JAI, Oxford, United Kingdom
LAL, Orsay, France
DLS, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
Previous studies have demonstrated that coherent Smith-Purcell radiation (cSPr) can be used for relativistic electron bunch time profile reconstruction at pico-second and femtosecond scales. The E203 experiments undertaken in May 2015 at FACET (SLAC) were dedicated to the study of some properties of cSPr, namely the azimuthal distribution and the polarization of the radiation. The experimental set up description which allowed such studies will be presented along with the results. To understand the experimental data both semi-analytical and numerical models were studied. The semi-analytical approach was based on the surface-current model, and the 3D particle-in-cell code VSim was used for numerical modeling. The experimental and theoretical studies are compared.
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
INFN/LNF, Frascati (Roma), Italy
As part of research on the physics of rf breakdowns we performed experiments with high gradient traveling-wave mm-wave accelerating structures. The accelerating structures are open, composed of two identical halves separated by an adjustable gap. The electromagnetic fields are excited by an ultra-relativistic electron beam. We observed that a confined travelling-wave mode exists in half of the accelerating structure. The experiments were conducted at FACET facility at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Depending on the gap width, the accelerating structure had beam-synchronous frequencies that vary from 90 to 140 GHz. When we opened the gap by more than half wavelength the synchronous wave remains trapped. Its behavior is consistent with the so called "surface wave". We characterized this beam-wave interaction by several methods: measurement of the radiated rf energy with the pyro-detector, measurement of the spectrum with an interferometer, measurement of the beam deflection by using the beam position monitors and profile monitor.
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
INFN/LNF, Frascati (Roma), Italy
We studied the physics and properties of rf breakdowns in high gradient traveling-wave accelerating structures at 100 GHz. The structures are open, made of two halves with a gap in between. The rf fields were excited in the structure by an ultra-relativistic electron beam generated by the FACET facility at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. We observed rf breakdowns generated in the presence of GV/m scale electric fields. We varied the rf fields excited by the FACET bunch by moving structure relative to the beam and by changing the gap between structure halves. Reliable breakdowns detectors allowed us to measure the rf breakdown rate at these different rf parameters. We measured radiated rf energy with a pyro-detector. When the beam was off-axis, we observed beam deflection in the beam position monitors and on the screen of a magnetic spectrometer. The measurements of the deflection allowed us to verify our calculation of the accelerating gradient.
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
LOA, Palaiseau, France
TUB, Beijing, People's Republic of China
Over the past decade, there has been enormous progress in the field of beam and laser-driven plasma acceleration of electron beams. However, in order for plasma wakefield acceleration to be useful for a high-energy e+e- collider, we need a technique for accelerating positrons in plasma as well. This is a unique challenge, because the plasma responds differently to electron and positron beams, with plasma electrons being pulled through the positron beam and creating a non-linear focusing force. Here, we demonstrate a technique called hollow channel acceleration that symmetrizes the wakefield response to beams of either charge. Using a transversely shaped laser pulse, we create an annular plasma with a fixed radius of 200 μm. We observe the acceleration of a positron bunch with energies up to 33.4 MeV in a 25 cm long channel, indicating an effective gradient greater than 100 MeV/m. This is the first demonstration of a technique that way be used for staged acceleration of positron beams in plasma.