Compact source of narrowband and tunable X-rays for radiography

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms Vol. 350; no. C; pp. 106 - 111
• Main Authors: Banerjee, Sudeep, Chen, Shouyuan, Powers, Nathan, Haden, Daniel, Liu, Cheng, Golovin, G., Zhang, Jun, Zhao, Baozhen, Clarke, S., Pozzi, S., Silano, J., Karwowski, H., Umstadter, Donald
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-05-2015; Elsevier
• Subjects: Electron beams; Low noise; Narrowband; Photons; Photonuclear physics; Radiography; Scattering; Thomson scattering; Wakefield acceleration; X-ray sources; X-rays; Photonuclear physics; Wakefield acceleration; Thomson scattering; X-rays
• ISSN: 0168-583X; 1872-9584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2015.01.015

We discuss the development of a compact X-ray source based on inverse-Compton scattering with a laser-driven electron beam. This source produces a beam of high-energy X-rays in a narrow cone angle (5–10mrad), at a rate of 108photons-s−1. Tunable operation of the source over a large energy range, with energy spread of ∼50%, has also been demonstrated. Photon energies >10MeV have been obtained. The narrowband nature of the source is advantageous for radiography with low dose, low noise, and minimal shielding.