The UCLA/FNPL Underdense Plasma Lens Experiment

Summary form only given. An underdense plasma lens experiment is underway as a collaboration between UCLA and the Fermilab NICADD Photoinjector Laboratory (FNPL). The experiment will focus on measuring the variation of the plasma focusing along the longitudinal beam axis and comparing these results with theory and simulation. The experiment utilizes a thin Gaussian underdense plasma lens with peak density 5times10¹² cm^-3 and a FWHM length of 2.2 cm. This plasma lens will have a focusing strength equivalent to a quadrupole magnet with about 180 T/m field gradient. A 15 MeV, 8-12 nC electron beam with nominal dimensions sigma_r = 600 mum and sigma_z= 2.1 mm will be focused by this plasma lens onto an OTR screen approximately 2 cm downstream of the lens. The light from the OTR screen will be imaged into a streak camera in order to directly measure the correlation between z and sigma_r within the beam. Status and progress on the experiment are reported