Showing papers on "Linear particle accelerator published in 2019"

Letter of Intent for the LUXE Experiment

Abstract: This Letter of Intent describes LUXE (Laser Und XFEL Experiment), an experiment that aims to use the high-quality and high-energy electron beam of the European XFEL and a powerful laser. The scientific objective of the experiment is to study quantum electrodynamics processes in the regime of strong fields. High-energy electrons, accelerated by the European XFEL linear accelerator, and high-energy photons, produced via Bremsstrahlung of those beam electrons, colliding with a laser beam shall experience an electric field up to three times larger than the Schwinger critical field (the field at which the vacuum itself is expected to become unstable and spark with spontaneous creation of electron-positron pairs) and access a new regime of quantum physics. The processes to be investigated, which include nonlinear Compton scattering and nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production, are relevant to a variety of phenomena in Nature, e.g. in the areas of astrophysics and collider physics and complement recent results in atomic physics. The setup requires in particular the extraction of a minute fraction of the electron bunches from the European XFEL accelerator, the installation of a powerful laser with sophisticated diagnostics, and an array of precision detectors optimised to measure electrons, positrons and photons. Physics sensitivity projections based on simulations are also provided.

Reactions along the astrophysical s-process path and prospects for neutron radiotherapy with the Liquid-Lithium Target (LiLiT) at the Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility (SARAF)

Abstract: Neutrons play a dominant role in the stellar nucleosynthesis of heavy elements and the quest for accurate experimental determinations of neutron-induced reaction cross sections becomes more stringent with the refinement of nuclear and astrophysical models. We review here an experimental nuclear-astrophysics program using a high-intensity neutron source based on the 7Li(p, n)7Be reaction with a Liquid-Lithium Target (LiLiT) at the Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility (SARAF) Phase I. The quasi-Maxwellian neutron spectrum with effective thermal energy $ kT \approx 30$ keV, characteristic of the thick-target 7Li(p, n) yield at proton energy $ E_p \approx 1.92$ MeV close to its neutron threshold, is well suited for laboratory measurements of neutron capture reactions along the astrophysical s -process path. The high-intensity proton beam (in the mA range) of SARAF and the high power (few kW) dissipation of LiLiT result in the most intense source of neutrons available today at stellar-like energies. The principle, design and properties of the LiLiT device and recent measurements of Maxwellian Averaged Cross Sections (MACS) based on activation of targets of astrophysical interest are described. Decay counting or atom counting methods (accelerator mass spectrometry, atom-trap trace analysis) are used for the detection of short-lived or long-lived activation products, respectively. In a different realm of applications, the 7Li(p, n) reaction is a leading candidate as an accelerator-based neutron source for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). The high neutron yield achievable from a liquid-lithium target, its sustainability of operation under kW-power incident beams and the recent availability of small-size high-intensity accelerators are compatible with a hospital-based clinical facility. An effort towards the characterization and realization of a liquid-lithium target for BNCT is reviewed. Perspectives of pending and future developments towards SARAF Phase II, based on a 40MeV, 5mA CW proton/deuteron superconducting linear accelerator, are summarized.

Model-independent tuning for maximizing free electron laser pulse energy

Abstract: The output power of a free electron laser (FEL) has extremely high variance even when all FEL parameter set points are held constant because of the stochastic nature of the self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) FEL process, drift of thousands of coupled parameters, such as thermal drifts, and uncertainty and time variation of the electron distribution coming off of the photo cathode and entering the accelerator. In this work, we demonstrate the application of automatic, model-independent feedback for the maximization of average pulse energy of the light produced by free electron lasers. We present experimental results from both the European x-ray free electron laser at DESY and from the Linac Coherent Light Source at SLAC. We demonstrate application of the technique on rf systems for automatically adjusting the longitudinal phase space of the beam, for adjusting the phase shifter gaps between the undulators, and for adjusting steering magnets between undulator sections to maximize the FEL output power. We show that we can tune up to 105 components simultaneously based only on noisy average bunch energy measurements.

Multiple-beamline operation of SACLA.

Abstract: The SPring-8 Angstrom Compact free-electron LAser (SACLA) began parallel operation of three beamlines (BL1–3) in autumn 2017 to increase the user beam time of the X-ray free-electron laser. The success of the multiple-beamline operation is based on two technological achievements: (i) the fast switching operation of the SACLA main linear accelerator, which provides BL2 and BL3 with pulse-by-pulse electron beams, and (ii) the relocation and upgrade of the SPring-8 Compact SASE Source for BL1, for the generation of a soft X-ray free-electron laser. Moreover, the photon beamlines and experimental stations were upgraded to facilitate concurrent user experiments at the three beamlines and accommodate more advanced experiments.

Technical Note: Time-gating to medical linear accelerator pulses: Stray radiation detector.

Abstract: Purpose CCD cameras are employed to image scintillation and Cherenkov radiation in external beam radiotherapy. This is achieved by gating the camera to the linear accelerator (Linac) output. A direct output signal line from the linac is not always accessible and even in cases where such a signal is accessible, a physical wire connected to the output port can potentially alter Linac performance through electrical feedback. A scintillating detector for stray radiation inside the Linac room was developed to remotely time-gate to linac pulses for camera-based dosimetry. Methods A scintillator coupled silicon photomultiplier detector was optimized and systematically tested for location sensitivity and for use with both x rays and electron beams, at different energies and field sizes. Cherenkov radiation emitted due to static photon beams was captured using the remote trigger and compared to the images captured using a wired trigger. The issue of false-positive event detection, due to additional neutron activated products with high energy beams, was addressed. Results The designed circuit provided voltage >2.5 V even for distances up to 3 m from the isocenter with a 6 MV, 5 × 5 cm beam, using a O3 × 20 mm3 Bi4 Ge3 O12 (BGO) crystal. With a larger scintillator size, the detector could be placed even beyond 3 m distance. False-positive triggering was reduced by a coincidence detection scheme. Negligible fluctuations were observed in time-gated imaging of Cherenkov intensity emitted from a water phantom, when comparing directly connected vs this remote triggering approach. Conclusion The remote detector provides untethered synchronization to linac pulses. It is especially useful for remote Cherenkov imaging or remote scintillator dosimetry imaging during radiotherapeutic procedures when a direct line signal is not accessible.

The Compact Linear Collider

Abstract: Steinar Stapnes discusses the Compact Linear Collider, a linear accelerator that could be built in three stages at CERN.

Production of 47Sc, 67Cu, 68Ga, 105Rh, 177Lu, and 188Re using electron linear accelerator

Abstract: Radioisotopes used in nuclear medicine (47Sc, 67Cu, 68Ga, 105Rh, 177Lu, and 188Re) were produced by an electron linear accelerator in this study. Neutron irradiation was investigated as an alternative method for producing 105Rh and 177Lu, and the results were compared with those obtained with the electron linear accelerator. All the radioisotopes except for 177Lu were produced efficiently by the electron linear accelerator. Electron linear accelerators were thus demonstrated to show the desired performance for the on-demand production of medical radioisotopes at consuming places such as hospitals.

Complementary dosimetry for a 6 MeV electron beam

Abstract: Two methods for inferring the dose of the electron beam (EB) provided by the ALID-7 linear accelerator (LINAC) are compared. The main parameters of the electron beam are: energy 6 M e V , pulse duration 4 μs and frequency 53 H z . The reference dosimeter is a graphite calorimeter built in-house, whose measured dose depends on the irradiation time. In order to modify the dose for a given irradiation time, the voltage applied on the filament of the electron gun is varied in the range 8–12 V. The calorimeter can provide reliable measurements (doses above 0.48 k G y ) for irradiation times sufficiently long (above 10 s) and for filament voltages where stable operation of the LINAC is achieved (above 9 V). The measured dose is compared with that deduced from measurements of the beam fluence given by a Faraday cup (FC), by taking into account the stopping power features of the electron beam into graphite. The electron beam charge per pulse measured at the exit of the LINAC is between 3.7 × 10−9 C at 8 V, and 2.4 × 10−7 C at 12 V. A good match is obtained particularly at 12 V, which is the typical operating filament voltage.

Space-Borne Electron Accelerator Design

Abstract: Renewed interest in active experiments with relativistic particle beams in space has led to the development of solid-state radio-frequency (RF) linear accelerators (linac) that can deliver MeV electron beams but operate with low-voltage DC power supplies. The solid-state RF amplifiers used to drive the accelerator are known as high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), and at C-band (5-6 GHz) are capable of generating up to 500 watts of RF power at 10% duty factor in a small package, i.e., the size of a postage stamp. In operation, the HEMTs are powered with 50V DC as their bias voltage; they thus can tap into the spacecraft batteries or electrical bus as the primary power source. In this paper we describe the initial testing of a compact space-borne RF accelerator consisting of individual C-band cavities, each independently powered by a gallium nitride (GaN) HEMT. We show preliminary test results that demonstrate the beam acceleration in a single C-band cavity powered by a single HEMT operating at 10% duty factor. An example of active beam experiments in space that could benefit from the HEMT-powered accelerators is the proposed Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Connection (CONNEX) experiment [Dors et al., 2017].

Towards compact and advanced Free Electron Laser

Abstract: X-ray Free Electron Lasers (FEL) are nowadays unique intense coherent fs light sources used for multi-disciplinary investigations of matter. A new acceleration scheme such as Laser Plasma Accelerator (LPA) is now capable of producing an accelerating gradient of few GeV/cm far superior to that of conventional RF linacs. This PhD work has been conducted in the framework of R&D programs of the LUNEX5 (free electron Laser Using a New accelerator for the Exploitation of X-ray radiation of 5th generation) project of advanced and compact Free Electron laser demonstrator with pilot user applications. It comprises a 400 MeV superconducting linac for studies of advanced FEL schemes, high repetition rate operation (10 kHz), multi-FEL lines, a Laser Wake Field Accelerator (LWFA) for its qualification by a FEL application. The FEL lines comports enables advanced seeding in the 40-4 nm spectral range using high gain harmonic generation (HGHG) and echo-enabled harmonic generation (EEHG) with compact short period high field cryogenic undulators. The study of compact devices suitable for compact FEL applications is thus examined. One first aspect concerns the reduction of the Free Electron Laser gain medium (electrons in undulator) where shortening of the period is on the expense of the magnetic field leading to an intensity reduction at high harmonics. Compact cryogenic permanent magnet based undulators (CPMUs), where the magnet performance is increased at cryogenic temperature making them suitable for compact applications, are studied. Three CPMUs of period 18 mm have been built: two are installed at SOLEIL storage ring and one at COXINEL experiment. A second part of the work is developed in the frame of the R&D programs is the COXINEL experiment with an aim at demonstrating FEL amplification using an LPA source. The line enables to manipulate the properties of the produced electron beams (as energy spread, divergence, induced dispersion due) before being used for light source applications. The electron beam generated is highly divergent and requires a good handling at an early stage with strong quadrupoles, to be installed immediately after the electron generation source. Hence, the development of the so-called QUAPEVAs, innovative permanent magnet quadrupoles with high tunable gradient, is presented. The QUAPEVAs are optimized with RADIA code and characterized with three magnetic measurements. High tunable gradient is achieved while maintaining a rather good magnetic center excursion that allowed for beam pointing alignment compensation at COXINEL, where the beam is well-focused with zero dispersion at any location along the line. The QUAPEVAs constitute original systems in the landscape of variable high gradient quadrupoles developed so far. A third part of the work concerns the observation of tunable monochromatic undulator radiation on the COXINEL line. The electron beam of energy of 170 MeV is transported and focused in a 2-m long CPMU with a period of 18 mm emitting radiation light at 200 nm. The spectral flux is characterized using a UV spectrometer and the angular flux is captured by a CCD camera. The wavelength is tuned with the undulator gap variation. The spatio-spectral moon shape type pattern of the undulator radiation provided an insight on the electron beam quality and its transport enabling the estimation of the electron beam parameters such as energy spread and divergence. The final aspect of the work is related to the comparison between the echo and high gain harmonic generation, in the frame of my participation to an experiment carried out at FERMI@ELETTRA. At FERMI, we have demonstrated a high gain lasing using EEHG at a wavelength of 5.9 nm where it showed a narrower spectra and better reproducibility compared to a two-stage HGHG. This PhD work constitutes a step forward towards advanced compact Free Electron Lasers.

Two-pass two-way acceleration in a superconducting continuous wave linac to drive low jitter x-ray free electron lasers

Abstract: We present a design study of an innovative scheme to generate high rep rate (MHz-class) GeV electron beams by adopting a two-pass two-way acceleration in a superconducting (SC) linac operated in continuous wave (CW) mode. The electron beam is accelerated twice by being reinjected in opposite direction of propagation into the linac after the first passage. Acceleration in opposite directions is accomplished thanks to standing waves supported in rf cavities. The task of recirculating the electron beam when it leaves the linac after first pass is performed by a bubble-shaped arc compressor composed by a sequence of double bend achromat. In this paper we address the main issues inherent to the two-pass acceleration process and the preservation of the electron beam quality parameters (emittance, energy spread, peak current) required to operate x-ray free electron lasers (FEL) with low jitters in the amplitude, spectral and temporal domain, as achieved by operating in seeding and/or oscillator mode a CW FEL up to 1 MHz rep rate. Detailed start-to-end simulations are shown to assess the capability of this new scheme to double the electron beam energy as well as to compress the electron bunch length from picoseconds down to tens of femtoseconds. The advantage of such a scheme is to halve the requested linac length for the same final electron beam energy, which is typically in the few GeV range, as needed to drive an x-ray FEL. The AC power to supply the cryogenic plant is also significantly reduced with respect to a conventional single-pass SC linac for the same final energy. We are reporting also x-ray FEL simulations for typical values of wavelengths of interest (in the 200 eV--8 keV photon energy range) to better illustrate the potentiality of this new scheme.

Development of a Faraday cup fast ion loss detector for keV beam ions.

Abstract: The development and testing of a Faraday cup fast-ion loss detector capable of measuring sub 100 keV particles is documented. Such measurement capabilities play an important role in the assessment of particle confinement of nuclear fusion experiments. The detector is manufactured using thin-film deposition techniques, building upon previous work using discrete foils. This new manufacturing method allows the form factor of the sensor to become that of essentially a microchip. Analysis of the diagnostic response is performed using Monte-Carlo particle simulations. These simulations show peaks in the detector response at 40 and 70 keV. The sensor is then tested in a tunable linear accelerator capable of accelerating protons from 20 to 120 keV. The detector response was found to be well matched to simulations. Improvements to the design to facilitate robustness are discussed.

Winston-Lutz-Gao Test on the True Beam STx Linear Accelerator

Abstract: In the linear accelerator-based stereotactic radio surgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) programs, single isocenter-multiple metastases’ treatment has become more and more popular due to their high efficiency in treatment time. However, the absence of a comprehensive quality assurance program is still the challenge for medical physicists. The Winston-Lutz-Gao test, which we developed two years ago, was performed for the first time on a True Beam STx (Varian Medical System) linear accelerator in this study. Beams were designed by Eclipse with gantry, collimator, and couch full rotations, and a 200-pound weight was placed on the couch to mimic real treatment. The “frameless SRS QA target pointer” from the Brainlab company, with a 3.5-mm metallic ball embedded in the center, was used as a phantom. Images were acquired by the portal imager built-in linear accelerator and analyzed directly by the Image browser in ARIA. We found that the farther the metastases were from the linac isocenter, the worse the congruence was between the beam mechanical and the radiation center. The farthest metastases should be within 6 cm from the linac isocenter per the AAPM TG-142 and American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) white paper criteria. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first off-isocenter Winston-Lutz test performed on a True Beam STx linear accelerator.

Heavy ion beam acceleration in the first three cryomodules at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University

Abstract: The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) being constructed at Michigan State University [J. Wei et al., The FRIB superconducting linac---status and plans, LINAC'16, Lansing, MI, p. 1, http://accelconf.web.cern.ch/AccelConf/linac2016/papers/mo1a01.pdf] is based on a cw superconducting linear accelerator which is designed to deliver unprecedented 400 kW heavy ion beam power to the fragmentation target. The installation of the accelerator equipment is approaching completion and multistage beam commissioning activities started in the summer of 2017 with expected completion in 2021. A room-temperature test electron cyclotron resonance ion source, ARTEMIS, provided argon and krypton beams for the commissioning of the low energy beam transport, a radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ), the medium energy beam transport (MEBT) and the first three accelerating cryomodules. The commissioning of the first linac segment (LS1), composed of 15 cryomodules, is planned in the spring of 2019. This paper describes the first results of experimental beam dynamics studies in the LEBT, RFQ, MEBT and the first three cryomodules with comparison to the numerical simulations.

The Metrological Electron Accelerator Facility (MELAF) for Research in Dosimetry for Radiotherapy

Abstract: The Metrological Electron Accelerator Facility (MELAF) of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) offers access to well characterized high-energy (0.5–50 MeV) electron and photon radiation fields also for external researchers. This work outlines the capabilities of the facility to foster new collaborations. As example, the experimental determination of ionization chamber typical correction factors for Magnetic-Resonance guided Radiotherapy (MRgRT) is presented.

Design of 500 MHz RFQ linear accelerator for a compact neutron source, RANS-III

Abstract: A compact neutron source using a particle accelerator is a promising tool for material analysis, infrastructural diagnostics, fissile material detection, and medical applications. For non-destructive, on-site inspection of the degradation of aged concrete and steel reinforcement it is essential to develop a light and compact neutron source system. To design a more compact RFQ linac for a transportable neutron source, we developed a 500 MHz RFQ linac. In this paper the design of a 500 MHz RFQ linac for a compact neutron source is described. First, using beam tracking simulation software, we designed the cell parameters of the 500 MHz RFQ linac, which can accelerate a proton beam from 30 keV to 2.49 MeV. Then, using three-dimensional electromagnetic simulation software and multiphysics simulation software, we optimized the cavity design of the 500 MHz RFQ linac, and investigated the thermal properties of the cavity with the cooling channels.

Wakefield benchmarking at a single-pass high brightness electron linac

Abstract: Collective effects such as wakefields affect the dynamics of high brightness electron beams in linear accelerators (linacs) and can degrade the performance of short wavelength free-electron lasers (FELs). If a reliable model of wakefields is made available, the accelerator can be designed and configured with parameters that minimize their disrupting effect. In this paper, the simulated effect of geometric (diffractive) wakefields and of coherent synchrotron radiation on the electron beam energy distribution at the FERMI FEL is benchmarked with measurements, so quantifying the accuracy of the model. Wakefield modeling is then extended to the undulator line, where particle tracking confirms the limited impact of the resistive wall wakefield on the lasing process. The study reveals an overall good understanding of collective effects in the facility.

SESRI 300MeV Proton and Heavy Ion Accelerator

Abstract: The SESRI (Space Environment Simulation and Research Infrastructure) is the new national research infrastructure under construction at Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) in China. This infrastructure is specifically built to simulate the space environment on the ground. The SESRI has kinds of accelerators, and the 300MeV proton and heavy ion accelerator is a major radiation source, which will supply 100-300MeV protons and 7-85MeV/u heavy ions for studying the interaction of high energy space particle radiation with material, device, module and biological entity. To meet above requirements, the facility adopts the combination of room temperature ECR (Electron Cyclotron Resonance) ion source, linac injector and synchrotron. The ion source is required to provide all stable nuclide beams from H+ 2 to Bi. The linac injector supplies 1MeV/u heavy ion beams and 5MeV proton beam by using RFQ (Radio Frequency Quadrupole) and IH-DTL (Interdigital H-mode type Drift Tube Linac) linac structures. The synchrotron accelerates heavy ions up to 85MeV/u and proton beam 300MeV. And the 3rd integer resonance and RF-KO (RF-Knock-Out) method are adopted for slow extraction. The status of 300MeV proton and heavy ion accelerator design and construction works are briefly described below.

Transmission Electron Microscope Using a Linear Accelerator

Abstract: High-voltage transmission electron microscopes (HVTEMs), which can visualize internal structures of micron thick samples, intrinsically have large instrument sizes because of the static voltage isolation. In this Letter, we develop a compact HVTEM, employing a linear accelerator, a subpicosecond beam chopper, and a linear decelerator. 100 kV electrons initially accelerated by a static field are accelerated at radio frequency (rf) up to 500 kV, transmitting through the sample and finally rf decelerated down to 200 kV to be imaged through a 200 kV energy filter. 500 kV imaging, as well as subnanometer resolution at 200 kV, have been demonstrated.

An X-Ray Regenerative Amplifier Free-Electron Laser Using Diamond Pinhole MIrrors

Abstract: Free-electron lasers (FELs) have been built ranging in wavelength from long-wavelength oscillators using partial wave guiding through ultraviolet through hard x-ray FELs that are either seeded or start from noise (SASE). Operation in the x-ray spectrum has relied on single-pass SASE due either to the lack of seed lasers or difficulties in the design of x-ray mirrors. However, recent developments in the production of diamond crystal Bragg reflectors point the way to the design of regenerative amplifiers (RAFELs) which are, essentially, low-Q x-ray free-electron laser oscillators (XFELOs) that out-couple a large fraction of the optical power on each pass. A RAFEL using a six-mirror resonator providing out-coupling of 90% or more through a pinhole in the first downstream mirror is proposed and analyzed using the MINERVA simulation code for the undulator interaction and the Optics Propagation Code (OPC) for the resonator. MINERVA/OPC has been used in the past to simulate infrared FEL oscillators. For the present purpose, OPC has been modified to treat Bragg reflection from diamond crystal mirrors. The six-mirror resonator design has been analyzed within the context of the LCLS-II beamline under construction at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and using the HXR undulator which is also to be installed on the LCLS-II beamline. Simulations have been run to optimize and characterize the properties of the RAFEL, and indicate that substantial powers are possible at the fundamental (3.05 keV) and third harmonic (9.15 keV).

A primary electron beam facility at CERN

Abstract: This paper describes the concept of a primary electron beam facility at CERN, to be used for dark gauge force and light dark matter searches. The electron beam is produced in three stages: A Linac accelerates electrons from a photo-cathode up to 3.5 GeV. This beam is injected into the Super Proton Synchrotron, SPS, and accelerated up to a maximum energy of 16 GeV. Finally, the accelerated beam is slowly extracted to an experiment, possibly followed by a fast dump of the remaining electrons to another beamline. The beam parameters are optimized using the requirements of the Light Dark Matter eXperiment (LDMX) as benchmark.

Measurement of the absolute number of photons of the hard X-ray beamline at the Linac Coherent Light Source

Abstract: X-ray free-electron lasers provide intense pulses of coherent X-rays with a short pulse duration. These sources are chaotic by nature and therefore, to be used at their full potential, require that every X-ray pulse is characterized in terms of various relevant properties such as intensity, photon energy, position and timing. Diagnostics are for example installed on an X-ray beamline to specifically monitor the intensity of individual X-ray pulses. To date, these can however only provide a single-shot value of the relative number of photons per shot. Here are reported measurements made in January 2015 of the absolute number of photons in the hard X-ray regime at LCLS which is typically 3.5 × 1011 photons shot−1 between 6 and 9.5 keV at the X-ray Pump–Probe instrument. Moreover, an average transmission of ≈62% of the hard X-ray beamline over this energy range is measured and the third-harmonic content of ≈0.47% below 9 keV is characterized.

Terahertz Acceleration Technology Towards Compact Light Sources

Abstract: The concepts in this thesis comprise three groups focusing on: (1) fast electron sources, (2) THz injectors, and (3) THz linacs. First, the feasibility of ultrafast, high-yield electron emitters based on nanostructured cathodes is demonstrated. Benefitting from field enhancement effects, namely tip-enhancement and plasmonic enhancement, laser-induced field emission is realized over large, dense and highly uniform field emitter arrays. The theoretical principles of these field emitter arrays are studied and their suitability for pico-Coulomb charge production over femtosecond time-scales is confirmed. In the framework of THz injectors, two ground-breaking concepts including ultrafast single-cycle THz guns and segmented THz electron accelerator and manipulator (STEAM) devices are developed and tested. The possibility of using transient fields to realize ultrahigh acceleration gradients close to 0.5 GeV/m is confirmed. Specifically, a STEAM device capable of performing multiple high-field operations on the 6D-phase-space of ultrashort electron bunches is demonstrated. With this single device, powered by few-micro-Joule, single-cycle, 0.3 THz pulses, we demonstrated record THz-acceleration of >30 keV, streaking with 2 kT/m strength, compression to ~ 100 fs as well as real-time switching between these modes of operation. Travelling wave THz linacs based on dielectric-loaded metallic waveguides operating under few-cycle excitations are proposed. Based on this concept, keV-level energy gain through a linear accelerator using optically-generated THz pulses is demonstrated. Moreover, the possibility of electron acceleration to tens of MeV with millijoule level THz pulses is theoretically shown. The final goal of the above studies is a fully THz-driven compact light source facility, whose start-to-end simulation is fulfilled in this thesis.

First Electron Beam at the Linear Accelerator FLUTE at KIT

Abstract: The irst electron beams were generated in the 7 MeV section of the short-pulse linear accelerator test facility FLUTE (Ferninfrarot LinacUnd Test-Experiment) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). In this contribution we show images of the electron beam on a YAG-screen (yttrium aluminum garnet) as well as signals from an integrating current transformer (ICT) and a Faraday cup. Furthermore, the progress of tuning the FLUTE electron bunches for experiments is presented.

Positive-ion accelerator mass spectrometry at ATLAS: Peaks and pits

Abstract: Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion sources and the production of multiple-charge positive ions with high efficiency in combination with a heavy-ion accelerator have opened the way to an alternative and complementary version of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). A notable strength of positive-ion over traditional AMS is the capability of ultra-high sensitivity detection of radioactive isotopes of noble gases, in particular 37Ar (t1/2 = 35 d) and 39Ar (269 y). The complete dissociation of molecular ions in the ECR and in particular of hydride ions of neighboring stable isotopes results in superior isotopic separation. However, the use of high charge states, necessary for acceleration to high energy, entails the existence of severe transmission degeneracies with stable ions having nearly equal mass-to-charge ratios, in addition to that of stable isobaric ions. Separation or discrimination of these parasitic ions require powerful and sophisticated dispersive systems at detection stage. We review here work performed and in progress at the ATLAS facility of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) where an ECR ion source, a Radio-Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ), a superconducting linear accelerator and a Gas-Filled Magnet (GFM) are used as an AMS setup.