Transition Radiation and its uses in particle accelerators.

Transition Radiation (TR) is a physical process in which a uniformly moving charge emits radiation. For emission to occur, it is necessary a variation of the electromagnetic properties of the media that surrounds the particle. The main characteristics of this kind of radiation are: linearity between the radiation intensity and the generating charge, polarization and formation time. The continuous spectrum covers a wide wavelength range, including visible light (Optical Transition Radiation-OTR). These characteristics make OTR an excellent tool for beam diagnostics in particle accelerators. In this work we discuss the role OTR plays in beam instrumentation and the progress of the undergoing project of an OTR based diagnostic tool for the IFUSP Microtron. This is an innovative design since it is planned to be used to diagnose a low energy and low current electron beam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]