Ion induced beam instability and tune shift are critical issues for the electron damping ring of the International Linear Collider (ILC). To avoid conventional ion trapping, gaps are introduced in the electron beam by missing bunches in a train of bunches. However, the beam can still suffer from the fast ion instability (FII) driven by ions that last only for a single passage of the electron beam and are not trapped for multiple turns. Our study shows that the ion effects can be significantly mitigated by using multiple gaps, so that the stored beam consists of a number of relatively short bunch trains. Another way to avoid trapped ions is to introduce clearing electrodes. The ion effects in the ILC damping rings are investigated using both analytical and numerical methods.

There is a great interest in generating high-power hard X-ray Free Electron Laser (FEL) in the terawatt (TW) level that can enable coherent diffraction imaging of complex molecules like proteins and probe fundamental high-field physics. A feasibility study of producing such X-ray pulses was carried out employing a configuration beginning with a Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission FEL, followed by a “self-seeding” crystal monochromator generating a fully coherent seed, and finishing with a long tapered undulator where the coherent seed recombines with the electron bunch and is amplified to high power. The undulator tapering profile, the phase advance in the undulator break sections, the quadrupole focusing strength, etc. are parameters to be optimized. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) is adopted for this multi-dimensional optimization. Concrete examples are given for LINAC Coherent Light Source (LCLS) and LCLS-II-type systems. Analytical estimate is also developed to cross check the simulation and optimization results as a quick and complimentary tool.

As part of the Snowmass'21 community planning excercise, the Advanced Accelerator Concepts (AAC) community proposed future linear colliders with center-of-mass energies up to 15 TeV and luminosities up to 50 × 1034 cm-2 s-1 in a compact footprint. In addition to being compact, these machines must also be energy efficient. We identify two challenges that must be addressed in the design of these machines. First, the Beam Delivery System (BDS) must not add significant length to the accelerator complex. Second, beam parameters must be chosen to mitigate beamstrahlung effects and maximize the luminosity-per-power of the machine. In this paper, we review advances in plasma lens technology that will help to reduce the length of the BDS system and we detail new Particle-in-Cell simulation studies that will provide insight into beamstrahlung mitigation techniques. We apply our analysis to both e + e - and γγ colliders. The challenges and solutions described in this paper are considered independently. A unified, self-consistent concept for a BDS system for a 15 TeV linear collider will be the subject of future work.

This white paper summarizes the workshop "U.S. Cosmic Visions: New Ideas in Dark Matter" held at University of Maryland on March 23-25, 2017.