First-principle beam-dynamics simulations of alpha magnets for bunch compression of bright beams

Producing bright electron beams is crucial for coherent light sources, where increasing the peak current is typically accomplished through bunch compression in magnetic chicanes. Alpha magnets, with their unique phase-space manipulation capabilities, have emerged as an attractive choice for compressing sub-10 MeV electron beams generated by radio frequency photoinjectors. This paper presents detailed numerical modeling of the beam dynamics of high-charge, bright bunches undergoing compression within an alpha magnet. The model incorporates space-charge effects and coherent synchrotron radiation, providing a comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions and behaviors of the electron beams during the compression process.