Francesco Filippi

Schedule-based transit assignment: new dynamic equilibrium model with vehicle capacity constraints

We propose in this paper a new approach for modelling congested transit networks with fixed timetables where it may happen that there is not enough room onboard to allow all users waiting for a given line on the arriving carrier, so that passengers need to queue at the stop until the service becomes actually available to them. The traditional approach to reproduce this phenomenon within the established framework of diachronic graphs, where the supply is represented through a space-time network, is to introduce volume-delay functions for waiting arcs, which are meant to discourage passengers from boarding overcrowded carriers. However, this produces a distortion on the cost pattern, since passengers who achieve boarding do not suffer any additional cost, and may also cause numerical instability. To overcome these limitations we extend to the case of scheduled services an existing Dynamic Traffic Assignment model, allowing for explicit capacity constraints and FIFO queue representation, where the equilibrium is formulated as a fixed point problem in terms of flow temporal profiles. The proposed model propagates time-continuous flows of passengers on the pedestrian network and time-discrete point-packets of passengers on the line network. To this end, the waiting time pattern, corresponding to a given flow temporal profile of pedestrians who reach a stop to ride a certain line, 2 Natale Papola, Francesco Filippi, Guido Gentile, Lorenzo Meschini has a saw-tooth temporal profile such to concentrate passengers on the scheduled runs, while satisfying the constraint that the number of boarding users must not be higher than the onboard residual capacities. An MSA algorithm is also devised, whose efficiency is tested on the regional transit network of Rome.

Experimental characterization of active plasma lensing for electron beams

The active plasma lens represents a compact and affordable tool with radially symmetric focusing and field gradients up to several kT/m. In order to be used as a focusing device, its effects on the particle beam distribution must be well characterized. Here, we present the experimental results obtained by focusing an high-brightness electron beam by means of a 3 cm-long discharge-capillary pre-filled with Hydrogen gas. We achieved minimum spot sizes of 24 μ m (rms) showing that, during plasma lensing, the beam emittance increases due to nonlinearities in the focusing field. The results have been cross-checked with numerical simulations, showing an excellent agreement.

Experimental characterization of the effects induced by passive plasma lens on high brightness electron bunches

We report on the experimental characterization of the effect that a passive plasma lens in the overdense regime has on high-brightness bunch quality by means of 6D phase-space analysis. The passive lens is generated by confining hydrogen gas with a capillary tube pre-ionized with a high-voltage discharge. We observed that the optimum condition is retrieved at the end of the overdense regime with almost no effect on bunch brightness. The presence of gas jets, leaking from the hollow capillary end-points, extends the lens effects also outside of the capillary, resulting in longer focusing channels. Experimental results are supported with numerical simulations of the complete accelerator line together with the plasma channel section.

Femtosecond timing-jitter between photo-cathode laser and ultra-short electron bunches by means of hybrid compression

The generation of ultra-short electron bunches with ultra-low timing-jitter relative to the photo-cathode (PC) laser has been experimentally proved for the first time at the SPARC_LAB test-facility (INFN-LNF, Frascati) exploiting a two-stage hybrid compression scheme. The first stage employs RF-based compression (velocity-bunching), which shortens the bunch and imprints an energy chirp on it. The second stage is performed in a non-isochronous dogleg line, where the compression is completed resulting in a final bunch duration below 90 fs (rms). At the same time, the beam arrival timing-jitter with respect to the PC laser has been measured to be lower than 20 fs (rms). The reported results have been validated with numerical simulations.

Density and temperature characterization of long-scale length, near-critical density controlled plasma produced from ultra-low density plastic foam.

The ability to produce long-scale length (i.e. millimeter scale-length), homogeneous plasmas is of interest in studying a wide range of fundamental plasma processes. We present here a validated experimental platform to create and diagnose uniform plasmas with a density close or above the critical density. The target consists of a polyimide tube filled with an ultra low-density plastic foam where it was heated by x-rays, produced by a long pulse laser irradiating a copper foil placed at one end of the tube. The density and temperature of the ionized foam was retrieved by using x-ray radiography and proton radiography was used to verify the uniformity of the plasma. Plasma temperatures of 5–10 eV and densities around 1021 cm−3 are measured. This well-characterized platform of uniform density and temperature plasma is of interest for experiments using large-scale laser platforms conducting High Energy Density Physics investigations.

Spectroscopic measurements of plasma emission light for plasma-based acceleration experiments

Advanced particle accelerators are based on the excitation of large amplitude plasma waves driven by either electron or laser beams. Future experiments scheduled at the SPARC_LAB test facility aim to demonstrate the acceleration of high brightness electron beams through the so-called resonant Plasma Wakefield Acceleration scheme in which a train of electron bunches (drivers) resonantly excites wakefields into a preformed hydrogen plasma; the last bunch (witness) injected at the proper accelerating phase gains energy from the wake. The quality of the accelerated beam depends strongly on plasma density and its distribution along the acceleration length. The measurements of plasma density of the order of 1016–1017 cm−3 can be performed with spectroscopic measurements of the plasma-emitted light. The measured density distribution for hydrogen filled capillary discharge with both Balmer alpha and Balmer beta lines and shot-to-shot variation are here reported.

BUS SERVICE OPTIMIZATION AND CAR PRICING POLICIES TO SAVE FUEL IN URBAN AREAS

The effectiveness of optimal bus policy for dealing with fuel consumption in urban areas under different hypotheses of car pricing is investigated. The transport system of autos and buses is modelled as set of modes in equilibrium where bus service is provided with the objective of maximizing fuel savings over the whole of the road network and where car pricing is exogenously imposed by local authority. Results of a case study show that policies based on frequency, fare, and bus size alone have negligible effectiveness unless they are supported by car pricing measures. Also, the strong sensitivity of optimal bus operating parameters with respect to the time-to-fare elasticity ratio of demand is highlighted.

Single-shot non-intercepting profile monitor of plasma-accelerated electron beams with nanometric resolution

An innovative, single-shot, non-intercepting monitor of the transverse profile of plasma-accelerated electron beams is presented, based on the simultaneous measurement of the electron energy and the betatron radiation spectra. The spatial resolution is shown to be down to few tens of nanometers, important for high-precision applications requiring fine shaping of beams and detailed characterizations of the electron transverse phase space at the exit of plasma accelerating structures.

Gas-filled capillaries for plasma-based accelerators

Plasma Wakefield Accelerators are based on the excitation of large amplitude plasma waves excited by either a laser or a particle driver beam. The amplitude of the waves, as well as their spatial dimensions and the consequent accelerating gradient depend strongly on the background electron density along the path of the accelerated particles. The process needs stable and reliable plasma sources, whose density profile must be controlled and properly engineered to ensure the appropriate accelerating mechanism. Plasma confinement inside gas filled capillaries have been studied in the past since this technique allows to control the evolution of the plasma, ensuring a stable and repeatable plasma density distribution during the interaction with the drivers. Moreover, in a gas filled capillary plasma can be pre-ionized by a current discharge to avoid ionization losses. Different capillary geometries have been studied to allow the proper temporal and spatial evolution of the plasma along the acceleration length. Results of this analysis obtained by varying the length and the number of gas inlets will be presented.

Electron density measurement in gas discharge plasmas by optical and acoustic methods

Plasma density represents a very important parameter for both laser wakefield and plasma wakefield acceleration, which use a gas-filled capillary plasma source. Several techniques can be used to measure the plasma density within a capillary discharge, which are mainly based on optical diagnostic methods, as for example the well-known spectroscopic method using the Stark broadening effect. In this work, we introduce a preliminary study on an alternative way to detect the plasma density, based on the shock waves produced by gas discharge in a capillary. Firstly, the measurements of the acoustic spectral content relative to the laser-induced plasmas by a solid target allowed us to understand the main properties of the acoustic waves produced during this kind of plasma generation; afterwards, we have extended such acoustic technique to the capillary plasma source in order to calibrate it by comparison with the stark broadening method.