Start-to-end simulations of plasma-wakefield acceleration using the MAX IV Linear Accelerator

Plasma-wakefield acceleration (PWFA) relies on the interaction between intense particle bunches and plasma for reaching higher accelerating gradients than what is possible with conventional radio-frequency technology. Using ultra-relativistic beam drivers allows for long acceleration lengths and have potential applications such as energy booster stages for synchrotron light sources or linear colliders and generating ultra-high-brightness beams from the background plasma. In this article, we present start-to-end simulations of the MAX IV Linear Accelerator as part of our investigations into the feasibility of using the linac for a PWFA experiment. We find that PWFA appears to be a viable application for the linac. A part of this conclusion is based on our finding that the general properties of the bunch compressor type employed in the MAX IV linac are well-suited for efficient generation of PWFA-optimized bunch current profiles, both for single- and double-bunch beams.