About the FEL
Click below to view FEL applications filmed in real-time (avi)
FEL Status
The FEL is currently being re-commissioned. Electron beam was first extracted from the gun on October 22, 2008. By Friday, October 31st. the beam had traversed the entire machine. This means that all systems are now operational and being optimized and tuned up. The re-commissioning process, which at some point may involve replacing the cathode, will continue for several weeks, after which we will start commissioning the user labs.
For those requiring more information, including an archival account of our activities, we keep weekly records here:
http://www.jlab.org/news/briefs/archive.html
During our long shutdown (since May 2007) we have completed a long list of tasks to prepare us for safe operations.
These include:
1. Major upgrades to safety and operational systems, with an entirely new safety system for the user labs.
2. A new optical transport system to the user labs, and new mirrors in the cavity.
3. The completion of a test stand for new guns in an enclosure that is separate from the main FEL.
4. The installation of most of the components of the electron beam transport line for the UV-FEL, including vacuum chambers, magnets, and diagnostic systems.