Free electron laser weapons and electron beam transport
Publisher: Naval Postgraduate School; Available from National Technical Information Service
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Monterey, Calif; Springfield, Va
Language: eng
Number of pages: 60
Description: The Navy is exploring the possibility of using a MW class free electron laser (FEL) as a ship self-defense weapon against anti-ship missiles. The Navy has helped fund the construction of a KW average power FEL and has held workshops to discuss weapons class FELs. A design workshop resulted in two possible MW FELs which are examined. One of these designs, the MW regenerative amplifier FEL, is looked at further to determine the feasibility of its design parameters. The second design, the MW oscillator FEL, presents a challenge in understanding the electron beam transport phenomena known as coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR). A workshop concluded that CSR is potentially disruptive in the electron beam recovery in the oscillator design. Possible CSR experiments are analyzed to help the Navy's Directed Energy office determine which, if any, CSR experiment will be useful.
Notes: Thesis advisors, William B. Colson, Robert L. Armstead.

Thesis (M.S. in Physics)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 1997.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 57-58).

Also available online.

System requirements: Adobe Acrobat reader.