• L. Giannessi, M.C. Carpanese, F. Ciocci, G. Dattoli, A. Dipace, A. Doria, G.P. Gallerano, E. Giovenale, G. Parisi, M. Quattromini, A. Renieri, C. Ronsivalle, E. Sabia, S. Spampinati, I.P. Spassovsky
  ENEA C.R. Frascati, Frascati (Roma)
• D. Alesini, M.E. Biagini, A. Drago, M. Ferrario, V. Fusco, A. Ghigo, B. Spataro, C. Vaccarezza, C. Vicario
  INFN/LNF, Frascati (Roma)
• M. Bougeard, B. Carre, M.-E. Couprie, D. Garzella, M. LABAT, G. Lambert, H. Merdji, P. Salieres
  CEA/Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette
• M. Mattioli, P. Musumeci, M. Petrarca
  Universita di Roma I La Sapienza, Roma
• M.  Migliorati, L. Palumbo
  Rome University La Sapienza, Roma
• M. Nisoli, S. Stagira, S. de Silvestri
  Politecnico/Milano, Milano
• L. P. Poletto, G. T. Tondello
  Univ. degli Studi di Padova, Padova

Funding: Work supported by the EU Commission in the sixth framework programme, contract no. 011935 – EUROFEL.

Sources based on high order harmonics generated in gas with high power Ti:Sa lasers pulses represent promising candidates as seed for FEL amplifiers for several reasons, as spatial and temporal coherence, wavelength tunability and spectral range, which extends down to the 10(-9)m wavelength scale. This communication is devoted to the description of a research work plan that will be implemented at the SPARC FEL facility in the framework of the EUROFEL programme. The main goal of the collaboration is to study and test the amplification and the FEL harmonic generation process of an input seed signal obtained as higher order harmonics generated both in crystal (400nm and 266 nm) and in gas (266nm, 160nm, 114nm) from a high intensity Ti:Sa laser pulse.

• M. Boscolo, M. Ferrario, V. Fusco, B. Spataro, C. Vaccarezza
  INFN/LNF, Frascati (Roma)
• L. Giannessi, M. Quattromini, C. Ronsivalle
  ENEA C.R. Frascati, Frascati (Roma)
• M.  Migliorati, L. Palumbo
  Rome University La Sapienza, Roma
• L. Serafini
  INFN-Milano, Milano

The first phase of the SPARX project is essentially an R&D activity focused on developing techniques and critical components for future X-ray FEL facilities. The SPARXINO test facility will generate ultra-high peak brightness electron beams at 1 GeV, thanks to the upgrade of the existing Frascati 800 MeV linac. This facility will allow driving a single pass FEL experiment in the range of 3-5 nm, both in SASE and SEEDED FEL configurations. A peculiarity of this linac design is the choice of integrating a rectilinear RF compressor in the early stage of the acceleration, producing a 300-500 A beam, with a magnetic chicane afterwards, for a further compression up to 1 kA. In this paper we discuss the dynamics of the beam, which is in the space charge dominated regime throughout almost all the linac. Start to end simulations and preliminary stability studies taking into account some significant parameter fluctuations are also reported.

• G. Dattoli
  ENEA C.R. Frascati, Frascati (Roma)
• M.  Migliorati, A. Schiavi
  Rome University La Sapienza, Roma

The coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) is one of the main problems limiting the performance of high intensity electron accelerators. A code devoted to the analysis of this type of problems should be fast and reliable: conditions that are usually hardly achieved at the same time. In the past, codes based on Lie algebraic techniques have been very efficient to treat transport problem in accelerators. The extension of these method to the non-linear case is ideally suited to treat CSR instability problems. We report on the development of a numerical code, based on the solution of the Vlasov equation, with the inclusion of non-linear contribution due to wake field effects. The proposed solution method exploits an algebraic technique, using exponential operators implemented numerically in C++. We show that the integration procedure is capable of reproducing the onset of an instability and effects associated with bunching mechanisms leading to the growth of the instability itself. In addition, parametric studies are presented on the dependence of the effects on the e-beam energy spread and bunch length, considerations on the threshold of the instability are also developed, and future improvements of the work are presented.

• L. Palumbo
  Rome University La Sapienza, Roma
• D. Alesini, M. Bellaveglia, S. Bertolucci, M.E. Biagini, R. Boni, M. Boscolo, M. Castellano, A. Clozza, G. Di Pirro, A. Drago, A. Esposito, M. Ferrario, D. Filippetto, V. Fusco, A. Gallo, A. Ghigo, S. Guiducci, M.  Migliorati, A. Mostacci, L. Pellegrino, M.A. Preger, C. Sanelli, M. Serio, F. Sgamma, B. Spataro, A. Stella, F. Tazzioli, C. Vaccarezza, M. Vescovi, C. Vicario
  INFN/LNF, Frascati (Roma)
• F. Alessandria, A. Bacci
  INFN/LASA, Segrate (MI)
• F. Broggi, S. Cialdi, C. De Martinis, D. Giove, C. Maroli, M. Mauri, V. Petrillo, M. Rome, L. Serafini
  INFN-Milano, Milano
• L. Catani, E. Chiadroni, A. Cianchi, C. Schaerf
  INFN-Roma II, Roma
• F. Ciocci, G. Dattoli, A. Doria, F. Flora, G.P. Gallerano, L. Giannessi, E. Giovenale, G. Messina, P.L. Ottaviani, G. Parisi, L. Picardi, M. Quattromini, A. Renieri, C. Ronsivalle
  ENEA C.R. Frascati, Frascati (Roma)
• P. Emma
  SLAC, Menlo Park, California
• M. Mattioli
  Universita di Roma I La Sapienza, Roma
• P. Musumeci
  INFN-Roma, Roma
• S. Reiche, J.B. Rosenzweig
  UCLA, Los Angeles, California

The first phase of the SPARX project, now funded by MIUR (Research Department of Italian Government), is an R&D activity focused on developing techniques and critical components for future X-ray FEL facilities. This project is the natural extension of the activities under development within the ongoing SPARC collaboration. The aim is the generation of electron beams characterized by an ultra-high peak brightness with a linear accelerator based on the upgrade of the existing Frascati 800 MeV LINAC and to drive a single pass FEL experiment in the range of 3-5 nm, both in SASE and SEEDED FEL configurations, exploiting the use of superconducting and exotic undulator sections. In this paper we discuss the present status of the collaboration.