• M.P. Anania, D. Clark, R.C. Issac, D.A. Jaroszynski, A. J. W. Reitsma, G.H. Welsh, S.M. Wiggins
  USTRAT/SUPA, Glasgow
• J.A. Clarke, M.W. Poole, B.J.A. Shepherd
  Cockcroft Institute, Warrington, Cheshire
• M.J. de Loos, S.B. van der Geer
  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)

Slides

• D.A. Jaroszynski, M.P. Anania, E. Brunetti, S. Chen, S. Cipiccia, B. Ersfeld, J. Gallacher, M.R. Islam, R.C. Issac, G. Raj, A. J. W. Reitsma, R.P. Shanks, G. Vieux, G.H. Welsh, S.M. Wiggins
  USTRAT/SUPA, Glasgow
• R.A. Bendoyro, J.M. Dias, F. Fiuza, N. Lemos, M. Marti, J.L. Martins, L.O. Silva
  Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon
• N. Bourgeois
  University of Oxford, Oxford
• P.S. Foster, R. Pattathil
  STFC/RAL, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon
• S.M. Hooker, T. Ibbotson
  University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford
• D. Maneuski, V. O'Shea
  University of Glasgow, Glasgow

Funding: EPSRC and EU Euroleap

Advances in laser-plasma wake field accelerators (LWFA) have now reached the point where they can be considered as drivers of compact radiation sources covering an large spectral range. We present recent results from the Advanced Laser Plasma High-energy Accelerators towards X-rays (ALPHA-X) project. These include the first ultra-compact gamma ray source producing brilliant 10fs pulses of x-ray photons > 150keV. We present new opportunities for harnessing laser-driven plasma waves to accelerate electrons to high energies and use these as a basis for ultra-compact radiation sources with unprecedented peak brilliance and pulse duration. We have demonstrated a brilliant tabletop gamma ray source based on enhanced betatron emission in a plasma channel which produces > 10⁹ photons per pulse in a bandwidth of 10-20%. We present results of a compact synchrotron source based on a LWFA and undulator and discuss the potential of developing an FEL based this technology. Finally we discuss the plans for the Scottish Centre for the Application of Plasma-based Accelerator (SCAPA), which is being set up to develop and apply compact radiation sources, laser-driven ion sources and LWFAs.