arXiv subjects

R. Loewen

Publications and source records attributed to R. Loewen.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2002

Development of an X-band Photoinjector at SLAC

As part of a National Cancer Institute contract to develop a compact source of monoenergetic X-rays via Compton backscattering, we have completed the design and construction of a 5.5 cell Photoinjector operating at 11.424 GHz. Successful completion of this project will result in the capability of generating a monoenergetic X-ray beam, continuously tunable from 20 - 85 KeV. The immediate goal is the development of a Photoinjector producing 7 MeV, 0.5 nC, sub-picosecond electron bunches with normalized RMS emittances of approximately 1 pi-mm-mR at repetition rates up to 60 Hz. This beam will then be further accelerated to 60 MeV using a 1.05 m accelerating structure. This Photoinjector is somewhat different than the traditional 1.5 cell design both because of the number of cells and the symmetrically fed input coupler cell. Its operating frequency is also unique. Since the cathode is non-removable, cold-test tuning was somewhat more difficult than in other designs. We will present results of "bead-drop" measurements used in tuning this structure. Initial beam measurements are currently in progress and results will be presented as well as results of RF conditioning to high gradients at X-band. Details of the RF system, emittance-compensating solenoid, and cathode laser system as well as PARMELA simulations will also be presented.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2001

Room temperature accelerator structures for linear colliders

Early tests of short low group velocity and standing wave structures indicated the viability of operating X-band linacs with accelerating gradients in excess of 100 MeV/m. Conventional scaling of traveling wave traveling wave linacs with frequency scales the cell dimensions with l. Because Q scales as l1/2, the length of the structures scale not linearly but as l3/2 in order to preserve the attenuation through each structure. For NLC we chose not to follow this scaling from the SLAC S-band linac to its fourth harmonic at X-band. We wanted to increase the length of the structures to reduce the number of couplers and waveguide drives which can be a significant part of the cost of a microwave linac. Furthermore, scaling the iris size of the disk-loaded structures gave unacceptably high short range dipole wakefields. Consequently, we chose to go up a factor of about 5 in average group velocity and length of the structures, which increases the power fed to each structure by the same factor and decreases the short range dipole wakes by a similar factor. Unfortunately, these longer (1.8 m) structures have not performed nearly as well in high gradient tests as the short structures. We believe we have at least a partial understanding of the reason and will discuss it below. We are now studying two types of short structures with large apertures with moderately good efficiency including: 1) traveling wave structures with the group velocity lowered by going to large phase advance per period with bulges on the iris, 2) pi mode standing wave structures

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2001

Processing Studies of X-Band Accelerator Structures at the NLCTA

RF processing studies of 1.8-m X-band (11.4 GHz) traveling wave structures at the Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator (NLCTA) have revealed breakdown-related damage at gradients lower than expected from earlier tests with standing wave and shorter, lower group velocity traveling wave structures. To understand this difference, a series of structures with different group velocities and lengths are being processed. In parallel, efforts are being made to improve processing procedures and to reduce structure contaminants and absorbed gases. This paper presents results from these studies.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2000

RF Processing of X-band Accelerator Structures at the NLCTA

During the initial phase of operation, the linacs of the Next Linear Collider (NLC) will contain roughly 5000 X-Band accelerator structures that will accelerate beams of electrons and positrons to 250 GeV. These structures will nominally operate at an unloaded gradient of 72 MV/m. As part of the NLC R&D program, several prototype structures have been built and operated at the Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator (NLCTA) at SLAC. Here, the effect of high gradient operation on the structure performance has been studied. Significant progress was made during the past year after the NLCTA power sources were upgraded to reliably produce the required NLC power levels and beyond. This paper describes the structures, the processing methodology and the observed effects of high gradient operation.

physics.acc-ph↗