The IFA-2 Collective Accelerator

IFA proof-of-principle experiments (completed on the IFA-1 system) have already demonstrated accurately-controlled motion of the potential well at the head of an IREB, and IFA ion data sets (H+,D+,He++) imply that controlled accelerating fields of 50 MV/m have been achieved over 10 cm. A new system, IFA-2, is being developed to demonstrate controlled accelerating fields of 100 MV/m over 1 meter. For IFA-2, a new working gas (N,N dimethyl aniline) has been found that operates at room temperature and requires only one laser (XeCl-307 nm). This new working gas represents a major breakthrough for the IFA in regard to simplicity and ease of operation. Research on this new working gas (IREB-induced ionization cross section experiments, photoionization cross section experiments), and the status of the IFA-2 system, are discussed.