The Science and Big Physics summit is a technical workshop that brings together scientists and engineers from major national and research labs to discuss topics in the areas of control, measurement and diagnostics for particle accelerators, synchrotrons, fusion reactors and telescopes. Attend the summit to learn from presenters from facilities such as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and CERN and share ideas and results.
Who Should Attend
Physicists, Control Engineers, Instrumentation Engineers, Diagnostic Engineers, Researchers, Software Developers, Lab Managers
Keynote
The National Ignition Facility: The Path to Exploring the Cosmos and Laser Fusion Energy
Demonstrating fusion ignition with energy gain at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) will be a historic achievement and an essential step toward making Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) a reality for safely and sustainably meeting energy needs. NIF uses the world's most energetic laser to compress, heat, and fuse deuterium and tritium to free the energy to ignite the reactions. LIFE, a revolutionary energy generation concept, builds on the unprecedented science, technology, and engineering developed for NIF. At this session, explore the capabilities of NIF and the challenges of building an operational prototype of LIFE.
The Amazing Neutron: Frontiers in Science and Engineering Revealed by Pulsed Neutrons
The physical properties of the neutron make it a unique and flexible tool for the study of diverse materials, chemical processes, and engineering systems. At this session, examine the technology and engineering associated with production pulsed spallation neutrons and their useful characteristics. Then learn how those neutrons are used to explore new frontiers in materials, engineering, and fundamental physics. These new frontiers are driving significant investment in new pulsed neutron sources around the world.
The Quest for Alternative Energy—Anomalous Heat Effect (a.k.a. Cold Fusion)
Several labs around the world are trying to replicate the phenomenon known as "cold fusion." While the term has evoked controversy, many research facilities have observed over 200 instances of intense heat. This demonstrates either an unknown physical event or a need for better measurement and control tools. In both cases, NI can provide the tools to accelerate innovation and scientific discovery. The Big Physics and Science Summit brings together experts to discuss these anomalous heat effects, the status of theoretical research, experimental results, and the prospect of commercializing this technology for daily energy needs.
Technical Sessions
Deployment of NI COTS Hardware and LabVIEW in the C2 FRC Experiment
Tri Alpha Energy (TAE) developed the C2 experiment to research the field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma confinement method, which offers aneutronic fuel potential and a possible faster track toward the use of fusion energy as a power source. Learn how TAE successfully designed and deployed a distributed control and acquisition system using NI commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology and LabVIEW. With defined software architectures and the early adoption of standard templates to interface between systems and a central controller, TAE achieved rapid control system design, test, and deployment.
GPU-Based Numeric Simulations for Spintronics
Learn about a simulation environment for spin and charge transport in semiconductor nanostructures to investigate new devices in spintronics. The algorithm involves inversion and multiplication of extremely large matrices, which presented memory and computational problems. Researchers solved them by developing an efficient and highly parallel implementation in LabVIEW 2011 (64-bit) using the new LabVIEW GPU Analysis Toolkit. With the option to develop code on a CPU and transfer it to a GPU, researchers cut code development time and shared the application with scientists at different institutes.
Operating and Controlling More Than 100 Cherenkov Telescopes
The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) project is an initiative to build the next-generation ground-based very high energy gamma-ray instrument. Compared to current imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope experiments, CTA extends the energy range and improves the angular resolution while increasing the sensitivity by a factor of 10. At this session, review the principles of the CTA control system, which processes the evaluation, selection, preparation, scheduling, and execution of observations with the array. Also examine the first prototypes.
Developing System Components From Design Patterns on the Discovery Channel Telescope
Explore the implementation of asynchronously communicating, hierarchical stand-alone components from a template developed using the Command, State, and Factory Method design patterns with by-value LabVIEW objects. These components control most systems at the commissioned 4.3 m Discovery Channel Telescope at Lowell Observatory, including the Active Optics System. Components deploy on desktop or real-time (CompactRIO) targets. Serialized objects comprise a portion of the data that components publish via networked shared variables.
Pure LabVIEW Implementation of EPICS Communication Protocol
Experimental Physics and Industrial Controls Systems (EPICS) is a de facto standard for particle accelerator controls systems. There are several implementations of interfaces between EPICS and LabVIEW. Explore how researchers at the Spallation Neutron Source developed a cross-platform library that enables LabVIEW to talk to EPICS. It does not use any external tools or dynamic libraries, and it can be run anywhere LabVIEW runs. The library demonstrates effective multithreaded use of raw network connectivity VIs.
Radiation and Magnetic Testing to Ensure Reliable Operation and Mitigation of NI Platforms
NI technology is used for increasingly critical applications, from beam instrumentation to plasma control. Scientists working with these applications need to understand the effects of neutron and gamma radiation on measurement accuracy and instrument operation. At this session, hear how NI is working with scientists and engineers from ENEA (Italy), Atomki (Hungary), JSI (Slovenia), and DESY (Germany) to investigate effects such as single-event upsets, partial and complete failure as a function of total integrated dose and fluence, and high magnetic fields (150 mT).
LabVIEW for the Phoenix High-Energy Laser System
Phoenix is a high-energy laser system featuring multiple laser front ends, pulsed power nodes, and target chambers for studying laboratory astrophysics at UCLA. Learn how researchers use NI technology to control, monitor, and diagnose the Phoenix laser system, which would otherwise be too complex and dangerous to operate manually. CompactRIO offers reliable, stand-alone operation of interlock, pulsed power, and laser systems, and LabVIEW helps them integrate hundreds of I/O channels throughout the lab and display information in a flexible, expandable software terminal system.
High-Fidelity Accelerator Simulation
Learn how Indiana University Cyclotron Operations used a modular approach to simulate an accelerator's control systems, which is critical to reduce the risks associated with certifying upgrades. This simulation of the proton therapy system control systems uses actual in-system hardware and software as well as LabVIEW simulators and PXI instrumentation to emulate accelerator signals. This allows researchers to FDA-certify control system upgrades in hours instead of weeks, keeping the IU Health Proton Therapy Center operational and profitable.
Melanie Ebdon, Indiana Univ Cyclotron Ops; Eric James, Indiana University; and Kim Vogel, Tandel Systems
Integrated Signal Programmer for Timing and Firing Sites
Learn how National Security Technologies created a signal programmer system with CompactRIO and C Series hardware. The central part of the system was developed with a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) framework. The programmer is a clock-based signal distribution device that counts down from a configured minus time, through zero, and then up through a positive count. From this clock, the programmer generates timing signals in a preconfigured time sequence that drive external equipment and trigger devices at experimenter stations.
Using PXI to Meet High-Performance, Quantum Computing Needs
The pursuit of a quantum computer is one of today's most challenging scientific endeavors. It uses the murky physics of the quantum realm to solve problems that the most powerful supercomputers cannot. Learn how MagiQ Technologies used PXI speed, size, and scalability to deliver test and measurement solutions to the world's top quantum computing researchers. The company's involvement in the quantum research community has led to a line of high-performance PXI RF sources for the academic and commercial markets.
Beam Line Automation Using EPICS-Enabled PXI System
Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) is upgrading its in-house, custom beam line control system with off-the-shelf hardware while maintaining backward compatibility using the Linux OS with Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) as the control standard. Using the NI Real-Time Hypervisor virtualization system to make PXI-based modular instruments available to EPICS, researchers run EPICS/Linux and LabVIEW Real-Time OSs simultaneously in the same PXI controller. At this session, examine how to control an X-ray absorption spectroscopy beam line and reduce software development time for integrating new hardware.
Status of CMNS/CF/LENR Research at Kobe-Technova
The Kobe-Technova team has worked to elucidate the underlying physics of anomalous heat evolution effects in deuterium (D) and protium (H) gas-loaded nano-metal-compound systems. Basic tools are the twin D(H) gas-loading equipment and the supporting theoretical modeling by the TSC multibody fusion theory. Using various Pd-based and Ni-based nanofabricated samples, the team has reproducibly observed anomalous heat effects with isotopic differences using time-dependent (dynamic) data of thermal-power evolutions, D(H)/metal-atom loading ratios, and their temperature dependence (for Ni-based cases).
Commercialization of LENR Technology
In the quest for alternative energy, researchers have tried to understand the intense heat release of Pd-D or Ni-H reactions. By understanding the physics behind this lower energy nuclear reaction (LENR) phenomenon, researchers can control the reaction. Discover how Brillouin Energy Corporation has demonstrated control over the reaction, who the early adopters are likely to be, the types of systems that will be commercialized, and the applications these systems will address.
Big Physics and Science Poster Session
Review the technical papers, projects, and research work of scientists and engineers from different labs and commercial companies such as LNLS (Brazil), Los Alamos National Laboratory, MagiQ Technologies, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Phoenix Nuclear Labs. Learn control and instrumentation best practices through one-on-one conversations with over 15 authors.
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