Covariant self-fields regularization in dense electron beams

A critical issue in the development of coherent X-ray sources as FEL and SR facilities is the generation of high peak brilliance electron beams. Detailed simulations of such “dense” systems require self-interaction effects to be carefully accounted for in diverse dynamical conditions ranging from low energies where quasi-static space charge effects dominate, to the highly relativistic regimes of the kind encountered, e.g., in magnetic compressors, where acceleration fields prevail and retarded effects cannot be neglected. In principia prima Monte Carlo codes the electron beam is usually modelled as a collection of mutually interacting objects, whose number is bounded because of practical computer limitations. As a consequence suitable techniques must be devised to achieve stability and suppress numerical artifacts. In this paper a covariant approach to self-fields regularization is described, in the context of TREDI simulation code, a fully 3D Monte Carlo Accounting for electron beam self-interaction by means of Lienard-Wiechert retarded potentials

TREDI simulations for high-brilliance photoinjectors and magnetic chicanes

The TREDI Monte Carlo program is briefly described, devoting some emphasis to the Lienard-Wiechert potentials approach followed to account for self-field effects and the covariant technique devised to achieve regularization of electromagnetic fields. Some guidelines to the choice of the correct parameters to be used in the simulation are also sketched. The predictions obtained for the reference work point of the space-charge compensated SPARC photoinjector and a benchmark chicane designed to study coherent synchrotron radiation effects in a magnetic compressor are compared to those of other well-established simulation codes

The free-electron laser harmonic cascade

Free-electron laser (FEL) devices based on a sequence of amplifiers with a harmonic relation between the resonant frequencies of each section have been proposed to extend to shorter wavelengths the FEL operating range. Because of the practical limit on the tunability of undulator magnets, the e-beam energy still represents the main constraint on the shortest reachable wavelength of the cascade. In this paper, we propose a scheme where the undulators of the cascade are tuned at different, not-harmonic, fundamental frequencies having instead one of the higher order harmonics at a common frequency. A short and intense seed pulse in such a system creates a superradiant pulse which harmonically seeds the following undulator at the common multiple frequency. The microbunching at the higher harmonic in the second undulator is enhanced by the modulation of the previous undulator so that lasing at shorter wavelengths may be obtained with a relatively low-energy electron beam

Focusing properties of linear undulators

This paper investigates the focusing properties of linear magnetic undulators, i.e., devices characterized by weak defocusing properties in the horizontal (wiggling) plane and strongly focusing in the vertical plane. The problem of identifying the conditions that ensure the existence of the electron beam eigenstates in the undulator lattice for a given working point of electron beam energy E_{b} and resonant wavelength λ_{r} is studied. For any given undulator lattice, a bandlike structure is identified defining regions in the (E_{b},λ_{r}) plane where no periodic matching condition can be found, i.e., it is not possible to transport the electron beam so that optical functions are periodic at lattice boundaries. Some specific cases are discussed for the SPARC FEL undulator

impact of non gaussian electron energy heating upon the performance of a seeded free electron laser

E. Ferrari, E. Allaria, W. Fawley, L. Giannessi, Z. Huang, G. Penco, and S. Spampinati Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A. di interesse nazionale, Strada Statale 14-km 163,5 in AREA Science Park, 34149 Basovizza, Trieste, Italy Universita degli Studi di Trieste, Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA Enea, via Enrico Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati, Roma, Italy Laboratory of Quantum Optics, University of Nova Gorica, 5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia Department of Physics, University of Liverpool, Oxford Street L69 7ZE, Liverpool, United Kingdom Cockcroft Institute, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Keckwick Lane WA4 4AD, Daresbury, Warrington, United Kingdom (Received 11 October 2013; published 21 March 2014

Gaseous argon time projection chamber with electroluminescence enhanced optical readout

Systematic uncertainties in accelerator oscillation neutrino experiments arise mostly from nuclear models describing neutrino-nucleus interactions. To mitigate these uncertainties, we can study neutrino-nuclei interactions with detectors possessing enhanced hadron detection capabilities at energies below the nuclear Fermi level. Gaseous detectors not only lower the particle detection threshold but also enable the investigation of nuclear effects on various nuclei by allowing for changes in the gas composition. This approach provides valuable insights into the modelling of neutrino-nucleus interactions and significantly reduces associated uncertainties. Here, we discuss the design and first operation of a gaseous argon time projection chamber optically read. The detector operates at atmospheric pressure and features a single stage of electron amplification based on a thick GEM. Here, photons are produced with wavelengths in the vacuum ultraviolet regime. In an optical detector the primary constraint is the light yield. This study explores the possibility of increasing the light yield by applying a low electric field downstream of the ThGEM. In this region, called the electroluminescence gap, electrons propagate and excite the argon atoms, leading to the subsequent emission of photons. This process occurs without any further electron amplification, and it is demonstrated that the total light yield increases up to three times by applying moderate electric fields of the order of 3~kV/cm. Finally, an indirect method is discussed for determining the photon yield per charge gain of a ThGEM, giving a value of 18.3 photons detected per secondary electron

Two-colour generation in a chirped seeded Free-Electron Laser

We present the experimental demonstration of a method for generating two spectrally and temporally separated pulses by an externally seeded, single-pass free-electron laser operating in the extreme-ultraviolet spectral range. Our results, collected on the FERMI@Elettra facility and confirmed by numerical simulations, demonstrate the possibility of controlling both the spectral and temporal features of the generated pulses. A free-electron laser operated in this mode becomes a suitable light source for jitter-free, two-colour pump-probe experiments

The ARC-EN-CIEL radiation sources

MOPC005International audienceThe ARC-EN-CIEL (Accelerator-Radiation for Enhanced Coherent Intense Extended Light) project proposes a panoply of light sources for the scientific community on a 1 GeV superconducting LINAC (phase 2) on which two ERL loops (1 and 2 GeV) are added in phase 3. LEL1 (200-1.5 nm), LEL2 (10-0.5 nm) and LEL4 (2-0.2 nm) are three kHz High Gain Harmonic Generation Free Electron Laser sources seeded with the High order Harmonics generated in Gas, with 100-30 FWHM pulses. A collaboration, which has been set-up with the SCSS Prototype Accelerator in Japan to test this key concept of ARC-EN-CIEL, has led to the experimental demonstration of the seeding with HHG and the observation up the 7th non linear harmonic with a seed at 160 nm. LEL3 (40-8 nm) installed on the 1 GeV loop is a MHz FEL oscillator providing higher average power and brilliance. In addition, in vacuum undulator spontaneous emission source extend the spectral range above 10 keV and intense THz radiation is generated by edge radiation of bending magnets. Optimisations and light sources characteristics are described