Observation of coherent Smith-Purcell radiation using an initially continuous flat beam

J. Gardelle (1) , L. Courtois (1) , P. Modin (1) , J.T. Donohue (2)

1 CESTA - Centre d'études scientifiques et techniques d'Aquitaine
2 CENBG - Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires de Bordeaux Gradignan

A few years ago a new theory for producing coherent Smith-Purcell (SP) radiation from an initially continuous beam was proposed. This experiment confirms that two-dimensional theory. The beam was typically 10 cm wide, a few mm thick, with a peak current of 200 A and beam energy of 85 keV. The 10 cm-wide grating had twenty 2-cm periods, and radiation was produced at the fundamental frequency near 4.5 GHz. Second and third harmonics were observed at the expected angles. Beam bunching was measured using a B-dot probe placed at the end of a groove. Generally good agreement between this experiment and the 2D theory is found.

Domaines: Physique Nucléaire Théorique [nucl-th]

J. Gardelle, L. Courtois, P. Modin, J.T. Donohue. Observation of coherent Smith-Purcell radiation using an initially continuous flat beam. Physical Review Special Topics: Accelerators and Beams, 2009, 12, pp.110701. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevSTAB.12.110701⟩. ⟨in2p3-00439969⟩