B. Spataro

Geometric dependence of radio-frequency breakdown in normal conducting accelerating structures

We present the experimental results of a systematic study of rf breakdown phenomenon in high vacuum accelerator structures. In this study, the surface processing, geometry, and materials of the structures have been varied, one parameter at a time. The breakdown rate or alternatively, the probability of breakdown/pulse/meter has been recorded for different operating parameters. These statistical data reveal a strong dependence of breakdown probability on surface magnetic field, or alternatively on surface pulsed heating. This is in contrast to the classical view of electric field dependence. We will present our experimental methodology and results showing this remarkable correlation.

The SPARC/X SASE-FEL Projects

SPARC and SPARX are two different initiatives toward an Italian Free Electron Laser ~FEL! source operating in the Self Amplified Spontaneous Emission ~SASE! mode, in which several national research institutions are involved. SPARC is a high gain FEL project devoted to provide a source of visible and VUV radiation while exploiting the SASE mechanism. An advanced Photo-Injector system, emittance compensating RF-gun plus a 150 MeV Linac, will inject a high quality e-beam into the undulator to generate high brilliance FEL radiation in the visible region at the fundamental wavelength, ~;500 nm!. The production of flat top drive laser beams, high peak current bunches, and emittance compensation scheme will be investigated together with the generation of higher harmonic radiation in the VUV region. SPARX is the direct evolution of such a high gain SASE FEL toward the 13.5 and 1.5 nm operating wavelengths, at 2.5 GeV. To get the required value for the bunch peak current, Ipeak ’ 2.5 kA, the “hybrid” scheme, RF-compression stage plus magnetic chicane, is analyzed and compared with the more standard double stage of magnetic compression. The two options are reviewed considering the tolerance to the drive laser pulse phase jitter.

Research and Development for Ultra-High Gradient Accelerator Structures

Research on the basic physics of high‐gradient, high frequency accelerator structures and the associated RF/microwave technology are essential for the future of discovery science, medicine and biology, energy and environment, and national security. We will review the state‐of‐the‐art for the development of high gradient linear accelerators. We will present the research activities aimed at exploring the basic physics phenomenon of RF breakdown. We present the experimental results of a true systematic study in which the surface processing, geometry, and materials of the structures have been varied, one parameter at a time. The breakdown rate or alternatively, the probability of breakdown/pulse/meter has been recorded for different operating parameters. These statistical data reveal a strong dependence of breakdown probability on surface magnetic field, or alternatively on surface pulsed heating. This is in contrast to the classical view of electric field dependence.

High power tests of an electroforming cavity operating at 11.424 GHz

The achievement of ultra high accelerating gradients is mandatory in order to fabricate compact accelerators at 11.424 GHz for scientific and industrial applications. An extensive experimental and theoretical program to determine a reliable ultra high gradient operation of the future linear accelerators is under way in many laboratories. In particular, systematic studies on the 11.424 GHz frequency accelerator structures, R&D on new materials and the associated microwave technology are in progress to achieve accelerating gradients well above 120 MeV/m. Among the many, the electroforming procedure is a promising approach to manufacture high performance RF devices in order to avoid the high temperature brazing and to produce precise RF structures. We report here the characterization of a hard high gradient RF accelerating structure at 11.424 GHz fabricated using the electroforming technique. Low-level RF measurements and high power RF tests carried out at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory on this prototype are presented and discussed. In addition, we present also a possible layout where the water-cooling of irises based on the electroforming process has been considered for the first time.

COLDDIAG: A Cold Vacuum Chamber for Diagnostics

One of the still open issues for the development of superconducting insertion devices is the understanding of the heat load induced by the beam passage. With the aim of measuring the beam heat load to a cold bore and in order to gain a deeper understanding in the beam heat load mechanisms, a cold vacuum chamber for diagnostics is under construction. We plan to have access with the same set-up to a number of different diagnostics, so we are implementing: i) retarding field analysers to measure the electron flux, ii) temperature sensors to measure the total heat load, iii) pressure gauges, iv) and mass spectrometers to measure the gas content. The inner vacuum chamber will be removable in order to test different geometries and materials. COLDDIAG is built to fit in a short straight section at ANKA, but we are proposing its installation in different synchrotron light sources with different energies and beam characteristics. A first installation in DIAMOND is planned in June 2011. Here we describe the technical design report of this device and the planned measurements with beam.

Beam heat load due to geometrical and resistive wall impedance in COLDDIAG

One of the still open issues for the development of superconductive insertion devices is the understanding of the heat intake from the electron beam. With the aim of measuring the beam heat load to a cold bore and the hope to gain a deeper understanding in the underlying mechanisms, a cold vacuum chamber for diagnostics (COLDDIAG) was built. It is equipped with the following instrumentation: retarding field analyzers to measure the electron flux, temperature sensors to measure the beam heat load, pressure gauges, and mass spectrometers to measure the gas content. Possible beam heat load sources are: synchrotron radiation, wakefield effects due to geometrical and resistive wall impedance and electron/ion bombardment. The flexibility of the engineering design will allow the installation of the cryostat in different synchrotron light sources. COLDDIAG was first installed in the Diamond Light Source (DLS) in 2011. Due to a mechanical failure of the thermal transition of the cold liner, the cryostat had to be removed after one week of operation. After having implemented design changes in the thermal liner transition, COLDDIAG has been reinstalled in the DLS at the end of August 2012. In order to understand the beam heat load mechanism it is important to compare the measured COLDDIAG parameters with theoretical expectations. In this paper we report on the analytical and numerical computation of the COLDDIAG beam heat load due to coupling impedances deriving from unavoidable step transitions, ports used for pumping and diagnostics, surface roughness, and resistive wall. The results might have an important impact on future technological solutions to be applied to cold bore devices.

Prototyping high-gradient mm-wave accelerating structures

We present single-cell accelerating structures designed for high-gradient testing at 110 GHz. The purpose of this work is to study the basic physics of ultrahigh vacuum RF breakdown in high-gradient RF accelerators. The accelerating structures are π-mode standing-wave cavities fed with a TM 01 circular waveguide. The structures are fabricated using precision milling out of two metal blocks, and the blocks are joined with diffusion bonding and brazing. The impact of fabrication and joining techniques on the cell geometry and RF performance will be discussed. First prototypes had a measured Q 0 of 2800, approaching the theoretical design value of 3300. The geometry of these accelerating structures are as close as practical to singlecell standing-wave X-band accelerating structures more than 40 of which were tested at SLAC. This wealth of X-band data will serve as a baseline for these 110 GHz tests. Furthermore, the structures will be powered with short pulses from a MW gyrotron oscillator. RF power of 1 MW may allow an accelerating gradient of 400 MeV/m to be reached.

Electron Beam Excitation of a Surface Wave in mm-Wave Open Accelerating Structures

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 pyrodetector, measurement of the spectrum with an interferometer, measurement of the beam deflection by using the beam position monitors and profile monitor. INTRODUCTION We studied physics of rf breakdown in open mm-wave accelerating structures [1]. The picture of one side of the accelerating structure is shown in Fig. 1 The fields were excited by an ultra-relativistic electron beam. We changed the interaction with the beam by changing the gap width. By opening the gap, the number of trapped modes is reduced. When the gap is opened beyond half wavelength the synchronous wave remains trapped. With larger gaps the parameters of the wave such as frequency and group velocity are less dependent on gap width. By increasing the gap, the rf power is guided by the corrugations with no radiation, behavior consistent with the so called “surface wave”. Surface waves were studied for applications to communications by [2], showing that guided waves do not necessesarly need to be confined within physical boundaries. G.Goubau [3, 4, 5] presented single conductor surface wave transmission lines. W. Rotman studied a single surface corrugated waveguide [6]. A review of surface waves is presented by G. John [7]. H. M. Barlow [8] discussed *Work supported by the US DOE under contract DE-AC0276SF00515. ** dalforno@slac.stanford.edu Output waveguide Output horn Output horn Coupler iris Electron beam Coupler cell