The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC) has awarded Anthony Tran, graduate assistant at FRIB, an Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) grant.
Award recipients are selected based on merit review by external scientific experts.
Through training and access to facilities, expertise, and resources at DOE national laboratories, SCGSR prepares doctoral candidates to enter jobs of critical importance to the DOE mission and secure the nation’s status at the forefront of discovery and innovation.
Tran is currently researching in one subfield of accelerator diagnostic method, named tomography, which is similar to a computed tomography (CT) scan in the medical field. His work focuses on developing a novel algorithm to reconstruct a 3D distribution of an accelerator beam.
Tran said that in a CAT scan, many 2D images of the human body are taken and reconstructed into a 3D model on a computer. He is applying this concept to an accelerator beam, taking 1D measurements of the beam and attempting to reconstruct its 4D phase space.
“This is important because by accurately knowing the phase space of the beam, we can better model its behavior throughout the entire accelerator, Tran said. “While this has been done in the past, my work focuses on developing a novel algorithm using Markov Chain Monte Carlo and Maximum Entropy tomography.”
Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and Maximum Entropy tomography are two distinct yet complementary concepts often used in statistical inference and imaging. MCMC provides a way to sample from complex distributions, while Maximum Entropy offers a principled framework for making inferences based on incomplete information. Together, they enhance the ability to reconstruct images and analyze data in various fields, including medical imaging and astrophysics.
Tran dedicated the first two years of his research at FRIB to exploring various tomography techniques and conducting simulation research to reconstruct the structure of high-dimensional phase space from multiple low-dimensional measurement data. He will spend the next year at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to test his theoretical ideas. At ANL, he has been working on developing and improving code for a pepper pot—a device that can measure the 2D phase space of an accelerator beam. Tran hopes to implement this on the Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS) at ANL for use in the control room.
“I’m very grateful to the program managers for selecting me for this opportunity and allowing me to travel to a national lab for research,” Tran said. “The SCGSR program will allow me to conduct research at Argonne, providing opportunities to build new connections and gain hands-on experience. I’m also thankful to my advisor, Yue Hao at FRIB, and to Brahim Mustapha at ANL for helping me with the application and supporting me throughout the past 3-4 years.”
Tran’s research could lead to more precise knowledge about the particles' six-dimensional phase space distribution before entering FRIB’s linear accelerator. Such information is key to reducing beam loss in the accelerator, said Hao, professor of physics at FRIB.
“This recognition by the DOE-SC Graduate Student Research program is a great honor for Anthony, as well as an incredible opportunity to collaborate with leading scientists at ANL and utilize advanced resources to further his research on tomography,” Hao said. “It serves as a stepping stone in his career in making more meaningful advancements in accelerator science.”
Tran is one of 62 PhD students representing 27 states in the program. SCGSR awardees work on research projects to address critical energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges at national and international scales.
“The DOE is committed to supporting and growing America’s science and technology workforce,” said Harriet Kung, Acting Director of the DOE Office of Science. “These awards are given at a critical time in a graduate student’s career, and we’re honored to be a part of the journey. SCGSR nurtures talent and curiosity in students from all walks of life to meet our greatest scientific challenges.”
For more information, visit the SCGSR website.
Read the original press release here.