Optimization of an X-ray SASE-FEL

The most important characteristics of an X-ray SASE-FEL are determined by the electron beam energy, transverse and longitudinal emittance, and by choice of the undulator period, field, and gap. Among them are the gain and saturation length, the amount and spectral characteristics of the spontaneous radiation, the wake fields due to the vacuum pipe. The spontaneous radiation intensity is very large in all X-ray SASE-FELs now being designed, and it contributes to the final electron beam energy spread, thus affecting the gain. It also produces a large background for the beam and radiation diagnostics instrumentation. The wake fields due to the resistivity and roughness of the beam pipe through the undulator, also affects the beam 6-dimensional phase space volume, and thus the gain and the line width. In this paper, we discuss ways to optimize the FEL when considering all these effects. In particular we consider and discuss the use of a hybrid iron-permanent magnet helical undulator to minimize some of these effects, and thus optimize the FEL design. r 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.