Measurement of longitudinal phase space in an accelerated H- beam using a laser-induced neutralization method

Laser-induced neutralization of H- ions is a process that can be used to measure the longitudinal phase space of accelerated H- beams. The laser-induced neutralization diagnostic approach (LINDA) measures the longitudinal emittance of an H- beam by photoneutralizing different phase slices of beam microbunches and analyzing the energy distribution of the neutral slices. A LINDA system utilizing a pulsed laser and time-of-flight analysis has successfully measured longitudinal emittance of the 5 MeV H- beam exiting the drift-tube linac of the Los Alamos Accelerator Test Stand. Design considerations associated with the LINDA laser-based emittance measuring system are given. The present LINDA system is described and its limitations are discussed. Experimental results are given from an application of the LINDA system to the measurement of longitudinal emittance growth in a drift space and following insertion into the beamline of beam transport elements comprising a single-arm funnel. A new system is proposed which uses a mode-locked laser and spectrometer to improve resolution and shorten measurement time. (orig.)