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Influence of untrapped electrons on the sideband instability in a helical wiggler free electron laser

Journal Article · · Phys. Fluids; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.866047· OSTI ID:6288584

The detailed influence of an untrapped-electron population on the sideband instability in a helical wiggler free electron laser is investigated for small-amplitude perturbations about a constant-amplitude (a-italic-circumflex/sup 0//sub s/ = const) primary electromagnetic wave with slowly varying equilibrium phase delta/sup 0//sub s/. A simple model is adopted in which all of the trapped electrons are deeply trapped, and the equilibrium motion of the untrapped electrons (assumed monoenergetic) is only weakly modulated by the ponderomotive potential. The theoretical model is based on the single-particle orbit equations together with Maxwell's equations and appropriate statistical averages. Moreover, the stability analysis is carried out in the ponderomotive frame, which leads to a substantial simplification in deriving the dispersion relation. Detailed stability properties are investigated over a wide range of dimensionless pump strength ..cap omega../sub B/ /GAMMA/sub b/ ck/sub 0/ and fraction of untrapped electrons f/sub u/ = n-italic-circumflex/sub u/ /n-italic-circumflex/sub b/. When both trapped and untrapped electrons) are present, there are generally two types of unstable modes, referred to as the sideband mode, and the untrapped-electron mode. For f/sub u/ = 0, only the sideband instability is present.

Research Organization:
Science Applications International Corporation, Boulder, Colorado 80302
OSTI ID:
6288584
Journal Information:
Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 30:9; ISSN PFLDA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English