein was the glycoprotein IIIa. Furthermore, binding of radiolabeled prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) to resting platelets as well as binding of von Willebrand factor to platelets stimulated with ristocetin were entirely normal in the presence of patient's inhibitor. These studies indicate that bleeding occurring in dysproteinemia may be the result of a specific interaction of monoclonal paraproteins with platelets. In addition, our data support the concept that the interaction of fibrinogen and/or von Willebrand factor with the platelet glycoprotein IIb-IIIa complex is essential for effective hemostasis.

Saturation and electron-beam lifetime in a storage ring free-electron laser.

We present a phenomenological treatment of free-electron laser storage ring saturation dynamics. The model includes longitudinal instabilities, Touschek intrabeam scattering, and nonzero off-energy-function contributions. The model predictions are compared with Super ACO experimental results and the agreement is shown to be satisfactory.

Operator solutions for fractional Fokker-Planck equations.

We obtain exact results for fractional equations of Fokker-Planck type using the evolution operator method. We employ exact forms of one-sided Lévy stable distributions to generate a set of self-reproducing solutions. Explicit cases are reported and studied for various fractional order of derivatives, different initial conditions, and for different versions of Fokker-Planck operators.

Pulse propagation and optical-klystron free-electron-laser devices.

We derive the equation governing the evolution of the optical field amplitude of a free-electron-laser oscillator operating in the optical-klystron configuration. The equation includes short pulse effects, due to the finite length of the electron bunches, and are valid under the assumption of small signal regime and low gain. Stationary solutions of the supermode type, analogous to those of conventional free-electron-laser configurations, are shown to exist for this case, too. Analytical expressions for the optical pulse shape are derived, without any assumption of dominance of the dispersive section, in the case of the long bunch regime, namely when the bunch length is larger than the slippage length. We present useful gain formulas, including the combined effect of dispersive section and pulse effects, and discuss the limits of validity of our treatment.

Evidence for multistability of light solitons in SF(6) absorption measurements.

We report experimental evidence of the multistability of reshaped pulses that are observed when a 1.5-nsec CO(2)-laser pulse interacts with a pure SF(6) absorber. The data demonstrate that the dependence of the reshaped pulse delay on peak power is not a single-valued function under various experimental conditions.

Suppression of the sawtooth instability in a storage ring by free-electron laser: an example of nonlinear stabilization by noise.

The stabilization of nonlinear excitations by noise is a topic of fundamental importance in many physical problems. We discuss a genuine example within the context of storage ring-free electron laser physics, by presenting a model which allows the characterization of the system evolution and the determination of the conditions leading to the suppression of instabilities of sawtooth type. The conclusions of the model are confirmed by a comparison with experimental results on the Super Aco Storage Ring-Free Electron Laser.