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Description
Plasma discharge devices have recently emerged as compact and versatile tools for particle beam manipulation. Building upon the Active Plasma Lens (APL) and its curved extension, the Active Plasma Bending (ABP), the concept of the Plasma Discharge Undulator (PDU) is introduced. In a PDU, a high-current discharge within a capillary generates an azimuthal magnetic field providing strong linear focusing in the kT/m range, while a controlled and periodic spatial modulation of the discharge axis acts as a geometric driving term. An analytical model of the beam dynamics and radiative properties is presented, including quantitative estimates of the parameters required to achieve stimulated emission (FEL) in the ideal case. Proper injection conditions result in the suppression of collective betatron oscillations, significantly reducing the intrinsic undulator strength spread typical of conventional plasma undulators, while allowing for matched beam transport. Theoretical estimates are validated through multi-particle simulations, confirming that the PDU can operate in the short-period regime, from millimeters to centimeters, with tunable undulator strength, supporting narrow-band radiation emission and seeded longitudinal microbunching. The PDU thus provides a pathway toward miniaturized, tunable, fully-plasma-based light sources with enhanced control over focusing and spectral properties.