Two-Channel Dielectric Wakefield Accelerator

This project will develop a rectangular, dielelectric wakefield electron accelerator with attributes not found in other wakefield accelerators: (1) continuous coupling between one channel, in which drive bunches travel, and a second channel, in which accelerated bunches travel, without need for discrete transfer structures; (2) a large step-up in wakefield amplitude in the acceleration channel, compared to the amplitude in the drive channel; and (3) a rectangular geometry that affords relative ease in the precision fabrication of dielectric elements and improved beam stability, compared to conventional cylindrical wake field structures. These factors combine to offer the possibility for achieving a high acceleration gradient, as required for a future multi-TeV electron-positron collider. In Phase I, existing computer codes for analyzing wakefields in a multi-zone, dielectric-lined rectangular waveguide will be extended, in order to accommodate a multi-bunch train of arbitrary charge distribution and to account for non-uniform energy losses by the bunches. Particle dynamics will be determined, bunch stability will be analyzed, and field profiles on dielectric and metallic surfaces will be calculated. A design for a prototype test structure, to be built during Phase II for evaluating the two-channel rectangular dielectric wake field accelerator, will be developed. Commercial Applications And Other Benefits as described by the Applicant: The principal application for the two-beam, rectangular, dielectric wakefield accelerator concept would be for the evolution of a multi-TeV collider for high-energy physics experiments. This application could involve the need for hundreds of modules, each of which could have a commercial value of the order of $100,000. The total market could thus amount to several tens of millions of dollars. In addition, because the accelerator is modular, it could, in principle, be built for applications that require a much lower final energy: medical radiology, industrial processing, and low-energy advanced accelerator research and development.