Simulation Package for Parallel 3D Modeling of an Electron Gun with a Diamond Amplifier

The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) contributes fundamental advances to nuclear physics by colliding a wide range of ions. A novel electron cooling section, a key component of the proposed luminosity upgrade for RHIC, requires the acceleration of high-charge electron bunches with low emittance and energy spread. A recently developed concept, a high-quantum-efficiency photoinjector with a diamond amplifier, is a promising candidate for the electron source needed to generate these bunches. However, there is no available software capable of simulating such a photoinjector. Therefore, this project will develop numerical algorithms for the generation and transport of secondary electrons through diamond amplifiers in strong electric fields. These algorithms will be implemented in an existing, parallel, three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell (PIC) code and then tested against experimental data. Phase I will develop initial numerical algorithms for the generation and transport of secondary electrons in diamond slabs (approximately 20 to 30 microns thick) in the presence of electric fields on the order of 50 MV/m. The electron transport will use a Monte Carlo approach, with scattering by phonons and impurities. A prototype implementation will be included in a parallel 3D PIC code, and simulations with the new models will be compared with theoretical calculations. The resulting simulation package will be designed for the evaluation and design of high-current electron sources. Commercial Applications And Other Benefits as described by the Applicant: An integrated tool for simulating diamond amplifiers in electron photoinjectors should directly benefit scientists working to design the high-current electron accelerators required for cooling the high-energy ion beams at RHIC