Advances in X-band TW Accelerator Structures Operating in the 100 MV/m Regime

A CERN-SLAC-KEK collaboration on high gradient X-band accelerator structure development for CLIC has been ongoing for three years. The major outcome has been the demonstration of stable 100 MV/m gradient operation of a number of CLIC prototype structures. These structures were fabricated basically using the technology developed from 1994 to 2004 for the GLC/NLC linear collider initiative. One goal has been to refine the essential parameters and fabrication procedures needed to realize such high gradient routinely. Another goal has been to develop structures with stronger dipole mode damping than those for GLC/NLC. The latter requires that surface temperature rise during the pulses be higher, which may increase the breakdown rate. Structures with heavy damping will be tested in late 2009/early 2010, and this paper will present these results together with some of the earlier results from non-damped structures and structures built with a quadrant geometry.