Collimation system for the VUV free-electron laser at the TESLA test facility

To perform a proof-of-principle experiment for a Free Electron Laser operating at VUV wavelengths an undulator has been installed in the TESLA Test Facility linac phase I. To meet the requirements on the magnetic field quality in the undulator, a hybrid type structure with NdFeB permanent magnets has been chosen. The permanent magnets are sensitive to radiation by high energy particles. In order to perform the various experiments planned at the TESLA Test Facility linac, a collimator section has been installed to protect the undulator from radiation. In this thesis the design, performance and required steps for commissioning the collimator system are presented. To identify potential difficulties for the linac operation, the beam halo and the dark current transport through the entire linac is discussed. Losses of primary electrons caused by technical failures, component misalignments, and operation errors are investigated by tracking simulations, in order to derive a complete understanding of the absorbed dose in the permanent magnets of the undulator. Various topics related to a collimator system such as the removal of secondary particles produced at the collimators, generation and shielding of neutrons, excitation of wake fields, and beam based alignment concepts are important subjects of this thesis. (orig.)