Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

The consequences of beam conditioning in four example cases (VISA, a Soft X-Ray FEL, LCLS and a "Greenfield" FEL) are examined. It is shown that in emittance limited cases, proper conditioning reduces sensitivity to the transverse emittance, and allows stronger focusing in the undulator. Simulations show higher saturation power, with gain lengths reduced up to a factor of two. The beam dynamics in a general conditioning system are studied, with "matching conditions" derived for achieving conditioning without growth in effective emittance. Various conditioners are considered, and expressions derived for the amount of conditioning provided in each case when the matching conditions are satisfied. We discuss the prospects for conditioners based on laser and plasma systems.