U.S. Particle Accelerator School
U.S. Particle Accelerator School
America's National School of Accelerator Science and Technology

Microwave Measurements and Beam Instrumentation Laboratory course

Sponsoring University:

Vanderbilt University

Course:

Microwave Measurements and Beam Instrumentation Laboratory

Instructors:

Sami Tantawi and Muralidhar Yeddulla, SLAC


Purpose and Audience
This course introduces modern methods for measuring and characterizing microwave accelerator elements and systems. This course is suitable for advanced undergraduate students and entry-level graduate students who are considering accelerator physics as a possible career and for engineers and operators who want to learn more about microwave measurements and characterization techniques for accelerators and associated components.

Prerequisites
Knowledge of basic electromagnetic theory.

Objectives
First, we will present representation theory for microwave circuits and elements. These representations will be applied to accelerator structures and systems. Then, in particular, the students will get exposure to modem microwave measurement techniques which lead to the extraction of the system parameters. The fundamentals of measurements using modern vector network analyzers and the modeling and error estimation of such devices will be presented. This will be followed by the specifics of measuring field profiles, using both modal spectral analysis and perturbations by beads and wires.

Instructional Method
This course will offer a series of lectures during morning sessions, followed by afternoon laboratory sessions. The laboratory sessions will introduce students to computer simulations and measurements of rf components. The lab course will emphasize the comparison of measurement data with computer simulation results. The students will be required to solve several problem sets. Homework problems will be assigned each day and instructor and teaching assistant will be available to help answer questions about the homework and lectures during the evening exercise sessions and the weekend. There will be a final exam on the last day of the class.

Course Content
(1) Microwave circuit theory and representations
(2) Transmission line theory;
(3) Modeling the S-Parameter Measurements Test Set, calibration standards and error estimation.
(4) Microwave measurements with Vector Network Analyzers; time and frequency domains.
(5) Characterization of cavities using transmission and reflection measurements:
  i-The Q circle
  ii-Time domain characterization
(6) Perturbation analysis and bead measurements
(7) Characterization of linear accelerators using bead pulling techniques.
(8) Measurements of wake fields in linear accelerators using wire measurements techniques.

Reading Requirements
(to be provided by the USPAS) “Foundations for Microwave Engineering”, by Robert E. Collin, Second Edition. IEEE Press, 1992

Credit Requirements
Students will be evaluated based on performance: final exam (30 % of final grade), homework assignments (40 % of final grade), computer/lab sessions (30 % of final grade).