AN OPTION OF HIGH CHARGE OPERATION FOR THE EUROPEAN XFEL

The 1.3 GHz superconducting accelerator developed in the framework of TESLA and the European XFEL project holds the potential to accelerate high charge electron beams. This feature has been successfully demonstrated during the first run of the free electron laser at the TESLA Test Facility with lasing driven by electron bunches with a charge of up to 4 nC. Currently DESY and the European XFEL GmbH perform revision of the baseline parameters for the electron beam. In this report we discuss a potential option of operation of the European XFEL driven by high charge (1 nC to 3 nC) electron beams. We present the results of the production and characterization of high charge electron bunches. Experiments have been performed at PITZ and demonstrated good properties of the electron beam in terms of emittance. Simulations of the radiation properties of SASE FELs show that application of high charge electron beams will open up the possibility to generate radiation pulse energies up to the few hundred milli-Joule level.