Near Field Diffraction Radiation Beam Diagnostics

High energy accelerators, used for nuclear physics, high energy physics, and advanced light sources, produce beams with both low emittance and small spatial size. The high average power of these beams preclude the use of conventional interceptive diagnostics and make it very difficult to monitor beam properties in real time. This project will develop a novel non-interceptive diagnostic based upon Fresnel diffraction radiation, which is produced when the beam passes through a slit or circular aperture. The diagnostic will be designed to operate at energies up to and beyond 1 billion electron volts. Phase I will calculate the spectra angular distribution of the radiation and experimentally observe it at the Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory¿s 3-6 billion electron volt continuous electron beam accelerator. In Phase II the diagnostic instrument will be designed and then tested under normal accelerator operating conditions.