Electron Beam Quality Research Articles

RF injector design studies for the trailing witness bunch for a plasma-based user facility

The interest in plasma-based accelerators as drivers of user facilities is growing worldwide thanks to its compactness and reduced costs. In this context the EuPRAXIA collaboration is preparing a conceptual design report for a multi-GeV plasma-based accelerator with outstanding electron beam quality to pilot, among several applications, the operation of an X-ray FEL, the most demanding in terms of beam brightness. Intense beam dynamics studies have been performed to provide a reliable working point for the RF injector to generate a high-brightness trailing witness bunch suitable in external injection schemes, both in particle beam and laser driven plasma wakefield acceleration. A case of interest is the generation of a witness beam with 1 GeV energy, less than 1 mm mrad slice emittance and 30 pC in 10 fs FWHM bunch length, which turns into 3 kA peak current at the undulator entrance. The witness beam has been successfully compressed down to 10 fs in a conventional SPARC-like photo-injector and boosted up to 500 MeV in an advanced high-gradient X-band linac reaching the plasma entrance with 3 kA peak current and the following RMS values: 0.06% energy spread, 0.5 mm mrad transverse normalised emittance and a focal spot down to 1 μm. RF injector studies are here presented with the aim to satisfy the EuPRAXIA requests for the Design Study of a plasma-based user facility.

Femtosecond MeV Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy

Pump-probe electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) with femtosecond temporal resolution will be a transformative research tool for studying non-equilibrium chemistry and electronic dynamics of matter. In this paper, we propose a new concept of femtosecond EELS utilizing mega-electron-volt electron beams from a radio-frequency (rf) photocathode source. The high acceleration gradient and high beam energy of the rf gun are critical to the generation of 10-femtosecond electron beams, which enables improvement of the temporal resolution by more than one order of magnitude beyond the state of the art. The major innovation in our proposal - the `reference-beam technique', relaxes the energy stability requirement on the rf power source by roughly two orders of magnitude. Requirements on the electron beam quality, photocathode, spectrometer and detector are also discussed. Supported by particle-tracking simulations, we demonstrate the feasibility of achieving sub-electron-volt energy resolution and ~10-femtosecond temporal resolution with existing or near-future hardware performances.

Effects of beam quality in a free-electron laser oscillator with two electron beams

We have studied the electron beam quality in a free-electron laser (FEL) oscillator by using two electron beams of different harmonically related energies in the FEL facility, which is operated in the infrared and far-infrared regions. The electron beam quality, such as emittance, energy spread, and higher-order modes were studied using an extended three-dimensional (3D) FEL code for two electron beams that we have developed. The variations in the radiation amplitude of the electron beam’s emittances, and energy spread were also calculated for a tapered wiggler for the multiparticle and multi-pass number using a new 3D code. The evolution of the radiation field intensity for higher-order modes of the wiggler with beam emittance and energy spread was studied for the two-electron beam’s FEL performance. We found that the radiation intensity was degraded due to the energy spread and the emittance of the electron beam. We minimized the degradation of the radiation intensity by optimizing the tapered wiggler for the coupled two-beam FEL oscillator.

Abstract ID: 40 Microdosimetry calculations for monoenergetic electrons using Geant4-DNA combined with a weighted track sampling algorithm

Purpose The aim of this study was to calculate microdosimetric distributions for low energy electrons simulated using the Monte Carlo track structure code Geant4-DNA. Materials and Methods Tracks for monoenergetic electrons with kinetic energies ranging from 100 eV to 1 MeV were simulated in an infinite spherical water phantom using the Geant4-DNA extension included in Geant4 toolkit version 10.2 (patch 02). The microdosimetric distributions were obtained through random sampling of transfer points and overlaying scoring volumes within the associated volume of the tracks. Relative frequency distributions of energy deposition f(>E)/f(>0) and dose mean lineal energy (yD) values were calculated in nanometer-sized spherical and cylindrical targets. The effects of scoring volume and scoring techniques were examined. The results were compared with published data generated using MOCA8B and KURBUC. Results Geant4-DNA produces a lower frequency of higher energy deposits than MOCA8B. The yD values calculated with Geant4-DNA are smaller than those calculated using MOCA8B and KURBUC. The differences are mainly due to the lower ionization and excitation cross sections of Geant4-DNA for low energy electrons. To a lesser extent, discrepancies can also be attributed to the implementation in this study of a new and fast scoring technique that differs from that used in previous studies. For the same mean chord length, the yD calculated in cylindrical volumes are larger than those calculated in spherical volumes. The discrepancies due to cross sections and scoring geometries increase with decreasing scoring site dimensions. Conclusion A new set of yD values has been presented for monoenergetic electrons using a fast track sampling algorithm and the most recent physics models implemented in Geant4-DNA. This dataset can be combined with primary electron spectra to predict the radiation quality of photon and electron beams.

Optimization and control of electron beams from laser wakefield accelerations using asymmetric laser pulses

Optimization and control of electron beam quality in laser wakefield acceleration are explored by using a temporally asymmetric laser pulse of the sharp rising front portion. The temporally asymmetric laser pulse imparts stronger ponderomotive force on the ambient plasma electrons. The stronger ponderomotive force associated with the asymmetric pulse significantly affects the injection of electrons into the wakefield and consequently the quality of the injected bunch in terms of injected charge, mean energy, and emittance. Based on particle-in-cell simulations, we report to generate a monoenergetic electron beam with reduced emittance and enhanced charge in laser wakefield acceleration using an asymmetric pulse of duration 30 fs.

Tolerance Studies on an Inverse Magnetron Injection Gun for a 2-MW 170-GHz Coaxial-Cavity Gyrotron

The magnetron injection gun (MIG) is the most critical part of any gyrotron. Small tolerances in the manufacturing process and alignment of the subcomponents directly affect the electron beam quality and therefore the beam wave interaction. At the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), an innovative new Inverse MIG (IMIG) is proposed for the European 2-MW 170-GHz coaxial-cavity gyrotronwhich is under the developmentand test at KIT. The design of the IMIG has been done under strict consideration of the gun design criteria published earlier. In order to find the maximum allowed tolerances of that IMIG which allows operation within the allowed gun design criteria, systematic theoretical studies have been done. Commonly used “conventional” MIGs have been shown that a small emitter, anode, and cathodemisalignment have a significant influence to the electron beam quality.

014. - Exploring EPID based electron beam quality measurement

014. - Exploring EPID based electron beam quality measurement

Compact compressive arc and beam switchyard for energy recovery linac-driven ultraviolet free electron lasers

High gain free electron lasers (FELs) driven by high repetition rate recirculating accelerators have received considerable attention in the scientific and industrial communities in recent years. Cost-performance optimization of such facilities encourages limiting machine size and complexity, and a compact machine can be realized by combining bending and bunch length compression during the last stage of recirculation, just before lasing. The impact of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) on electron beam quality during compression can, however, limit FEL output power. When methods to counteract CSR are implemented, appropriate beam diagnostics become critical to ensure that the target beam parameters are met before lasing, as well as to guarantee reliable, predictable performance and rapid machine setup and recovery. This article describes a beam line for bunch compression and recirculation, and beam switchyard accessing a diagnostic line for EUV lasing at 1 GeV beam energy. The footprint is modest, with 12 m compressive arc diameter and $\ensuremath{\sim}20\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{m}$ diagnostic line length. The design limits beam quality degradation due to CSR both in the compressor and in the switchyard. Advantages and drawbacks of two switchyard lines providing, respectively, off-line and on-line measurements are discussed. The entire design is scalable to different beam energies and charges.

Reversible beam heater for suppression of microbunching instability by transverse gradient undulators

The microbunching instability driven by beam collective effects in a linear accelerator of a free-electron laser (FEL) facility significantly degrades the electron beam quality and FEL performance. A conventional method to suppress this instability is to introduce an additional uncorrelated energy spread by laser-electron interaction, which has been successfully operated in the Linac Coherent Light Source and Fermi@Elettra, etc. Some other ideas are recently proposed to suppress the instability without increasing energy spread, which could benefit the seeded FEL schemes. In this paper, we propose a reversible electron beam heater using two transverse gradient undulators to suppress the microbunching instability. This scheme introduces both an energy spread increase and a transverse-to-longitudinal phase space coupling, which suppress the microbunching instabilities driven by both longitudinal space charge and coherent synchrotron radiation before and within the system. Finally the induced energy spread increase and emittance growth are reversed. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulations are presented to verify the feasibility of the scheme and indicate the capability to improve the seeded FEL radiation performance.

Microdosimetry calculations for monoenergetic electrons using Geant4-DNA combined with a weighted track sampling algorithm

The aim of this study was to calculate microdosimetric distributions for low energy electrons simulated using the Monte Carlo track structure code Geant4-DNA. Tracks for monoenergetic electrons with kinetic energies ranging from 100 eV to 1 MeV were simulated in an infinite spherical water phantom using the Geant4-DNA extension included in Geant4 toolkit version 10.2 (patch 02). The microdosimetric distributions were obtained through random sampling of transfer points and overlaying scoring volumes within the associated volume of the tracks. Relative frequency distributions of energy deposition f(>E)/f(>0) and dose mean lineal energy () values were calculated in nanometer-sized spherical and cylindrical targets. The effects of scoring volume and scoring techniques were examined. The results were compared with published data generated using MOCA8B and KURBUC. Geant4-DNA produces a lower frequency of higher energy deposits than MOCA8B. The values calculated with Geant4-DNA are smaller than those calculated using MOCA8B and KURBUC. The differences are mainly due to the lower ionization and excitation cross sections of Geant4-DNA for low energy electrons. To a lesser extent, discrepancies can also be attributed to the implementation in this study of a new and fast scoring technique that differs from that used in previous studies. For the same mean chord length (), the calculated in cylindrical volumes are larger than those calculated in spherical volumes. The discrepancies due to cross sections and scoring geometries increase with decreasing scoring site dimensions. A new set of values has been presented for monoenergetic electrons using a fast track sampling algorithm and the most recent physics models implemented in Geant4-DNA. This dataset can be combined with primary electron spectra to predict the radiation quality of photon and electron beams.

Control of tunable, monoenergetic laser-plasma-accelerated electron beams using a shock-induced density downramp injector

Author(s): Swanson, KK; Tsai, HE; Barber, SK; Lehe, R; Mao, HS; Steinke, S; Van Tilborg, J; Nakamura, K; Geddes, CGR; Schroeder, CB; Esarey, E; Leemans, WP | Abstract: Control of the properties of laser-plasma-accelerated electron beams that were injected along a shock-induced density downramp through precision tailoring of the density profile was demonstrated using a 1.8 J, 45 fs laser interacting with a mm-scale gas jet. The effects on the beam spatial profile, steering, and absolute energy spread of the density region before the shock and tilt of the shock were investigated experimentally and with particle-in-cell simulations. By adjusting these density parameters, the electron beam quality was controlled and improved while the energy (30-180 MeV) and energy spread (2-11 MeV) were independently tuned. Simple models that are in good agreement with the experimental results are proposed to explain these relationships, advancing the understanding of downramp injection. This technique allows for high-quality electron beams with percent-level energy spread to be tailored based on the application.

Start-to-end simulation of the shot-noise driven microbunching instability experiment at the Linac Coherent Light Source

The shot-noise driven microbunching instability can significantly degrade electron beam quality in x-ray free electron laser light sources. Experiments were carried out at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) to study this instability. In this paper, we present start-to-end simulations of the shot-noise driven microbunching instability experiment at the LCLS using the real number of electrons. The simulation results reproduce the measurements quite well. A microbunching self-heating mechanism is also illustrated in the simulation, which helps explain the experimental observation.

Practical use of a plastic scintillator for quality assurance of electron beam therapy

Quality assurance (QA) of clinical electron beams is essential for performing accurate and safe radiation therapy. However, with advances in radiation therapy, QA has become increasingly labor-intensive and time-consuming. In this paper, we propose a tissue-equivalent plastic scintillator for quick and easy QA of clinical electron beams. The proposed tool comprises a plastic scintillator plate and a charge-coupled device camera that enable the scintillation light by electron beams to be recorded with high sensitivity and high spatial resolution. Further, the Cerenkov image is directly subtracted from the scintillation image to discriminate Cerenkov emissions and accurately measure the dose profiles of electron beams with high spatial resolution. Compared with conventional methods, discrepancies in the depth profile improved from 7% to 2% in the buildup region via subtractive corrections. Further, the output brightness showed good linearity with dose, good reproducibility (deviations below 1%), and dose rate independence (within 0.5%). The depth of 50% dose measured with the tool, an index of electron beam quality, was within ±0.5 mm of that obtained with an ionization chamber. Lateral brightness profiles agreed with the lateral dose profiles to within 4% and no significant improvement was obtained using Cerenkov corrections. Field size agreed to within 0.5 mm with those obtained with ionization chamber. For clinical QA of electron boost treatment, a disk scintillator that mimics the shape of a patient’s breast is applied. The brightness distribution and dose, calculated using a treatment planning system, was generally acceptable for clinical use, except in limited zones. Overall, the proposed plastic scintillator plate tool efficiently performs QA for electron beam therapy and enables simultaneous verification of output constancy, beam quality, depth, and lateral dose profiles during monthly QAs at lower doses of irradiation (small monitor units, MUs).

In-situ synchrotron x-ray characterization of K2CsSb photocathode grown by ternary co-evaporation

K2CsSb is a promising photocathode candidate to serve as an electron source in next-generation light sources such as Free Electron Lasers (FEL) and Energy Recovery Linacs (ERL). As the traditional recipe for creation of K2CsSb photocathodes typically results in a rough surface that deteriorates electron beam quality, significant effort has been made to explore novel growth methods for K2CsSb photocathodes. In this paper, a method of ternary co-evaporation of K, Cs, and Sb is described. By using in-situ synchrotron X-ray techniques, the quality of the photocathode is characterized during and after the growth. K2CsSb photocathodes grown by this method on Si (100) and MgO (001) substrates show strong (222) texture, and the two photocathodes exhibit 1.7% and 3.4% quantum efficiencies at a wavelength of 530 nm, with a rms surface roughness of about 2–4 nm. This represents an order of magnitude reduction in roughness compared to typical sequential deposition and should result in a significant improvement in the brightness of the generated electron beam.

Investigating higher order modes effects on thermionic RF gun transverse emittance

As the excitation of higher order modes in high gradient accelerating cavities of the RF gun negatively influences electron beam quality, in the present work a theory is obtained based on generalizing Panofsky-Wenzel theorem to study the effect of transverse magnetic modes on transverse emittance growth of the RF gun. Based on this theory, the impact of higher order modes on transverse momentum is investigated. Based on analysis and simulation results, it is shown that different RF modes result in divergence or convergence effects on beam transverse dynamics. The presence of dipole and quadrupole modes can enhance the transverse emittance by ~320% and ~450%, respectively. The compound effect of the presence of two higher order modes results in ~470% transverse emittance growth.

Influence of emitter ring manufacturing tolerances on electron beam quality of high power gyrotrons

A sensitivity analysis of manufacturing imperfections and possible misalignments of the emitter ring in the gyrotron cathode structure on the electron beam quality has been performed. It has been shown that a possible radial displacement of the emitter ring of the order of few tens of microns can cause dramatic effects on the beam quality and therefore the gyrotron operation. Two different design approaches are proposed in order to achieve an electron beam which is less sensitive to manufacturing imperfections.

Sci‐Thur AM: YIS – 04: Stopping power‐to‐Cherenkov power ratios and beam quality specification for clinical Cherenkov emission dosimetry of electrons: beam‐specific effects and experimental validation

Purpose:To advance towards clinical Cherenkov emission (CE)‐based dosimetry by investigating beam‐specific effects on Monte Carlo‐calculated electron‐beam stopping power‐to‐CE power ratios (SCRs), addressing electron beam quality specification in terms of CE, and validating simulations with measurements.Methods:The EGSnrc user code SPRRZnrc, used to calculate Spencer‐Attix stopping‐power ratios, was modified to instead calculate SCRs. SCRs were calculated for 6‐ to 22‐MeV clinical electron beams from Varian TrueBeam, Clinac 21EX, and Clinac 2100C/D accelerators. Experiments were performed with a 20‐MeV electron beam from a Varian TrueBeam accelerator, using a diffraction grating spectrometer with optical fiber input and a cooled back‐illuminated CCD. A fluorophore was dissolved in the water to remove CE signal anisotropy.Results:It was found that angular spread of the incident beam has little effect on the SCR (≤ 0.3% at dmax), while both the electron spectrum and photon contamination increase the SCR at shallow depths and decrease it at large depths. A universal data fit of R50 in terms of C50 (50% CE depth) revealed a strong linear dependence (R2 > 0.9999). The SCR was fit with a Burns‐type equation (R2 = 0.9974, NRMSD = 0.5%). Below‐threshold incident radiation was found to have minimal effect on beam quality specification (< 0.1%). Experiments and simulations were in good agreement.Conclusions:Our findings confirm the feasibility of the proposed CE dosimetry method, contingent on computation of SCRs from additional accelerators and on further experimental validation. This work constitutes an important step towards clinical high‐resolution out‐of‐beam CE dosimetry.

Gyrotron Research at SPbPU: Diagnostics and Quality Improvement of Electron Beam

Methods of gyrotron electron beam diagnostics developed at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University are reviewed. Bremsstrahlung X-rays produced at the collector can be used for definition of electron energy distribution in the spent beam. This possibility has been tested at two megawatt-power-level gyrotrons at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Analysis of propagation of gigahertz-frequency signals in a slow-wave structure coupled with the beam can be used for the determination of velocity characteristics upstream from the microwave cavity. Numerical simulations performed with CST Particle Studio confirmed that data on axial component of electron velocities can be derived from frequency dependences of the slow-wave gain. Control of electron beam quality via tuning of the electric and magnetic field distributions provides a promising instrument for gyrotron efficiency enhancement.

Characterization of a computed radiography system for external radiotherapy beam dosimetry

A commercial computed radiography (CR) system was studied as an option for quantitative dosimetry quality assurance of external radiotherapy beams. Following the examination of influencing quantities, practical measurement procedures are discussed. Corrections were derived for image fading, an observed long-term response drift and the image length scale, which was found to be off by up to 2–3%. It is known that energy dependence is important for CR measurements. Therefore, signal-to-dose calibration curves and the energy dependence of the response were studied extensively using multiple photon and electron beam qualities. Doses which yield the same signal vary by up to tens of percent for different beam qualities. Results on the directional response of the plates are presented. It was found that rotations of up to 30° to 40° relative to perpendicular irradiation yield no significant change in response. Finally, the homogeneity of the response over the measurement region was studied for electrons and photons and a correction method is described. In summary, relative dose measurements with uncertainties of a few percent are feasible in regions of constant beam energy.

Design of a 300-kV gas environmental transmission electron microscope equipped with a cold field emission gun.

A new in situ environmental transmission electron microscope (ETEM) was developed based on a 300 kV TEM with a cold field emission gun (CFEG). Particular caution was taken in the ETEM design to assure uncompromised imaging and analytical performance of the TEM. Because of the improved pumping system between the gun and column, the vacuum of CFEG was largely improved and the probe current was sufficiently stabilized to operate without tip flashing for 2-3 h or longer. A high brightness of 2.5 × 10(9) A/cm(2) sr was measured at 300 kV, verifying the high quality of the CFEG electron beam. A specially designed gas injection-heating holder was used in the in situ TEM study at elevated temperatures with or without gas around the TEM specimen. Using this holder in a 10 Pa gas atmosphere and specimen temperatures up to 1000°C, high-resolution ETEM performance and analysis were achieved.