Prospects for compact high-intensity laser synchrotron x-ray and gamma sources
- Accelerator Test Facility, Brookhaven National Laboratory, 725C, Upton, New York 11973 (United States)
A laser interacting with a relativistic electron beam behaves like a virtual wiggler of an extremely short period equal to half of the laser wavelength. This approach opens a route to relatively compact, high-brightness x-ray sources alternative or complementary to conventional synchrotron light sources. Although not new, the laser synchrotron source (LSS) concept is still waiting for a convincing demonstration. Available at the BNL Accelerator Test Facility (ATF), a high-brightness electron beam and the high-power CO{sub 2} laser may be used for prototype LSS demonstration. In a feasible demonstration experiment, 10-GW, 100-ps CO{sub 2} laser beam will be brought to a head-on collision with a 10-ps, 0.5-nC, 50 MeV electron bunch. Flashes of collimated 4.7 keV (2.6 {Angstrom}) x-rays of 10-ps pulse duration, with a flux of {approximately}10{sup 19}photons/sec, will be produced via linear Compton backscattering. The x-ray spectrum is tunable proportionally to the e-beam energy. A rational short-term extension of the proposed experiment would be further enhancement of the x-ray flux to the 10{sup 22}photons/sec level, after the ongoing ATF CO{sub 2} laser upgrade to 5 TW peak power and electron bunch shortening to 3 ps is realized. In the future, exploiting the promising approach of a high-gradient laser wake field accelerator, a compact {open_quotes}table-top{close_quotes} LSS of monochromatic gamma radiation may become feasible. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 580217
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9610281-; ISSN 0094-243X; TRN: 98:004064
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 398, Issue 1; Conference: 7. advanced accelerator concepts workshop, Lake Tahoe, NV (United States), Oct 1996; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Prospects for compact high-intensity laser synchrotron x-ray and gamma sources
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