A high gain SASE FEL amplifier designed to operate in the infrared (near 10 mu m) is being commissioned in the particle beam physics laboratory at UCLA. The high brightness beam needed to drive the FEL is provided by an RF photocathode gun employing solenoidal emittance compensation. A novel linac (a plane wave transformer) accelerates the beam to a final energy [left angle bracket]or=15 MeV. This beam is to be sent through a 60 cm long undulator with a period of 1.5 cm and an undulator parameter K approximately=1. Near future experiments will focus on FEL physics relevant to proposed short wavelength devices. Investigations of start-up from noise (SASE), effects of beam parameters on gain as well as noise fluctuations are of particular interest. Here we present an overview of the hardware including relevant diagnostics, measured beam parameters, FEL simulation results and the status of proposed experiments. (9 References). 380 18th International Free-Electron Laser Conference /home/httpd/docserver/releases/20080613005430/public/paper/file/169/hogan_1996_0204.pdf hogan_1996_0204.pdf 3 169 Electron gunsFluctuationsFree electron lasersLaser noiseLinear acceleratorsNumerical analysisParticle beam diagnosticsParticle beam dynamicsPhotocathodesSuperradianceWigglersFree electron lasers [A4255T], Linear accelerators [A2915D], Beams in particle accelerators [A2921], Beam handling, focusing, pulsing, stripping and diagnostics [A2925F], Numerical approximation and analysis [A0260], Fluctuation phenomena, random processes, and Brownian motion [A0540], Electron sources [A2925B], Free electron lasers [B4320K], Electron emission, materials and cathodes [B2320]UCLA, high gain infrared free electron laser, high brightness beam, RF photocathode gun, solenoidal emittance compensation, linac FEL, linac free electron laser, undulator period, undulator parameter, FEL start up, free electron laser start up, noise fluctuations, beam diagnostics, FEL simulation, free electron laser simulation, 10 mum, 15 MeV, 60 cm 18th International Free-Electron Laser Conference. Rome, Italy. Apple Comput. Elsevier Sci. ENEA. INFN. et al. 26-31 Aug. 1996. Wavelength 1.0E-05 m Electron volt energy 1.5E+07 eV Size 6.0E-01 m English Conference Paper 3 1997 Nuclear Instruments & Methods A, vol. 393 204 2007-10-22T16:04:17-07:00 216-19 1996