Electron Beam Characterization with Beam Loss Monitors in AWAKE

We present a method to measure the transverse size and position of an electron or proton beam, close to the injection point in plasma wakefields, where other diagnostics are not available. We show that transverse size measurements are in agreement with values expected from the beam optics with a <10% uncertainty. We confirm the deflection of the low-energy (∼18 MeV) electron beam trajectory by Earth’s magnetic field. This measurement can be used to correct for this effect and set proper electron bunch injection parameters. The advanced wakefield experiment at CERN (AWAKE) relies on these measurements for optimizing electron injection.