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U.S. Department of Energy
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The Argonne wakefield accelerator facility: status and recent activities.

Conference ·
OSTI ID:956914

The Argonne Wakefield Accelerator Facility (AWA) is dedicated to the study of electron beam physics and the development of accelerating structures based on electron beam driven wakefields. In order to carry out these studies, the facility employs a photocathode RF gun capable of generating electron beams with high bunch charges (up to 100 nC) and short bunch lengths. This high intensity beam is used to excite wakefields in the structures under investigation. The wakefield structures presently under development are dielectric loaded cylindrical waveguides with operating frequencies of 7.8 or 15.6 GHz. The facility is also used to investigate the generation and propagation of high brightness electron beams. Presently under investigation, is the use of photons with energies lower than the work function of the cathode surface (Schottky-enabled photoemission), aimed at generating electron beams with low thermal emittance. Novel electron beam diagnostics are also developed and tested at the facility. The AWA electron beam is also used in laboratory-based astrophysics experiments; namely, measurements of microwave Cherenkov radiation and fluorescence of air. We report on the current status of the facility and present recent results.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
Sponsoring Organization:
SC
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
956914
Report Number(s):
ANL/HEP/CP-116430
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH