Picosecond Time Measuremnts with a Linear Accelerator and RF Separator

A picosencond time measurement method is described based on the microwave properties of beams from electron linear accelerators or from possible remodulated external proton beams at proton synchrotrons. A conventional RF separator (RFS) is used operating at the same frequency as the microwave structure of beams and driven by the same master oscillator which modulates the beam. For example, the 2856 MHz microwave at SLAC corresponds to 350 psec between beam RF buckets; accelerated electrons with an RF phase bite of about 5 degrees are time structured and correspondingly have about 5 psec time spread in every 350 psec interval. Charged particles produced in interactions or decays originate with this time structure. An RFS is placed at the last stage of a double focussing spectrometer, providing a lever arm between it and the final (few mm) small spot size focus. Reference calibration charged particles are timed by setting the RFS relative phase to null deflections. Other observed particles arriving at different times than this standardare deflected a few tenths ofa anm per psec of delay. A multi-wire proportional chamber (IMPC) having a 0.05 mm space resolution can provide time measurements with sub-picosecond resolution. The technique is used in an experiment to search for changes in the velocity of light with high energy photons at SLAC. The devised timing method is presented and the properties of a new, fine space resolution MWPC is demonstrated.