Search Results (27 total)

We study, experimentally and numerically, the relaxation of an initially nonuniform intense beam in an alternating-gradient transport line. A nonlinear distribution consisting of five interacting beamlets is created and tracked for longer than seven plasma periods with the help of tomographic phase-space mapping. Emittance growth is initially rapid, but slows down as the nonuniform distribution homogenizes in a few plasma periods. Both growth rates are found to depend on the beam current.

Knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of a charged particle beam bunch is essential for understanding its evolution and for initializing computer simulations, especially when space charge is involved. This paper presents a novel experimental method for time-sliced mapping of the transverse phase space of a space-charge dominated beam based on tomographic principles. The combination of a high precision tomographic diagnostic with fast imaging screens and a gated camera are used to produce phase-space maps of two beams: one with a parabolic current profile and another with a short perturbation atop a rectangular pulse. The correlations between longitudinal and transverse phase spaces are apparent and their impact on the dynamics is discussed.

Analytically tractable models of thermal-field emission, field enhancement, and heating mechanisms (Nottingham and resistive) are developed and combined to make estimates of the fields and temperatures that accompany the development and growth of asperities. The relation of asperity dimensions to dark current is discussed in two experimentally motivated examples. The hypothetical relation of microscopic sources of dark current and heating to breakdown is discussed in the context of Nottingham and resistive heating. The latter are estimated using a general thermal-field methodology. A point-charge model is used to find field enhancement factors. Last, a thermal model is used to estimate the temperature dependence of the resistivity and thermal conductivity. Together, these models suggest that conditions can arise in which the temperature at the apex of an asperity can experience growth and contribute to melting or fracture (or both), and that Nottingham heating generally dominates the resistive heating term.

High brightness electron accelerators, such as energy recovery linacs (ERL), often have complex particle distributions that can create difficulties in beam transport as well as matching to devices such as wigglers used to generate radiation from the beam. Optical transition radiation (OTR), OTR interferometry (OTRI), and optical diffraction-transition radiation interferometry (ODTRI) have proven to be effective tools for diagnosing both the spatial and angular distributions of charged particle beams. OTRI and ODTRI have been used to measure rms divergences, and optical transverse phase space mapping has been demonstrated using OTRI. In this work we present the results of diagnostic experiments using OTR and optical diffraction radiation conducted at the Jefferson Laboratory’s 115 MeV ERL which show the presence of two separate components within the beam’s spatial and angular distributions. By assuming a correlation between the spatial and angular features, we estimate an rms emittance value for each of the two components.

Density modulation of charged particle beams may occur as a consequence of deliberate action, or may occur inadvertently because of imperfections in the particle source or acceleration method. In the case of intense beams, where space charge and external focusing govern the beam dynamics, density modulation may, under some circumstances, be converted to velocity modulation, with a corresponding conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy. Whether this will occur depends on the properties of the beam and the initial modulation. This paper describes the evolution of discrete and continuous density modulations on intense beams and discusses three recent experiments related to the dynamics of density-modulated electron beams.

A technique is described for the tomographic mapping of transverse phase space in beams with space charge. Most prior studies where performed at high energy where space charge was negligible and therefore not considered in the analysis. The tomographic reconstruction process is compared with results of simulations using the particle-in-cell code WARP. The new tomographic technique is tested for beams with different intensities (both emittance and space-charge dominated), and with different initial distributions. Effects of various errors in the data collection process on the reconstructed phase space are discussed. It is shown that the crucial factor is not necessarily the number of projections but the range of angles over which the projections are taken. This study also includes a number of experimental results on tomographic phase space mapping performed on the University of Maryland Electron Ring.

We present detailed calculations of RMS-envelope matching over a broad range of beam intensities for the University of Maryland Electron Ring (UMER). Containment of beams from zero current to extreme space charge, all without changing the strength of external focusing in the periodic lattice, is possible thanks to the high density of quadrupoles in UMER. In turn, the small-aspect ratio of the UMER magnets results in gradient or field profiles that are “all edges,” thus requiring special treatment when constructing accurate hard-edge models. Further, the results of matching calculations, for both symmetric and asymmetric FODO (alternating gradient) schemes, are compared with calculations from simple general expressions valid in the uniform-focusing approximation of the periodic lattice. Finally, some aspects of the source-to-FODO matching calculation/optimization problem are discussed, together with sensitivity studies of the matching solutions under realistic conditions. The examples from the UMER project, which include experimental results, emphasize the practical aspects of beam envelope matching.

Studies of the dynamics of longitudinal space-charge waves in space-charge dominated beams propagating through a transport channel with a long solenoid are performed at the University of Maryland. In this paper, we report some experimental results on the energy modulations converted from density modulations. By changing the working conditions of the electron gun, pure initial density modulations are generated. Energy perturbation waveforms are measured with a high-resolution energy analyzer. The experimental results are compared with both the linear theory and the simulation results. Good agreements are achieved for the relationship between the energy and current perturbation strengths.

We report a new experimental study of the growth of longitudinal energy spread in a space-charge-dominated electron beam, with a beam energy of several keV and beam current of approximately 100 mA. At relatively low beam densities, we measure growing energy spreads with distance along the transport channel, which are in remarkably good agreement with the theory of energy relaxation via Coulomb collisions. At higher beam densities, however, anomalous energy spreads exceeding the predictions of the relaxation theory are observed, which, we believe, could be caused by collective longitudinal-transverse instabilities observed in computer simulation studies. The onset of these instabilities occurs after several plasma periods according to calculations.

It is widely believed that harmonics are suppressed in helical wigglers. However, linear harmonic generation (LHG) occurs by an azimuthal resonance that excites circularly polarized, off-axis waves, where the hth harmonic varies as exp⁡(ihθ). Nonlinear harmonic generation (NHG) is driven by bunching at the fundamental and has different properites from LHG. While NHG has been studied in planar wigglers, there has been no analysis of NHG in helical wigglers. The 3D simulation code medusa has been modified for this purpose, and it is shown that NHG is substantial in helical wigglers and that the even and odd harmonics have comparable intensities.

Characterization of beam energy spread in a space-charge dominated beam is very important to understanding the physics of intense beams. It is believed that coupling between the transverse and longitudinal directions via Coulomb collisions will cause an increase of the beam longitudinal energy spread. At the University of Maryland, experiments have been carried out to study the energy evolution in such intense beams with a high-resolution retarding field energy analyzer. The temporal beam energy profile along the beam pulse has been characterized at the distance of 25 cm from the anode of a gridded thermionic electron gun. The mean energy of the pulsed beams including the head and tail is reported here. The measured rms energy spread is in good agreement with the predictions of the intrabeam scattering theory. As an application of the beam energy measurement, the input impedance between the cathode and the grid due to beam loading can be calculated and the impedance number is found to be a constant in the operation region of the gun.

Theoretical and experimental work has been carried out to study the longitudinal space-charge effects in a retarding field energy analyzer. A one-dimensional, steady state model for both a monoenergetic beam and a thermal beam has been developed for this purpose. Potential improvements of using two-dimensional and time-dependent solutions are also briefly discussed. The study shows that, if the current density inside the device is higher than a critical value, the longitudinal space-charge effect and the formation of a potential minimum similar to the virtual cathode formation in an electron gun will distort the measured energy spectrum. The measured FWHM and the rms energy spread will be affected. The measured mean energy will also be shifted toward the low-energy side. By using a two-dimensional correction, the theoretical model also qualitatively explains the appearance of a visible tail at the high-energy side of the spectrum, as observed in experiments. According to the theory, to avoid this measurement distortion due to the longitudinal space charge, care has to be taken to limit the current density inside the device.

Photocathodes for free electron lasers (FELs) are required to produce nano-Coulomb pulses in picosecond time scales with demonstrable reliability, lifetime, and efficiency. Dispenser cathodes, traditionally a rugged and long-lived thermionic source, are under investigation to determine their utility as a photocathode and have shown promise. The present study describes theoretical models under development to analyze experimental data from dispenser cathodes and to create predictive time-dependent models to predict their performance as an FEL source. Here, a steady-state model of a dispenser cathode with partial coverage of a low work function coating and surface nonuniformity is developed. Quantitative agreement is found for experimental data, especially with regard to temperature, field, laser intensity, and quantum efficiency versus laser wavelength dependence. In particular, for long wavelength incident lasers of sufficient intensity, the majority of the absorbed energy heats the electron gas and background lattice, and photoemission from the heated electron distribution constitutes the emitted current.

We have developed a compact high-resolution retarding field energy analyzer for measuring the energy spread of space-charge-dominated electron beams. This energy analyzer has a cylindrical electrode to overcome the defocusing effects due to space-charge forces, beam trajectories, aperture effect, etc. The device provides excellent spatial and temporal information on the beam energy spread. Single-particle simulation shows that this energy analyzer has very good resolution for low-energy electron beams of several kilovolts and with large divergence angles. The energy analyzer has been tested with 2.5 keV, 60 mA electron beams. The measured energy spread is also compared with the theoretical calculations taking into account two main energy spread sources, namely, the Boersch effect and the longitudinal-longitudinal relaxation.

The appearance of rings of charge observed near the edge of beams from high-perveance guns is described with a simple ray tracing technique inspired by the particle-core model. We illustrate the technique, which has no analog in light optics, with examples from experiments employing solenoid focusing of an electron beam. The rings of charge result from the combined effects of external focusing and space-charge forces acting on paraxial fringe particles with relatively large initial transverse velocities. The model is independent of the physical mechanisms responsible for the fringe particles. Furthermore, the focal length for edge imaging in a uniform focusing channel is derived using a linearized trajectory equation for the motion of fringe particles. Counterintuitively, the focal length decreases as the beam current increases.

Air-core printed-circuit (PC) quadrupoles and dipoles have been developed for the University of Maryland electron ring, currently under construction. The quadrupoles and dipoles are characterized by very small magnetic fields (about 15 G at the aperture edge) and small aspect ratios (length/diameter < 1). We review the theory behind the design of the PC lenses and bending elements, and present general expressions for estimating the values of integrated field and integrated field gradient as functions of design parameters. The new quadrupole magnet represents an improvement over an earlier version which was based on an empirical approach. Further, we summarize the results of multipole content of the magnet fields as measured with a rotating coil apparatus of special construction. The results are compared with calculations with an iron-free magnetics code and are related to different types of errors in the manufacture and assembly of the PC magnets.

Space-charge modes similar to those observed in recent experiments appear in simulations of nonequilibrium charged particle beams with anisotropy. The modes couple degrees of freedom, causing energy transfer and equipartitioning without halo formation in just a few betatron wavelengths. The rate depends on a single free parameter quantifying the space-charge intensity of the final state. Traditional stability analyses are shown not to apply to high-intensity laboratory beams originating with a large perturbation from equilibrium.

Two-color operation in free-electron laser (FEL) amplifiers is studied using a 3D nonlinear polychromatic simulation. We assume the FEL is seeded at two closely spaced wavelengths within the gain band, and study the growth of the seeds and a discrete spectrum of beat waves that are outside the gain band. The beat waves grow parasitically due to electron bunching in the seeded waves with growth rates higher than the seeded waves. Injection of narrow-band seeds ensures a discrete spectrum. An example is discussed corresponding to an x-ray FEL; however, the physics is applicable to all spectral ranges.

The nature of off-axis undulator radiation is discussed. Of particular interest is coherent off-axis radiation, where the wavelengths of emission are longer than the electron bunch length. We show how this off-axis radiation may be used to measure relative electron bunch lengths. The theory is presented, and calculated spectra are presented in a number of cases of interest.

It is commonly assumed that a matched electron beam optimizes free-electron-laser performance; however, this assumption has not been proven for operation in the high-gain regime. We test this hypothesis for a self-amplified spontaneous emission configuration using a 3D multimode simulation. The gain length predicted for a matched beam is in good agreement with analytic theory. Further, the simulation indicates that while the gain length is optimized for a matched beam the saturated power is not necessarily optimized.

Emittance growth in bunched charged particle beams in linear accelerators is considered in the case of a Hamiltonian system where nonlinear and time-dependent forces are dominant. Emittance growth is divided into two classes: reversible and irreversible depending on the corresponding entropy change. We consider the case where the measurement resolution is important. We show that a generalized free-energy function acts as a driver for phase-space evolution and emittance growth.

A nearly monochromatic beam of 100% linearly polarized γ rays has been produced via Compton backscattering inside a free electron laser optical cavity. The beam of 12.2 MeV γ rays was obtained by backscattering 379.4 nm free-electron laser photons from 500 MeV electrons circulating in a storage ring. A detailed description of the γ-ray beam and the outlook for future improvements are presented.

We report on experimental studies of an ultraviolet (UV) free-electron laser (FEL) oscillator driven by low-energy electrons from a radio-frequency linear accelerator. Previous UV FELs have been driven by 350–800-MeV electrons from storage rings. We verify the concept of driving an UV FEL with a low-energy, but high-current, low-emittance electron beam. This and other innovations allowed the FEL to lase at wavelengths from 369 to 380 nm using 45.9–45.2-MeV electrons, and to achieve a peak optical output power of 270 kW. The experimental results are in good agreement with simulations.