This article presents a comparison between measured and simulated scattering parameters in a wide frequency interval for the third harmonic accelerating module ACC39 in the linear accelerator FLASH, located at DESY in Hamburg/Germany. ACC39 is a cryomodule housing four superconducting 3.9  GHz accelerating cavities. Due to the special shape of the cavities (in particular its end cells and the beam pipes) in ACC39, the electromagnetic field in the module is, in many frequency ranges, coupled from one cavity to the next. Therefore, the scattering parameters are determined by the entire string and not solely by the individual cavities. This makes the determination of the scattering properties demanding. As far as the authors can determine, this paper shows for the first time a direct comparison between state-of-the-art simulations and measurements of rf properties of long, complex, and asymmetric structures over a wide frequency band. Taking into account the complexity of the system and various geometrical unknowns, the agreement between experimental measurements and simulations is remarkably good for several distinct measurements, although a variety of effects (e.g. cavity deviations from the ideal shape or interactions with not modeled parts of the structure) is not considered in the computer simulation. After a short introduction, the paper provides detailed descriptions of simulations and experimental measurements performed at the module. In this context, the estimation of the cable properties is discussed as well. As a central part of the article, the comparison between measured and simulated transmission spectra and quality factors is presented. This study represents one of the first detailed comparisons between simulations and measurements for a coupled accelerator cavity system.

Multipacting (MP) in higher-order-mode (HOM) couplers of the International Linear Collider (ILC) baseline cavity and the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) 12 GeV upgrade cavity is studied by using the ACE3P suites, developed by the Advanced Computations Department at SLAC. For the ILC cavity HOM coupler, the simulation results show that resonant trajectories exist in three zones, corresponding to an accelerating gradient range of $0.6–1.6\mathrm{MV}/\mathrm{m}$, $21–34\mathrm{MV}/\mathrm{m}$, $32–35\mathrm{MV}/\mathrm{m}$ and $>40\mathrm{MV}/\mathrm{m}$, respectively. For the CEBAF 12 GeV upgrade cavity HOM coupler, resonant trajectories exist in one zone, corresponding to an accelerating gradient range of $6–13\mathrm{MV}/\mathrm{m}$. Potential implications of these MP barriers are discussed in the context of future high-energy pulsed as well as medium-energy continuous wave accelerators based on superconducting radio frequency cavities. Frequency scaling of MP’s predicted in HOM couplers of the ILC, CEBAF upgrade, Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), and Free-Electron Laser in Hamburg (FLASH) third harmonic cavity is given and found to be in good agreement with the analytical result based on the parallel plate model.

The high quantum efficiency at visible wavelengths of alkali-antimonide photoemissive materials, such as ${\mathrm{K}}_2\mathrm{CsSb}$, makes them excellent potential photocathodes for high-current applications. We have developed a technique of using an ultraviolet laser to clean the cathode’s substrate and thus enhance the photoyield of a ${\mathrm{K}}_2\mathrm{CsSb}$ photocathode subsequently deposited on the substrate. We have shown that the quantum efficiency of the cathode from the laser-exposed substrate can be at least 50% higher than that of an unexposed surface. We have also formulated a nonthermal technique for completely removing the cathode from the substrate while preserving an ultrahigh vacuum to assure the regrowth of the cathode. The bialkali cathode is dissociated and then removed completely upon 10 s exposure to a 248 nm laser beam with $3.5\mathrm{mJ}/{\mathrm{mm}}^2$ of energy density at a 30 Hz repetition frequency. Here, we discuss these experimental results and their potential applications. We also describe applications of this technique to reduce the beam’s halo and its emittance.

The genetic algorithm (GA) has been a popular technique in optimizing the design of particle accelerators. As a population based algorithm, GA requires a large number of evaluations of the objective functions, which can be time consuming. One can benefit from parallel computing with significantly reduced computing time when fulfilling the function evaluation by a numerical machine model in simulation codes. Indeed, this is the most common approach in GA applications. In this paper, instead of applying GA in the conventional numerical calculations as described above, we present a successful experimental demonstration of implementing GA in real machine based optimization. We conduct the minimization of the average vertical beam size of the SPEAR3 storage ring using GA. Beam loss rate is chosen as the sole objective function because it is inversely proportional to the vertical beam size and can be measured instantaneously in SPEAR3. The decision variables are the strengths of SPEAR3 skew quadrupoles, by varying which we can change both the betatron coupling and the vertical dispersion while searching for the minimum beam size. The results in this paper can shed light on new applications of GAs in the particle accelerator community, for example, optimizing the luminosity of a high energy collider or the injection efficiency of a diffraction limited storage ring in real time.

Polarization switching of light sources is required over a wide spectral range to investigate the symmetry of matter. In this paper, we report the first experimental demonstration of the crossed-planar undulators technique at a seeded free-electron laser, which holds great promise for the full control and fast switching of the polarization of short-wavelength radiation. In the experiment, the polarization state of the coherent radiation at the second harmonic of the seed laser is switched successfully. The experimental results confirm the theory and pave the way for applying the crossed-planar undulators technique for seeded x-ray free-electron lasers.

In the CERN Large Hadron Collider, collimators need to be set up to form a multistage hierarchy to ensure efficient multiturn cleaning of halo particles. Automatic algorithms were introduced during the first run to reduce the beam time required for beam-based setup, improve the alignment accuracy, and reduce the risk of human errors. Simulating the alignment procedure would allow for off-line tests of alignment policies and algorithms. A simulator was developed based on a diffusion beam model to generate the characteristic beam loss signal spike and decay produced when a collimator jaw touches the beam, which is observed in a beam loss monitor (BLM). Empirical models derived from the available measurement data are used to simulate the steady-state beam loss and crosstalk between multiple BLMs. The simulator design is presented, together with simulation results and comparison to measurement data.

We present a design of a superconducting rf photonic band gap (SRF PBG) accelerator cell with specially shaped rods in order to reduce peak surface magnetic fields and improve the effectiveness of the PBG structure for suppression of higher order modes (HOMs). The ability of PBG structures to suppress long-range wakefields is especially beneficial for superconducting electron accelerators for high power free-electron lasers (FELs), which are designed to provide high current continuous duty electron beams. Using PBG structures to reduce the prominent beam-breakup phenomena due to HOMs will allow significantly increased beam-breakup thresholds. As a result, there will be possibilities for increasing the operation frequency of SRF accelerators and for the development of novel compact high-current accelerator modules for the FELs.

We have developed a cost-effective, fast rotating wire scanner for use in accelerators where high beam currents would otherwise melt even carbon wires. This new design uses a simple planetary gear setup to rotate a carbon wire, fixed at one end, through the beam at speeds in excess of $20\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}$. We present results from bench tests, as well as transverse beam profile measurements taken at Cornell’s high-brightness energy recovery linac photoinjector, for beam currents up to 35 mA.

This paper discusses the extension to different electron beam aspect ratio of the Child-Langmuir law for the maximum achievable current density in electron guns. Using a simple model, we derive quantitative formulas in good agreement with simulation codes. The new scaling laws for the peak current density of temporally long and transversely narrow initial beam distributions can be used to estimate the maximum beam brightness and suggest new paths for injector optimization.

We study the threshold of longitudinal instability driven by coherent synchrotron radiation in a rectangular chamber in electron storage rings. Starting with Maxwell’s equation, we first derive a point-charge wakefield for longitudinal motion. Then we use the wake, along with the Vlasov-Fokker-Planck equation, to show that the threshold can be described by a simple scaling law of $\xi ={\xi }^{\mathrm{th}}(\chi ,A,\widehat{\beta })$, where $\xi$ is a dimensionless current, $\chi$ is the shielding parameter, $A$ is the aspect ratio of the vacuum chamber, and $\widehat{\beta }$ is the damping rate relative to the rate of synchrotron oscillation. We further investigate the threshold with simulations for various values of aspect ratios. In particular, for a square chamber, we find that ${\xi }^{\mathrm{th}}\approx 0.25$, which is a factor 2 lower than the threshold in free space.

In particle accelerators, the beam quality can be strongly affected by the interaction with self-induced electromagnetic fields excited by the beam in the passage through the elements of the accelerator. The beam coupling impedance quantifies this interaction and allows predicting the stability of the dynamics of high intensity, high brilliance beams. The coupling impedance can be evaluated with finite element methods or using analytical approaches, such as field matching or mode matching. In this paper we present an application of the mode matching technique for an azimuthally uniform structure of finite length: a cylindrical cavity loaded with a toroidal slab of lossy dielectric, connected with cylindrical beam pipes. In order to take into account the finite length of the structure, with respect to the infinite length approximation, we decompose the fields in the cavity into a set of orthonormal modes. We obtain a complete set of equations using the magnetic field matching and the nonuniform convergence of the electric field on the cavity boundaries. We present benchmarks done with CST Particle Studio simulations and existing analytical formulas and codes, pointing out the effect of different material conductivities, finite length, and nonultrarelativistic particle beam velocity.

The Accelerator Test Facility 2 (ATF2) aims to test the novel chromaticity correction scheme which is implemented in the final focus systems of future linear colliders such as the International Linear Collider (ILC) and the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC). The ATF2 nominal and ultralow ${\beta }^{*}$ lattices are designed to vertically focus the beam at the focal point, or usually referred to as interaction point (IP), down to 37 and 23 nm, respectively. The vertical chromaticities of the nominal and ultralow ${\beta }^{*}$ lattices are comparable to those of ILC and CLIC, respectively. When the measured multipole components of the ATF2 magnets are considered in the simulations, the evaluated spot sizes at the IP are well above the design values. In this paper we describe the analysis of the high order aberrations that allows identifying the sources of the observed beam size growth. In order to recover the design spot sizes three solutions are considered, namely final doublet replacement, octupole insertion, and optics modification. Concerning the future linear collider projects, the consequences of magnetic field errors of the focusing quadrupole magnet of the final doublet are also addressed.

The new traveling wave structure with a single synchronous mode resonantly excited by the relativistic charge is presented. The structure is composed of a metallic tube with an internally coated low conductive thin layer. It is shown that the impedance of the internally coated metallic tube has a narrow-band single resonance at a high frequency. The analytical presentation of the narrow-band impedance, the wake function, and the frequency of the synchronous mode are obtained. The analytical solutions are compared with exact numerical simulations using the field matching technique.

The performance of a free-electron laser (FEL) depends significantly on the various parameters of the driving electron beam. In particular, a large energy spread in the beam results in a substantial reduction of the FEL gain, an effect which is especially relevant when one considers FELs driven by plasma accelerators or ultimate storage rings. For such cases, one possible solution is to use a transverse gradient undulator (TGU). In this concept, the energy spread problem is mitigated by properly dispersing the electron beam and introducing a linear, transverse field dependence in the undulator. This paper presents a self-consistent theoretical analysis of a TGU-based, high-gain FEL which takes into account three-dimensional (3D) effects, including beam size variations along the undulator. The results of our theory compare favorably with simulation and are used in fast optimization studies of various x-ray FEL configurations.

The beam dynamics in transverse deflecting structures, operating in streaking mode, is discussed concentrating on slightly nonrelativistic particle energies. Transverse offsets of the average trajectory, bunch lengthening, and defocusing as well as emittance growth due to nonlinearities of the cavity field are considered. The analysis of the deflecting field reveals the origin of nonlinearities and leads to proposals for their suppression. An optimized cavity design which combines minimal aberrations with a high rf efficiency is proposed.

With the move towards beam power in the range of 1–10 MW, a thorough understanding of the response of target materials and auxiliary systems to high power densities and intense radiation fields is required. This paper provides insight into three major aspects related to the design and operation of high power solid targets: thermal stresses, coolant performance, and radiation damage. Where appropriate, a figure-of-merit approach is followed to facilitate the comparison between different target or coolant candidates. The section on radiation damage reports total and spatial variations of displacement-per-atom and helium production levels in different target materials.