3:30 pm Zoom
A nearly monochromatic, polarized gamma-ray beam is a powerful probe for experimental nuclear physics research. Such a real photon beam can be utilized to interrogate the entire nucleus, from collective motions to the strong interaction between nucleons and to the dynamics of quarks and gluons. Since the late 1970s, laser-driven Compton gamma-ray sourced have been developed, constructed, and operated around the world. The highest flux and most versatile Compton gamma-ray source is the High Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HIGS) at Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, which is dedicated to basic and applied research. Driven by a high-power storage ring Free-Electron Laser (FEL), the HIGS produces highly polarized gamma-ray beams from 1 to 120 MeV, with its peak performance of total flux up to about 3E10 g/s and a spectral flux of more than 1E3 g/s/eV around 10 MeV region. In this talk, we will give an overview of the HIGS facility and describe new photon beam capabilities enabled by the development of the storage ring FEL, including two-color photon beams and precision polarization control. The FEL with wavelength tunability, polarization control, and high average power will play a critical role in the next-generation Compton gamma-ray sources, including the Gamma Factory envisioned by the researchers at CERN.