Peer-Review Publications

The future x-ray spectroscopy and polarimetry experiment program of the SPARC collaboration at GSI and FAIR relies strongly on the availability of two-dimensional position-sensitive, energy- and time-dispersive thick semiconductor detector systems, including the appropriate signal processing electronics. To meet these demands, the development of a compact and scalable data acquisition system that has higher rate acceptance compared to commercial VME electronics by employing digital pulse processing electronics was started.

At the FAIR facility for antiprotons and ion research, the high-energy storage ring will provide highly charged heavy ions with Z all the way to Z = 92 for beam energies ranging from 200 A MeV up to energies of approximately 5 A GeV. This opens up a wealth of opportunities for in-ring atomic physics experiments on few-body quantum dynamics ranging from, for example, the correlated dynamics of various e^(+) –e^(−) pair creation processes to quasi-photoionization of inner shells of the highest- Z ions.

The long sought after ground-state hyperfine transition in lithium-like bismuth (209)^Bi^(80+) was observed for the first time using laser spectroscopy on relativistic ions in the experimental storage ring at the GSI Helmholtz Centre in Darmstadt. Combined with the transition in the corresponding hydrogen-like ion (209)^Bi^(82+) , it will allow extraction of the specific difference between the two transitions that is unaffected by the magnetic moment distribution in the nucleus and can therefore provide a better test of bound-state QED in extremely strong magnetic fields.

In this work, the digital readout of semiconductor detectors in combination with digital filters was investigated. Both non-segmented high-purity germanium and segmented planar lithium-drifted silicon detectors were used. In each case, photons from a stationary americium ((241)^Am) gamma source were detected. The resulting preamplifier output pulses were digitized at a fixed sampling frequency and stored entirely. Digital filters were applied to the stored waveforms to extract time and energy information. The performance of different digital filters was compared. The optimum energy resolution obtained was comparable with the value resulting from an analogue readout system based on standard nuclear instrumentation module and versatile module Europe bus electronics.

At the FAIR facility for antiproton and ion research, the new ESR + CRYRING combination of storage rings CRYRING@ESR opens up a wealth of opportunities for in-ring atomic physics experiments on few-body quantum dynamics. The low-energy storage ring CRYRING will serve in its new location at FAIR/ESR for experiments with decelerated antiprotons and highly charged ions. We will discuss selected new experiments in the field of quantum dynamics of high- Z ions, for example for adiabatic superheavy quasi-molecules transiently formed with bare and H-like projectiles. Such experiments will be for the first time possible at the future CRYRING at ESR.

In recent years several measurements of the orbital electron capture half-lives of few-electron ions have been carried out employing the storage ring ESR at GSI. Hydrogen-like and helium-like (140)^Pr and (142)^Pm as well as hydrogen-like (122)^I were studied. Half-lives of the corresponding fully ionized nuclides provide the three-body β^(+) decay constants.

Thomson backscattering of intense laser pulses from relativistic electrons not only allows for the generation of bright x-ray pulses but also for the investigation of the complex particle dynamics at the interaction point. For this purpose a complete spectral characterization of a Thomson source powered by a compact linear electron accelerator is performed with unprecedented angular and energy resolution. A rigorous statistical analysis comparing experimental data to 3D simulations enables, e.g., the extraction of the angular distribution of electrons with 1.5% accuracy and, in total, provides predictive capability for the future high brightness hard x-ray source PHOENIX (photon electron collider for narrow bandwidth intense x rays) and potential gamma-ray sources.

We report on the calculations of the K-shell differential radiative recombination (RR) rate coefficients for very low, in the range of meV, relative electron–ion energies. The rate coefficients were derived for bare uranium ions colliding with free electrons both within the nonrelativistic dipole approximation and using fully relativistic calculations. We show that even for such low relative ion–electron energies, the differential rate coefficient reveals strong relativistic effects. We demonstrate that the measurements of the relative electron energy dependence of the RR rates represent a very sensitive tool for precise studies of the RR process and, in particular, for probing the fine details of the relativistic effects in the RR of ions with electrons. The results are discussed in the context of the first x-ray state-selective RR experiment performed for very low relative electron–ion energies.

In recent years for the fundamental theory of quantum electrodynamics, considerable progress in the evaluation of higher order corrections has been achieved—not only for hydrogen—but also for helium-like systems—up to very heavy nuclei. We were aiming at a more precise determination of the lifetime of the metastable 2 3^P_0 state in He-like uranium which has a calculated value of 57.3 ps [1, 2]. From the lifetime it is possible to derive the energy of the state. In October 2011 we were able to perform a first test experiment at GSI, Darmstadt to study the feasibility of a new experimental detection technique. This advanced set-up consists of two state-of-the-art energy-, time- and position-sensitive germanium detectors [3] in combination with collimators in a Soller-slit like assembly. A beam of U^(91+) -ions at an energy of 290 MeV u^(−1) is passed through a thin nickel foil in the interaction chamber. From the decrease in intensity as a function of the target distance one may extract a decay curve from which the lifetime can be derived. The advantages of this new set-up, in comparison to former experiments [4, 5] will be discussed and the results of a preliminary data analysis will be presented.

Abstract K-shell spectra of solid Al excited by petawatt picosecond laser pulses have been investigated at the Vulcan PW facility. Laser pulses of ultrahigh contrast with an energy of 160 J on the target allow studies of interactions between the laser field and solid state matter at 10^20 W/cm^2. Intense X-ray emission of KK hollow atoms (atoms without n = 1 electrons) from thin aluminum foils is observed from optical laser plasma for the first time. Specifically for 1.5 μm thin foil targets the hollow atom yield dominates the resonance line emission. It is suggested that the hollow atoms are predominantly excited by the impact of X-ray photons generated by radiation friction to fast electron currents in solid-density plasma due to Thomson scattering and bremsstrahlung in the transverse plasma fields. Numerical simulations of Al hollow atom spectra using the ATOMIC code confirm that the impact of keV photons dominates the atom ionization. Our estimates demonstrate that solid-density plasma generated by relativistic optical laser pulses provide the source of a polychromatic keV range X-ray field of 10^18 W/cm^2 intensity, and allows the study of excited matter in the radiation-dominated regime. High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of hollow atom radiation is found to be a powerful tool to study the properties of high-energy density plasma created by intense X-ray radiation.

Laser-plasma particle accelerators could provide more compact sources of high-energy radiation than conventional accelerators. Moreover, because they deliver radiation in femtosecond pulses, they could improve the time resolution of X-ray absorption techniques. Here we show that we can measure and control the polarization of ultra-short, broad-band keV photon pulses emitted from a laser-plasma-based betatron source. The electron trajectories and hence the polarization of the emitted X-rays are experimentally controlled by the pulse-front tilt of the driving laser pulses. Particle-in-cell simulations show that an asymmetric plasma wave can be driven by a tilted pulse front and a non-symmetric intensity distribution of the focal spot. Both lead to a notable off-axis electron injection followed by collective electron–betatron oscillations. We expect that our method for an all-optical steering is not only useful for plasma-based X-ray sources but also has significance for future laser-based particle accelerators.

A novel scheme is proposed for studying the parity-violating (PV) effects in beryllium-like heavy ions. It is based on the application of circularly polarized ultraviolet light for inducing a single-photon transition between the metastable 1s^(2)2s2p^(3)P_0 and the short-lived 1s^(2)2s2p^(3)P_1 states. We argue that the cross section of such a photoabsorption process is sensitive to the mixing between the allowed magnetic dipole (M1) and the PV electric dipole (E1) excitation channels. Based on relativistic calculations, we find that the PV-mixing may influence the cross section at the level of 10^(−5) % for beryllium-like uranium, U^(88+).

We report on the production and characterization of polymer-based ultra-thin (sub 10 nm) foils suited for experiments on laser-ion acceleration in the regime of radiation pressure acceleration. Beside the remarkable mechanical stability compared with commonly used diamond-like-carbon foils, a very homogeneous layer thickness and a small surface roughness have been achieved. We describe the technical issues of the production process as well as detailed studies of the mechanical stability and surface roughness tests. The capability of producing uniform targets of large area is essential for advanced laser-ion acceleration projects which are dealing with high repetition rate and extended measurement series, but might also be useful for other applications which require ultra-thin and freestanding substrates of high quality.

The utilization of the resonant atomic electron–ion collision process of dielectronic recombination (DR) as a tool to probe nuclear properties via isotope shifts and hyperfine effects is discussed. Based on DR, this resonance reaction spectroscopy at electron coolers of heavy-ion storage rings denotes a versatile approach to access nuclear parameters such as charge radius, spin, magnetic moment or lifetimes of long-lived excited nuclear states (isomers). The high sensitivity of DR allows for experiments with artificially synthesized rare isotopes and isomers. Recent experimental progress in the preparation of such exotic species at the ESR storage ring in Darmstadt is presented. The DR technique is exemplified for the case of (234)^Pa^(88+) (Z = 91).

The sequential radiative recombination of initially bare ions, which are collided with two spatially separated electron targets, is studied. It is demonstrated that the magnetic sublevel population of H-like ions, which are formed due to electron capture from the first target, depends on the first radiative recombination (RR) photon emission direction. Such a relative population, which can be parameterized in terms of the polarization parameters, affects then the angular and polarization properties of the second photon emitted in the collision with the second target. The coincidence γ – γ RR measurements may allow us to study, therefore, the process in which (i) H-like ions of some particular polarization are ‘selected out’ of the beam by detecting first recombination photons and (ii) this polarization is ‘measured’ in the second electron capture process. In order to describe the output of the (future) γ – γ correlation measurements, we derive the general expression for angular- and polarization-correlation function. Detailed calculations for the dependence of this function on the experimental setup and collision energy are performed for the RR of bare uranium ions.

A new approach for solving the time-dependent two-center Dirac equation is presented. The method is based on using the finite basis set of cubic Hermite splines on a two-dimensional lattice. The Dirac equation is treated in the rotating reference frame. The collision of U⁹²⁺ (as a projectile) and U⁹¹⁺ (as a target) is considered at energy E_(lab) = 6 MeV u^(−1) . The charge transfer probabilities are calculated for different values of the impact parameter. The results obtained are compared with previous calculations (Tupitsyn et al 2010 Phys. Rev. A 82 042701), where a method based on atomic-like Dirac–Sturm orbitals was employed. This work can provide a new tool for the investigation of quantum electrodynamics effects in heavy-ion collisions near the supercritical regime.

Relativistic calculations of inner-shell atomic processes in low-energy Ne–F^(8+)(1s) and Xe–Xe^(53+)(1s) collisions are performed. The method of calculation exploits the active-electron approximation and is based on the coupled-channel approach with atomic-like Dirac–Sturm–Fock orbitals, localized at the ions (atoms). The screening density-functional theory is applied for description of the interaction with passive electrons. The role of relativistic effects is analyzed.

The physics program of the SPARC collaboration at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) focuses on the study of collision phenomena in strong and even extreme electromagnetic fields and on the fundamental interactions between electrons and heavy nuclei up to bare uranium. Here we give a short overview on the challenging physics opportunities of the high-energy storage ring at FAIR for future experiments with heavy-ion beams at relativistic energies with particular emphasis on the basic beam properties to be expected.

We report on a study of target-thickness effects on the degree of the linear polarization as well as on the emission probability of bremsstrahlung arising in the collision of 100 keV electrons with thin gold targets. For this purpose an experiment at the electron source SPIN at the TU Darmstadt as well as Monte Carlo simulations have been performed. The results indicate that for high- Z targets the degree of linear polarization is significantly altered by straggling of the electrons inside the target.

We present an experimental realization of coherent diffraction imaging in reflection geometry illuminating the sample with a laser driven high harmonic generation (HHG) based XUV source. After recording the diffraction pattern in reflection geometry, the data must be corrected before the image can be reconstructed with a hybrid-input-output (HIO) algorithm. In this paper we present a detailed investigation of sources of spoiling the reconstructed image due to the nonlinear momentum transfer, errors in estimating the angle of incidence on the sample, and distortions by placing the image off center in the computation grid. Finally we provide guidelines for the necessary parameters to realize a satisfactory reconstruction within a spatial resolution in the range of one micron for an imaging scheme with a numerical aperture NA < 0.03.

We study Bessel beams of two-level atoms that are driven by a linearly polarized laser field. Starting from the Schrödinger equation, we determine the states of two-level atoms in a plane-wave field respecting propagation directions both of the atom and the field. For such laser-driven two-level atoms, we construct Bessel beams beyond the typical paraxial approximation. We show that the probability density of these atomic beams obtains a non-trivial, Bessel-squared-type behavior and can be tuned under the special choice of the atom and laser parameters, such as the nuclear charge, atom velocity, laser frequency, and propagation geometry of the atom and laser beams. Moreover, we spatially and temporally characterize the beam of hydrogen and selected (neutral) alkali-metal atoms that carry non-zero orbital angular momentum (OAM). The proposed spatiotemporal Bessel states (i) are able to describe, in principle, twisted states of any two-level system which is driven by the radiation field and (ii) have potential applications in atomic and nuclear processes as well as in quantum communication.

Measurements and calculations of the absolute carrier-envelope-phase (CEP) effects in the photodissociation of the simplest molecule, H₂+, with a 4.5-fs Ti:sapphire laser pulse at intensities up to (4 ± 2) × 10^14  W/cm^2 are presented. Localization of the electron with respect to the two nuclei (during the dissociation process) is controlled via the CEP of the ultrashort laser pulses. In contrast to previous CEP-dependent experiments with neutral molecules, the dissociation of the molecular ions is not preceded by a photoionization process, which strongly influences the CEP dependence. Kinematically complete data are obtained by time- and position-resolved coincidence detection. The phase dependence is determined by a single-shot phase measurement correlated to the detection of the dissociation fragments. The experimental results show quantitative agreement with ab initio 3D time-dependent Schrödinger equation calculations that include nuclear vibration and rotation.

We show that the difference resonance driven by the space charge pseudo-octupole of high intensity beams not only couples the beam core emittances; it can also lead to emittance exchange in the beam halo, which is of relevance for beam loss in high intensity accelerators. With reference to linear accelerators the “main resonance” kz/kx,y=1 (corresponding to the Montague resonance 2Qx−2Qy=0 in circular accelerators) may lead to such a coupling and transfer of halo between planes. Coupling of transverse halo into the longitudinal plane—or vice versa—can occur even if the core (rms) emittances are exactly or nearly equal. This halo argument justifies additional caution in linac design including consideration of avoiding an equipartitioned design. At the same time, however, this mechanism may also qualify as an active dynamical halo cleaning scheme by coupling a halo from the longitudinal plane into the transverse plane, where local scraping is accessible. We present semianalytical emittance coupling rates and show that previously developed linac stability charts for the core can be extended—using the longitudinal to transverse halo emittance ratio—to indicate additional regions where halo coupling could be of importance.

We present a comparative study of nonsequential double ionization (NSDI) of N_2 and Ar exposed to near-single-cycle laser pulses. The NSDI process is investigated using carrier-envelope-phase-tagged electron-ion coincidence spectroscopy. The measured NSDI spectra of N_2 and Ar exhibit a striking resemblance. In particular, the correlated two-electron momentum distribution arising from NSDI of N_2 also displays a cross-shape very similar to that reported for Ar [Bergues et al., Nat. Commun. 3, 813 (2012)]. We interpret our results in terms of recollision-excitation with subcycle depletion and discuss how this mechanism accounts for the observed similarities and differences in the ionization behavior of the two species.

In the last two decades a number of nuclear structure and astrophysics experiments were performed at heavy-ion storage rings employing unique experimental conditions offered by such machines. Furthermore, building on the experience gained at the two facilities presently in operation, several new storage ring projects were launched worldwide. This contribution is intended to provide a brief review of the fast growing field of nuclear structure and astrophysics research at storage rings.