Design and Operation of a tunable MeV-level Compton-scattering-based (gamma-ray) source

A mono-energetic gamma-ray (MEGa-ray) source based on Compton-scattering, targeting nuclear physics applications such as nuclear resonance fluorescence, has been constructed and commissioned at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. In this paper, the overall architecture of the system, as well as some of the critical design decisions made in the development of the source, are discussed. The performances of the two laser systems (one for electron production, one for scattering), the electron photoinjector, and the linear accelerator are also detailed, and initial {gamma}-ray results are presented