Inverse Compton scattering is a promising x-ray source, very bright, quasi-monochromatic, and compact. In this paper, we present a generalized theory of Compton backscattering in terms of luminosity, suitable for both classical and quantum regimes. We show that the optimal parameters, which require a certain mutual orientation and inclination of the fronts of the laser and electron beams described by 3D Gaussians, correspond to the crab scheme. This scheme is widely used in particle physics but is not yet used for x-ray sources. The constructed theory not only predicts the optimal geometry for laser and electron beams but also describes the luminosity. Our results reveal the opportunity to sharply increase the luminosity of compact x-ray sources based on Compton/Thomson backscattering.

We explore the implications of a transverse density gradient on the performance of an underdense plasma lens and nonlinear plasma-based accelerator. Transverse density gradients are unavoidable in plasma sources formed in the outflow of standard gas jets, which are used heavily in plasma accelerator communities. These density gradients lead to longitudinal variations in the transverse wakefields, which can transversely deflect an electron beam within the blowout wake. We present a theoretical model of the fields within the plasma blowout cavity based on empirical analysis of 3D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. Using this model, the transverse beam dynamics may be studied analytically, allowing for an estimation of the net kick of a witness electron bunch from an underdense plasma lens and for density uniformity tolerance studies in plasma accelerators and plasma lenses. This model is compared to PIC simulations with a single electron bunch and constant density profile, and to PIC simulations with two bunches and a thin, underdense plasma lens density profile with density ramps.

As Compton x-ray and gamma-ray sources become more prevalent, to understand their performance in a precise way, it becomes important to be able to compute the distribution of scattered photons precisely. For example, codes have been developed at Old Dominion University which were used to understand the performance of the Dresden Compton Source in detail. An ideal model would (i) include the full Compton effect frequency relations between incident and scattered photons, (ii) allow the field strength to be large enough that nonlinear effects are captured, and (iii) allow the effects of electron beam emittance to be introduced and studied. Various authors have considered various pieces of this problem, but until now, no analytical or numerical procedure is known to us that captures these three effects simultaneously. Here we present a model for spectrum calculations which simultaneously cover these aspects. The model is compared to a published full quantum mechanical calculation and found to agree for a case where both full Compton effect and nonlinear field strength are present. We use this model to investigate chirping prescriptions to mitigate ponderomotive broadening.

The number and location of beam position monitors (BPMs) and steerers with respect to the quadrupoles in a circular lattice can lead to degeneracy in the context of fitting linear optics and extracting lattice information from measured closed orbits. Furthermore, the measurement uncertainties due to the imperfection of BPMs and steerers can be propagated by the fitting process in ways that prohibit the successful extraction of discrepancies between lattice elements in the real machine and their description in the corresponding model. We systematically studied the influence of the placement of BPMs and steerers on the reconstruction of linear optics and corresponding lattice information. The derivative of orbit response coefficients with respect to the quadrupole strengths, the Jacobian, is derived as an analytical formula. This analytical version of the Jacobian is used to further derive the theoretical limitations of fitting linear optics from closed orbits in terms of the placement of BPMs and steerers. It is further demonstrated that when evaluating the Jacobian during the fitting procedure, the analytical version can be used in place of the conventional finite-difference computation. This allows for greatly improved efficiency when computing the Jacobian during each iteration of the fitting procedure. The approach is tested with large-scale simulations and the findings are verified by measurement data taken on SIS18 synchrotron at GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research. The presented methods are of general nature and can be applied to other accelerator lattices as well. The fitting procedure by using the analytical Jacobian is tested in conjunction with various methods for mitigating quasidegeneracy and the results agree with those obtained by using the conventional Jacobian via finite-difference approximation.

The compact energy recovery linac (cERL) has been developed for industrial applications since 2017. Applications such as free electron laser require a compressed beam with a small energy spread and transverse emittance. The typical operation energy of cERL is an intermediate energy region close to 17.5 MeV; therefore, the electron bunch is easily affected by the longitudinal space-charge effects and the coherent synchrotron radiation wakefield effects. Bunch compression is demonstrated by optimizing a combination of a longitudinally chirped electron bunch and the arcs with nonzero $R_{56}$ parameters. When the bunch compression procedure is applied for a bunch charge of 60 pC, an increase in energy spread is observed at the short bunch length. We systematically explored the chirp phase to determine the best condition. The measurement results of the energy spread, bunch length, and transverse emittance were compared with the tracking simulation results to understand the compressed beam dynamics.

A bunch-shape monitor (BSM) is a useful device for performing longitudinal beam tuning using the pointwise longitudinal phase distribution measured at selected points in the beam transportation. To measure the longitudinal phase distribution of a low-energy negative hydrogen (${\mathrm{H}}^{-}$) ion beam, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) was adopted for the secondary-electron-emission target to mitigate the thermal damage due to the high-intensity beam loading. The HOPG target enabled the measurement of the longitudinal phase distribution at the center of a 3-MeV ${\mathrm{H}}^{-}$ ion beam with a high peak current of about 50 mA. The longitudinal bunch width was measured using HOPG-BSM at the test stand, which was consistent with the beam simulation. The correlation measurement between the beam transverse and longitudinal planes was demonstrated using HOPG-BSM. The longitudinal Twiss and emittance measurement with the longitudinal Q-scan method was conducted using HOPG-BSM. The measured longitudinal emittance is consistent with the beam simulation using the radio-frequency quadrupole design input.

Laser plasma accelerators have the ability to produce high-quality electron beams in compact, all-optical-driven configurations, with the electron beams uniquely suited for a wide variety of accelerator-based applications. However, fluctuations and drifts in the laser delivery to the mm-scale plasma target (the electron beam source) will translate into electron beam source variations that can limit their utility for demanding applications like light sources. Based on previous work in developing a nonperturbative diagnostic for the high-power laser delivery at focus [1], we present a full four-dimensional active-stabilization system for the laser (transverse laser focus position and laser pointing angle in both transverse planes) and experimentally demonstrate how, as a result of the laser stabilization, critical parameters in the electron beam source were stabilized. Through the use of an energy resolved imaging system for the electron beam, we directly monitor the jitter in the transverse electron beam source location. Furthermore, the dispersion in the orthogonal plane to the magnetic spectrometer was recorded for each shot which is tied to the source pointing angle of the electron beam and, in part, driven by the angle of the laser at the interaction point. Our laser stabilization system reduced variation in the electron beam source location from $\sim 12$ to $3\mathrm{\mu }\mathrm{m}$ and reduced the dispersion jitter of the electron beam by 20%.

Modern electron storage rings produce bright x rays via spontaneous synchrotron emission, which is useful for a variety of scientific applications. The x-ray free-electron laser oscillator (XFELO) has the potential to amplify this output, both in terms of peak power and photon coherence. However, even current fourth generation storage rings (4GSRs) lack the requisite electron beam brightness to drive the XFELO due to its electron energy spread. The transverse gradient undulator (TGU) can overcome this issue, thus providing a practical means to couple the 4GSR to the XFELO. In this study, we first examine the theoretical basis of the TGU interaction by deriving the 3D TGU gain formula in the low gain approximation. Then, we perform an optimization study of the gain formula in order to determine optimal beam and machine parameters. Finally, we construct a hypothetical storage ring TGU-XFELO based on near-optimal parameters and report on its projected performance using multistage numerical simulation. We also discuss potential implementation challenges associated with the ring-FEL coupling.

Longitudinal ion beam stacking with the combination of barrier rf system and beam cooling has been demonstrated in several experiments. Based on the bunching effect found in the pulsed electron beam cooling experiment at HIRFL-CSRm, we propose a new beam stacking scheme using only pulsed electron beam, in which the barrier voltage and cooling effect can be realized simultaneously. In this paper, we introduce this longitudinal stacking scheme along with the theory of beam dynamics and present a simple analytical model. The simulation demonstrates that this approach could be a useful beam stacking technique without the need for barrier bucket hardware. Moreover, the optimization and limitation of this stacking scheme are discussed, and the effect of the electron beam distribution on the barrier voltage is studied. We expect this stacking method can be applied to accumulate RIBs in low and medium energy storage rings for high-precision experiments, such as the SRing of the HIAF project.

We have evaluated the data-efficient Bayesian optimization method for the specific task of injection tuning in a circular accelerator. In this paper, we describe the implementation of this method at the Karlsruhe Research Accelerator with up to nine tuning parameters, including the determination of the associated hyperparameters. We show that the Bayesian optimization method outperforms manual tuning and the commonly used Nelder-Mead optimization algorithm in both simulation and experiment. The algorithm was also successfully used to ease the commissioning phase after the installation of new injection magnets and is regularly used during accelerator operations. We demonstrate that the introduction of context variables that include intrabunch scattering effects, such as the Touschek effect, further improves the control and robustness of the injection process.

Accurate measurements of the x-ray pulse duration produced by x-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) typically rely on longitudinal electron beam phase space diagnostics, e.g., an x-band transverse deflecting cavity (XTCAV). An alternative group of methods is based on measurements of radiation statistics and spectral correlations. In this paper, we present a statistical analysis of FEL radiation which extends the previous technique by Lutman et al. [Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 15, 030705 (2012)], including the electron beam energy chirp in the FEL gain model. In doing so, we show that with measurements of the average spectrum and the spectral intensity correlations, one can reconstruct the x-ray pulse length, e-beam chirp, and corresponding spectrometer resolution. We validate our approach with 1D and 3D simulations before moving to an experimental demonstration in which our method finds results similar to those obtained from XTCAV measurements.

Betatron oscillation is a commonly known phenomenon in laser or beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerators. In the conventional model, the plasma wake provides a linear focusing force to a relativistic electron, and the electron oscillates in one transverse direction with the betatron frequency proportional to $1/\sqrt{\gamma }$, where $\gamma$ is the Lorentz factor of the electron. In this work, we extend this model to three-dimensional by considering the oscillation in two transverse and one longitudinal directions. The long-term equations, with motion in the betatron time scale averaged out, are obtained and compared with the original equations by numerical methods. In addition to the longitudinal and transverse damping due to radiation reaction which has been found before, we show phenomena including the longitudinal phase drift oscillation, betatron phase shift, and betatron polarization change based on our long-term equations. This work can be highly valuable for future plasma-based high-energy accelerators and colliders.

Achieving transparent Top-Up injection, characterized by stored beam position perturbations lower than 10% of the root mean square (rms) size of the stored beam, is very challenging for third-generation storage ring-based synchrotron light sources. The standard bump-based injection scheme used at SOLEIL 2.75-GeV storage ring for daily operation relies on two pulsed septum magnets and four pulsed dipole kickers installed in a 12-m-long straight section. Perfect tuning of the kickers to meet the perturbation tolerances is impossible since it would require at least four identical magnets, Ti-coated ceramic chambers, and electronics. On the way toward transparent injection, the four kickers can be replaced by a single pulsed magnet, benefiting from a field-free region in the stored beam path. This Multipole Injection Kicker (MIK), developed in the frame of a collaboration between SOLEIL and MAX IV, and currently installed in the MAX IV 3-GeV storage ring, has proven to meet the transparency specifications. A copy of the MIK has been installed in a short straight section of the SOLEIL storage ring in January 2021. Perturbations of less than 2% of the rms size of the stored beam were measured using the newly installed high-performance diagnostics. In this article, a start-to-end model of the MIK-based injection is presented as well as major challenges inherent in designing such an innovative magnet. Then, the results of the MIK commissioning are presented in depth along with the high-performance diagnostics, which are essential when such levels of beam stability are to be achieved.

In this article, the concept of a recently funded R&D project for the installation of a proof-of-concept cavity-based x-ray free electron laser (CBXFEL) demonstrator experiment at the European XFEL facility is presented, with the first results expected in 2024. It is composed of an x-ray cavity design in backscattering geometry with a 133 m round trip length using cryogenically cooled diamond crystals. It employs the concept of retroreflection to reduce the sensitivity to vibrations. The FEL radiation is produced in four undulator segments of 20 m total length. Simulations at 16 GeV beam energy and 250 pC bunch charge show that the expected x-ray pulses in saturation surpass state-of-the-art x-ray sources considering spectral flux and three-dimensional coherence. However, the stability of the proof of concept setup is severely challenged by the finite thermal transport in the diamond crystals. Therefore, suitable measures such as cooling the crystals to 70 K are explained in this paper and additional ones will have to be developed in the course of this project.

Next generation heavy ion therapy and research facilities require efficient accelerating structures. Particularly, at low beam energies, right after the standard scheme of the ion source, low-energy beam transfer, and radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ), several options for accelerating structures are available including the classic drift-tube linac (DTL), the interdigital H-mode DTL (IH-DTL), and superconducting quarter-wave resonators. These structures need to integrate the beam acceleration with the focusing channel, nowadays typically provided by permanent-magnet quadrupoles (PMQs). The frequency of operation needs to be in line with that of the RFQ structure, and it has been chosen at 750 MHz for practical considerations for the Next Ion Medical Machine Study (NIMMS) that is the application focus of this manuscript. While classic DTL structures at low ion beam energies do not provide enough space for PMQs at that frequency within a single $\beta \lambda$ period, IH-DTL structures do not provide the regular focusing channel with consequences on the beam quality. For these reasons, quasi-Alvarez drift-tube linac (QA-DTL) structures are reevaluated in this manuscript as they might fill this gap. They have not received much attention in the literature so far and therefore their design is described in detail. The design procedure presented here may serve as a blueprint for DTL design in general. In addition to the overall rf design, axial field stabilization with a new technique and multiphysics studies of the rf structure are described. A cost estimation completes the NIMMS QA-DTL study.

Particle accelerators are complex facilities that produce large amounts of structured data and have clear optimization goals as well as precisely defined control requirements. As such they are naturally amenable to data-driven research methodologies. The data from sensors and monitors inside the accelerator form multivariate time series. With fast preemptive approaches being highly preferred in accelerator control and diagnostics, the application of data-driven time series forecasting methods is particularly promising. This review formulates the time series forecasting problem and summarizes existing models with applications in various scientific areas. Several current and future attempts in the field of particle accelerators are introduced. The application of time series forecasting to particle accelerators has shown encouraging results and promise for broader use, and existing problems such as data consistency and compatibility have started to be addressed.

Longitudinal rf manipulation schemes have been widely employed for achieving various beam experiments and applications in heavy ion or proton (hadron) synchrotrons. For high-intensity hadron beams, longitudinal space charge and cavity beam loading play a key role in beam intensity limitations since they may cause beam oscillations and longitudinal emittance growth. Efficient schemes to compress such intense bunched beams and minimize the emittance blow-up during those manipulations are of practical concern. In this article, the behavior of the particle distribution in the presence of space charge and beam loading during bunch merging is investigated via a generalized elliptical bunch model and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. Possible schemes to minimize these intensity effects are discussed. As an application, parameters for the longitudinal rf manipulation scenario in the upcoming second phase of the China Spallation Neutron Sources (CSNS-II) are proposed. It is shown that for (slow cycling) storage rings, with an optimized set of longitudinal parameters, the emittance growth due to intensity effects can be largely dampened and a high compression efficiency is achieved. For rapid cycling synchrotrons, fast bunch merging can be achieved via a desynchronization method. The agreement between the analytical elliptical model and the PIC simulation results indicates that the extended model can be employed for the study of the intensity effects during longitudinal rf manipulations in hadron synchrotrons.

In electron coolers, under certain conditions, a circular attractor (CA) can appear in either a longitudinal or a transverse phase space of cooled ion bunches. In the presence of an attractor, ions with small amplitudes of synchrotron or betatron oscillations are getting excited rather than being damped. This effect was observed at several nonrelativistic electron coolers with a direct current electron beam. Experimental studies of circular attractors at electron coolers utilizing rf-accelerated electron bunches, where this effect becomes particularly important, are lacking. We report CA studies at the low energy RHIC electron cooler (LEReC)—the first rf-based relativistic electron cooler. We derive formulas defining conditions for a CA appearance, perform dedicated experiments, and compare the measurements’ results to the theoretical predictions.