title: Nonlinear longitudinal space charge oscillations in relativistic electron beams.
abstract: In this Letter we study the evolution of an initial periodic modulation in the temporal profile of a relativistic electron beam under the effect of longitudinal space-charge forces. Linear theory predicts a periodic exchange of the modulation between the density and the energy profiles at the beam plasma frequency. For large enough initial modulations, wave breaking occurs after 1/2 period of plasma oscillation leading to the formation of short current spikes. We confirm this effect by direct measurements on a ps-modulated electron beam from an rf photoinjector. These results are useful for the generation of intense electron pulse trains for advanced accelerator applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Musumeci
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marinelli