The science of electrified fluids, known as Plasma Physics, has expanded its influence to many fields outside of controlled fusion, the field for which the science was developed. This proposal supports experiments intended by the PI's to demonstrate the viability of a new field of research and instruction in Electrical Engineering which they have named Applied Electrodynamics. Applied Electrodynamics concerns the interaction of charged particles with electromagnetic fields and thus includes, besides fusion, such topics as generation of coherent radiation, particle acceleration, plasma diagnostics, industrial plasmas, relativistic matter, and certain applications to space physics and condensed matter physics. To demonstrate these applications, the PI's propose to carry out experiments to test the feasibility of several new ideas: the Beat Wave Accelerator, which can possibly shorten high-energy of existing accelerators by a factor 10; and the Electric Wiggler FEL, which could produce tunable high- frequency radiation. The development of high-density plasma sources is common to all these and is a problem requiring NSF support. Ideas for applications to solid-state and short-pulse laser research areas will also be explored.
