Optimization of accelerator system performance at the National Synchrotron Light Source (invited)

There is an active program of accelerator development at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) aimed at improving reliability, stability, and brightness. Work is primarily focused on providing improved performance for the NSLS user community, however, important elements of our work have a generic character and should be of value to other synchrotron radiation facilities. In particular, we have successfully operated a small gap undulator with a full vertical beam aperture of only 3.8 mm, with no degradation of beam lifetime. This provides strong support for the belief that small gap, short period devices will play an important role in the future