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The operating lifetime of GaAs-based photocathodes in DC high voltage electron photo-guns is dominated by the ionization rate of residual beamline gas molecules. In this work, experiments were performed to quantify the improvement in photocathode charge lifetime by biasing the photo-gun anode with a positive voltage, which repels ions generated downstream of the anode. The photo-cathode charge lifetime improved by almost a factor of two when the anode was biased compared to the usual grounded configuration. Simulations were performed using the particle tracking code General Particle Tracer (GPT) with a new custom element. The simulation results showed that both the number and energy of ions play a role in the pattern of QE degradation. The experiment results and conclusions supported by GPT simulations will be presented., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

Production of high bunch charge beams for the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) is a challenging task. High bunch charge (a few nC) electron beam studies at Jefferson Lab using an inverted insulator DC high voltage photo-gun showed evidence of space charge limitations starting at 0.3 nC, limiting the maximum delivered bunch charge to 0.7 nC for beam at -225 kV, 75 ps (FWHM) pulse width, and 1.64 mm (rms) laser spot size. The low extracted charge is due to the modest longitudinal electric field (Ez) at the photocathode leading to beam loss at the anode and downstream beam pipe. To reach the few nC high bunch charge goal, and to correct the beam deflection exerted by the non-symmetric nature of the inverted insulator photo-gun the existing photo-gun was modified. This contribution discusses the electrostatic design of the modified photo-gun obtained using CST Studio Suite’s electromagnetic field solver. Beam dynamics simulations performed using General Particle Tracer (GPT) with the resulting electrostatic field map obtained from the modified electrodes confirmed the validity of the new design., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

A high current, high charge magnetized electron beamline that has been under development for fast and efficient cooling of ion beams for the proposed Jefferson Lab Electron Ion Collider (JLEIC). In this paper, we present the latest progress over the past year that include the generation of picosecond magnetized beam bunches at average currents up to 28 mA with exceptionally long photocathode lifetime, and the demonstrations of magnetized beam with high bunch charge up to 700 pC at 10s of kHz repetition rates. Detailed studies on a stable drive laser system, long lifetime photocathode, beam magnetization effect, beam diagnostics, and a comparison between experiment and simulations will also be reported. These accomplishes marked an important step towards the essential feasibility for the JLEIC cooler design using magnetized beams., Proceedings of the 10th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2019, Melbourne, Australia

A concept for simultaneous beam delivery to all four CEBAF experimental halls from a single injector and a single main accelerator for the 12 GeV era was proposed in 2012. The original 12 GeV beam delivery plan was for a maximum of three experimental halls at a time as in the 6 GeV era. Therefore, the new concept increases the po-tential beam time for the experiments up to 33%. This change, although a major improvement in operational capabilities, required only limited modifications to the existing machine. The modifications were mainly timing and pattern changes to the beams in the injector, adding a fourth laser to the photo-cathode gun, and the addition of new RF separators to the highest pass of CEBAF. These changes are now complete and, for the first time, the full system is operating, producing four simultaneous beams through the accelerator to four different destinations. In this paper, in addition to presenting the results of the full system commissioning, we will discuss important details about the new configuration plus some of our operational challenges., Proceedings of the 10th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2019, Melbourne, Australia