The MIT Bates X-ray laser project

MIT and the Bates Linear Accelerator Center are exploring the construction of an X-ray free electron laser user facility. It will be based on a superconducting linac of 4-8 GeV energy, and produce XUV light in the 0.3-100 nm range at kilohertz repetition rates. The facility will be a full user facility incorporating up to 30 beamlines. Conventional lasers that produce the electron beam, seed the FEL and execute pump-probe experiments are carefully integrated. The current design of the facility is discussed.