Velocity bunching (or RF compression) represents a promising technique complementary to magnetic compression to achieve the high peak current required in the linac drivers for FELs. Here we report on recent progress aimed at characterizing the RF compression from the point of view of the microbunching instability. We emphasize the development of a linear theory for the gain function of the instability and its validation against macroparticle simulations that represents a useful tool in the evaluation of the compression schemes for FEL sources.

One of the proposals under consideration for future upgrades of the LHC injector complex entails the replacement of the PS with the PS2, a longer circumference and higher energy synchrotron, with electron cloud effects representing a potentially serious limitation to the achievement of the upgrade goals. We report on ongoing numerical studies aiming at estimating the e-cloud density threshold for the occurrence of single bunch instabilities.

The accumulator ring of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) atORNL employs in its straight sections closely packed quadrupoledouble magnets with large aperture of R=15.1 cm an relatively short iron-to-iron distance of 51.4 cm. These quads have much extended fringe field, and magnetic interferences among them in the doublet assemblies is not avoidable. Though each magnet in the assemblies has been individually mapped to high accuracy lo lower than 0.01 percent level, the experimental data including the magnetic interference effect will not be available. We have performed 3D computing simulations on a quadrupole doublet model in order to assess the degree of the interference and to obtain relevant data for the SNS commissioning and operation.