LASER SYNCHROTRON-RADIATION AS A COMPACT SOURCE OF TUNABLE, SHORT-PULSE HARD X-RAYS

A compact laser synchrotron source (LSS) is proposed as a means of generating tunable. narrow bandwidth, ultrashort pulses of hard X-rays. The LSS is based on the Thomson backscattering of intense laser radiation from a counterstreaming electron beam. Advances in both compact ultraintense solid-state lasers and high brightness rf linac beams make the LSS an attractive compact source of high brightness X-rays, particularly at photon energies beyond approximately 30 keV. The spectral flux, brightness. bandwidth and pulse structure are analyzed. In the absence of filtering the spectral bandwidth in the LSS is typically less than or similar to l% and is limited by electron beam emittance and energy spread. Two configurations of the LSS are discussed, one providing high peak power and the other high average power.