A Conceptual Design Study of a Compact Photon Source (CPS) for Jefferson Lab

Abstract

This document describes the technical design concept of a compact high intensity, multi-GeV photon source. Capable of producing 10^12 equivalent photons per second this novel device will provide unprecedented access to physics processes with very small scattering probabilities such as hard exclusive reactions on the nucleon. When combined with dynamic nuclear polarized targets, its deployment will result in a large gain in polarized experiment figure-of-merit compared to all previous measurements. Compared to a traditional bremsstrahlung photon source the proposed concept presents several advantages, most significantly in providing a full intensity in a small spot at the target and in taking advantage of the narrow angular spread associated with high energy bremsstrahlung compare to the wide angular distribution of the secondary radiation to minimize the operational prompt and activation radiation dose rates.