Beam dynamics in transverse deflecting rf structures

The beam dynamics in transverse deflecting structures, operating in streaking mode, is discussed concentrating on slightly nonrelativistic particle energies. Transverse offsets of the average trajectory, bunch lengthening, and defocusing as well as emittance growth due to nonlinearities of the cavity field are considered. The analysis of the deflecting field reveals the origin of nonlinearities and leads to proposals for their suppression. An optimized cavity design which combines minimal aberrations with a high rf efficiency is proposed.