Speakers
Description
The International Linear Collider is a planned electron-positron linear collider with its positron
source producing positrons by aiming undulator radiation onto a rotating target. The resulting,
highly divergent positron beam requires immediate optical matching to improve the luminosity and
therefore the success of the intended collision experiments. Here, optical matching refers to the process
of capturing particles and making them available for downstream beamline elements like accelerators.
In the past, this has been done with sophisticated coils, but more recently the usage of a current-
carrying plasma, a so-called plasma lens, has been proposed as an alternative. For the International
Linear Collider idealized particle tracking simulations have already been done with the purpose of
finding the optimal plasma lens design with respect to the captured positron yield. The proposed
design is characterized by a linearly widened radius in beam direction. Now further research and
development of this design is required, including both experiments with a prototype set-up as well
as corresponding simulations modeling the hydrodynamics of the current-carrying plasma and the
resulting magnetic field. The accuracy of the latter will benefit greatly from the former.
