Short-Pulse Driven Radiofrequency X-Band Photoinjector: Electromagnetic Properties and Beam Dynamics in the Transient Regime

Abstract

This paper presents a study of the radiofrequency (RF) characteristics and beam dynamics of an X-band photogun (Xgun) operating in the transient state. The photoinjector is designed to operate with short RF pulses (9 ns) to achieve high accelerating gradients. Short-pulse operation potentially reduces breakdown risks, as experimentally demonstrated by achieving a gradient exceeding 350 MV/m. However, the short pulse duration causes the cavity to operate in a transient regime where the electromagnetic field deviates from the conventional steady-state condition. To investigate the effects of deviations from steady-state operation, the time-dependent spatial evolution of the cavity fields was examined using both 9-ns and 50-ns RF pulses. The 50-ns pulse served as a reference to characterize the cavity behavior under a fully filled steady-state condition. Beam dynamics simulations were conducted to explore the impact of transient RF effects on beam kinetic energy, transverse emittance, and bunch length; these simulations employed a new dynamic field mapping approach to model transient RF fields.