Development Of A Compact X-ray Linear Light Source And FEL At UCLA

There is a need for a new type of light source that provides subpicosecond, extremely intense X-ray bursts for biological and chemical studies. The development of a system that uses a very bright electron source, bunch rotation, a high-gradient accelerating structure and an advanced undulator to produce this light source (LLS) is described. The possibility of operating the LLS in an FEL mode and present calculations on the required performance of each component in the LLS for this purpose is illustrated. The construction of the components at UCLA is outlined. This article concludes with a discussion of the high-gradient accelerator structure and undulator system being developed jointly with Pulse Sciences Incorporated and Rocketdyne and the prospects for future compact X-ray FEL light sources using this technique.