USTRAT/SUPA, Glasgow
Cockcroft Institute, Warrington, Cheshire
Pulsar Physics, Eindhoven
Funding: The U.K. EPSRC and the European Community - New and Emerging Science and Technology Activity under the FP6 “Structuring the European Research Area” programme (project EuroLEAP, contract number 028514)
The Advanced Laser-Plasma High-Energy Accelerators towards X-rays (ALPHA-X) programme* is developing laser-plasma accelerators for the production of ultra-short electron bunches as drivers of incoherent and coherent radiation sources from plasma and magnetic undulators. Focusing of ultra-short electron bunches from a laser-plasma wakefield accelerator into an undulator requires that particular attention be paid to the electron beam quality. We will discuss the design and implementation of an upgraded focusing system for the ALPHA-X beam line, which currently consists of a triplet of electromagnet quadrupoles. The upgrade will comprise the installation of additional compact permanent quadrupoles** very close to the accelerator exit. This will improve the matching of the beam into the undulator. The design has been carried out using the General Particle Tracer (GPT) code*** and TRANSPORT code, which consider space charge effects and allow a realistic estimate of electron beam properties inside the undulator to be obtained. We will present a study of the influence of beam transport on free-electron laser action in the undulator, paying particular attention to bunch dispersion.
* D. Jaroszynski et al., Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 364, 689-710 (2006)
** T. Eichner et al., Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 10, 082401 (2007)
*** S.B. Geer, M.J. Loos, Ph.D. thesis, TU/e, Eindhoven (2001)
