Measurements of reduced corkscrew motion on the ETA-II linear induction accelerator

The ETA-II linear induction accelerator is used to drive a microwave free-electron laser (FEL). Corkscrew motion, which previously limited performance, has been reduced by: (1) an improved pulse distribution system which reduces energy sweep, (2) improved magnetic alignment achieved with a stretched wire alignment technique (SWAT), and (3) a unique magnetic tuning algorithm. Experiments have been carried out on a 20-cell version of ETA-II operating at 1500 A and 2.7 MeV. The measured transverse beam motion is less than 0.5 mm for 40 ns of the pulse, an improvement of a factor of 2 to 3 over previous results. Details of the computerized tuning procedure, estimates of the corkscrew phase, and relevance of these results to future FEL experiments are presented.<
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