During the last five years studies have been conducted at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) and the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg concerning the feasibility of driving an Angstrom-wavelength Free-Electron Laser (FEL) with a high energy rf linac. Recent promising advances in linac, rf gun, and insertion device technologies make it seem likely that such a device can be constructed. The output radiation predicted for this type of source will be characterized by full transverse coherence, extreme pulse brevity (~50-100 fs), high peak power (10-100 GW), and very high unfocused peak power density (0.4-4.1013 W/mm2 at normal incidence). Although a significant amount of interest has been generated in a number of scientific communities engaged in disciplines spanning structural studies, surface physics, solid state and atomic science, and non-linear physics, a recurring concern has been the question of sample and instrumentation damage stemming from the extreme intensity of the FEL pulses.
In view of this, DESY and SLAC are organizing a workshop to systematically consider the interaction of extremely intense, extremely brief x-ray pulses with matter. The workshop, to be held at SLAC on January 23-24, 1997, will address both theoretical and experimental aspects of peak power damage in the x-ray range. The theoretical focus will be to explore the fundamental physics involved, at various time scales, in the coupling of the radiation to the different constituents of matter and to the conversion of the radiation energy, through different scattering channels, into state, phase, or lattice transformations. The status of simulation codes for modeling the interaction of high-intensity radiation with matter will be reviewed. On the experimental side, prior peak power damage experiments spanning the soft-through-hard x-ray range at various alternative sources (e.g., z-pinch, plasma x-ray lasers) will be reviewed, and the feasibility of extending this work into the few-Angstrom wavelength regime on these and the newer 3rd generation synchrotron radiation sources will be explored. The goal of this workshop will be to provide a supporting basis for further experimental or theoretical work covering parameter regimes similar to those of the new FEL sources with the ultimate aim of extending their scientific and technological applicability. To these ends, contributions covering relevant physical theories, numerical simulation codes and techniques, prior work at alternative high-intensity sources, novel experimental techniques, and x-ray instrumentation (optics and detectors) are solicited.
The Workshop Executive Summary is now available in Portable Data Format (PDF).
Link to the Workshop Speaker and Talk Schedule.
For further information please contact:
SSRL/SLAC:
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Roman Tatchyn tatchyn@ssrl.slac.stanford.edu 415-926-2731 415-926-4100(FAX) |
John Arthur arthur@ssrl.slac.stanford.edu 415-926-3169 415-926-4100 (FAX) |
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SSRL/SLAC 2575 Sand Hill Road, MS-69 Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305 USA |
DESY:
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Gerd Materlik materlik@vxdesy.desy.de 49-40-8998-2484 49-40-8998 2787 (FAX) |
Jupp Feldhaus feldhaus@vxdesy.desy.de 49-40-8998 3901 49-40-8998 3282 (FAX) |
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DESY Notkestrasse 85 D-22603 Hamburg, Germany |
ESRF:
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Andreas Freund freund@esrf.fr 33-4-76882040 33-4-76882SY2 (FAX) |
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ESRF Boite Postale 220 38043 Grenoble CEDEX France |
