Longitudinal Bunch Shaping of Picosecond High-Charge MeV Electron Beams

Phys. Plasmas 23, 103107 (2016)https://ireap.umd.edu/10.1063/1.49647222016Journal ArticlePlasma, Accelerator, and Nuclear Physics

With ever increasing demands for intensities in modern accelerators, the understanding of space-charge effects becomes crucial. Herein are presented measurements of optically shaped picosecond-long electron beams in a superconducting L-band linac over a wide range of charges, from 0.2 nC to 3.4 nC. At low charges, the shape of the electron beam is preserved, while at higher charge densities, modulations on the beam convert to energy modulations. Energy profile measurements using a spectrometer and time profile measurements using a streak camera reveal the dynamics of longitudinal space-charge on MeV-scale electron beams.