Diffraction Radiation test at CesrTA for Non-Intercepting Micron-scale Beam Size Measurement

Diffraction radiation (DR) is produced when a relativistic charged particle moves in the vicinity of a medium. The electric field of the charged particle polarises the target atoms which then oscillate, emitting radiation with a very broad spectrum. The spatial-spectral properties of DR are sensitive to a range of electron beam parameters. Furthermore, the energy loss due to DR is so small that the electron beam parameters are unchanged. DR can therefore be used to develop non-invasive diagnostic tools. To achieve the micron-scale resolution required to measure the transverse (vertical) beam size using incoherent DR in CLIC, DR in UV and X-ray spectral-range must be investigated. Experimental validation of such a scheme is ongoing at CesrTA at Cornell University, USA. Here we report on the test using 0.5 mm and 1 mm target apertures on a 2.1 GeV electron beam and 400 nm wavelength.