The RF linac pumped lasers

Excitation of gas lasers by a small emittance beam of electrons from a RF linear accelerator is discussed. An experiment to test this concept is described. A 4 MeV side coupled, standing wave linear accelerator is being used to provide a pulsed electron current of 2 A with a 1 microsecond duration. The electron beam, focused to a 5 mm diameter spot, is confined in the high pressure gas by a superconducting solenoid with a central magnetic field of 3 T. The fluorescence of various rare gas halide mixtures as a function of pressure, the transport of the electron beam through the gas, and the optimum configuration of the electron beam, magnetic field, and the laser cavity are studies described.