Initial performance of the Wire Imaging Synchrotron Radiation Detector

The initial performance of a novel detector (called the Wire Imaging Synchrotron Radiation Detector) that measures the positions of intense synchrotron-radiation beams with high precision is described. Two detectors of this kind are used for the precision energy spectrometers of the Stanford Linear Collider (SLC). The detectors accurately determine the distance between pairs of intense synchrotron beams of typically 1-MeV photons, which are emitted by the primary electron and positron beams of the SLC. The detectors intercept the synchrotron beams with arrays of fine wires. The ejection of Compton-recoil electrons leaves positive charges on the wires, enabling a determination of beam positions. Preliminary measurements indicate that it is possible to determine the synchrotron stripe positions to better than 25 μm