Optical transition radiation screens: a numerical procedure to choose the most performing material

In the field of diagnostics applied to particle accelerators, and more specifically when it comes to linear electron accelerators, OTR screens represent one of the most widespread and used techniques for beam monitoring. These devices must be able to withstand the thermal stress that the several bunches induce by hitting the surface at high frequency, without compromising the optical performance following the possible induced deformations. This paper presents a complete methodology to predict the behaviour of the OTR screens – thermal, mechanical and optical – for a given beam and screen material with the aim to define guidelines for the optimal target material selection.