Recent developments in the design of the NLC positron source

Recent developments in the design of the Next Linear Collider (NLC) positron source based on updated beam parameters are described. The unpolarized NLC positron source consists of a dedicated 6.2 GeV S-band electron accelerator, a high-Z positron production target, a capture system and an L-band positron linac. The 1998 failure of the SLC target which is currently under investigation may lead to a variation of the target design. Progress towards a polarized positron source is also presented. A moderately polarized positron beam colliding with a highly polarized electron beam results in an effective polarization large enough to explore new physics at NLC. One of the schemes towards a polarized positron source incorporates a polarized electron source, a 50 MeV electron accelerator, a thin target for positron production and a new capture system optimized for high-energy small angular divergence positrons.