Applications of High-Brightness Electron Beams
M.J. van der Wiel
Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
Abstract: The history of accelerator development can largely be described as a continued quest for higher energy and higher brightness. The latter, although being a generally useful concept, is not the unique figure-of-merit for all applications. The talk will review the more specific requirements -driving the improvement of individual beam parameters- of the currently most challenging applications of relativistic electron beams. These include TeV colliders, X-ray sources such as storage rings, FELs and 'Laser Synchrotron Sources', as well as the associated development of plasma- and laser accelerators. Additionally, the requirement of low beam halo - or high 'differential brightness'- which is specific to some applications, will be addressed. The talk ends with a brief survey of recent developments in beam generation which promise beam qualities significantly beyond the present state-of-the-art from RF photoguns. These may provide breakthroughs in existing applications and make new ones feasible.