IREAP, University of Maryland
The University of Maryland Electron Ring (UMER):
A Platform for Investigating Dissipation and Chaotic Mixing in Intense Beams *
The interaction of a swarm of particles by means of long range forces underlies
many problems in modern physics, from laboratory plasmas to galactic dynamics.
Emerging particle accelerators require beam brightness and intensity surpassing
traditional limits, bringing beams into the realm of nonneutral plasmas.
Therefore the understanding of collective interactions is crucial for successful
development of such applications as heavy ion inertial fusion, high energy
colliders, intense light sources, spallation neutron sources, and free electron
lasers. Furthermore, particle accelerators can be used as laboratories for
testing physics of relevance to other, less accessible, systems such as
galaxies. The University of Maryland Electron Ring (UMER), currently near
completion, is designed to be a scaled model (3.6-m diameter) for exploring the
dynamics of such intense beams. Using a 10 keV electron beam, other parameters
are scaled to mimic those of much larger ion accelerators, except at much lower
cost. An adjustable current in the 0.1-100 mA range provides a range of
intensities unprecedented for a circular machine. Since UMER is primarily
designed to serve as a research platform for beam physics, it is equipped with a
vast array of diagnostics providing for effective comparison against computer
codes.
* This work is funded by US Dept. of Energy grant numbers DE-FG02-94ER40855 and
DE-FG02-92ER54178.
