Simulation of emission and propagation of coherent synchrotron radiation wave fronts using the methods of wave optics

The paper describes methods of efficient calculation of spontaneous synchrotron radiation (SR) by relativistic electrons in storage rings, and propagation of this radiation through optical elements and drift spaces of beamlines, using the principles of wave optics. In addition to the SR from one electron, incoherent and coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) emitted by electron bunches is treated. CPU-efficient CSR calculation method taking into account 6D phase space distribution of electrons in a bunch is proposed. The properties of CSR emitted by electron bunches with small longitudinal and large transverse size are studied numerically (such situation can be realized in storage rings e.g. by transverse deflection of the electron bunches in special RF cavities). It is shown that if the transverse size of a bunch is much larger than the diffraction limit for single-electron SR at a given wavelength - it affects the angular distribution of the CSR at this wavelength and reduces the coherent flux. Nevertheless, for transverse bunch dimensions up to several millimeters and the longitudinal bunch size smaller than hundred micrometers, the resulting CSR flux in the far infrared spectral range is still many orders of magnitude higher than the flux of incoherent SR. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.