Simulations of x-ray slicing and compression using crab cavities in the advanced photon source

Recently, Zholents et al. [1] proposed applying to the Advanced Photon Source an x-ray compression scheme based on a pair of crab cavities and asymmetric cut crystals. We have explored the feasibility and potential performance of this scheme through simulation. We used the code elegant to perform 6-D tracking, allowing us to understand the emittance growth and possible cures. We also explored tolerances on alignment, phase, and voltage of the cavities; lifetime effects; tradeoffs between cavity frequency and voltage; and performance with slicing alone instead of compression. Our conclusion is that subpicosecond rms x-ray pulse lengths should be feasible.