Intense, pulsed ion beams for radiation effects research at Berkeley Lab
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Engineering - Particle accelerators , Physics - Pl↗
Engineering topics
Leemans, W P
Publications and source records attributed to Leemans, W P.
Virtual detector of synchrotron radiation (VDSR) - A C++ parallel code for particle tracking and radiation calculation
The Virtual Detector for Synchrotron Radiation (VDSR) is a parallel C++ code developed to calculate the incoherent radiation from a single charged particle or a beam moving in given external electro-magnetic fields. In this proceedings the code structure and features are introduced. An example of radiation generation from the betatron motion of a beam in the focusing fields of the wake in a laser-plasma accelerator is presented.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Beam hosing instability in overdense plasma
Transverse stability of the drive beam is critical to plasma wakefield accelerators. A long, relativistic particle beam propagating in an overdense plasma is subject to beam envelope modulation and hosing (centroid displacement) instabilities. Coupled equations for the beam centroid and envelope are derived. The growth rate for beam hosing is examined including return current effects (where the beam radius is of order the plasma skin depth) in the long-beam, strongly-coupled, overdense regime.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Controlling electron injection in laser plasma accelerators using multiple pulses
Use of counter-propagating pulses to control electron injection in laser-plasma accelerators promises to be an important ingredient in the development of stable devices. We discuss the colliding pulse scheme and associated diagnostics.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Long-range persistence of femtosecond modulations on laser-plasma-accelerated electron beams
Laser plasma accelerators have produced femtosecond electron bunches with a relative energy spread ranging from 100% to a few percent. Simulations indicate that the measured energy spread can be dominated by a correlated spread, with the slice spread significantly lower. Measurements of coherent optical transition radiation are presented for broad-energy-spread beams with laser-induced density and momentum modulations. The long-range (meter-scale) observation of coherent optical transition radiation indicates that the slice energy spread is below the percent level to preserve the modulations.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Optimized laser pulse profile for efficient radiation pressure acceleration of ions
The radiation pressure acceleration regime of laser ion acceleration requires high intensity laser pulses to function efficiently. Moreover the foil should be opaque for incident radiation during the interaction to ensure maximum momentum transfer from the pulse to the foil, which requires proper matching of the target to the laser pulse. However, in the ultrarela-tivistic regime, this leads to large acceleration distances, over which the high laser intensity for a Gaussian laser pulse must be maintained. It is shown that proper tailoring of the laser pulse profile can significantly reduce the acceleration distance, leading to a compact laser ion accelerator, requiring less energy to operate.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
On the design of experiments to study extreme field limits
We propose experiments on the collision of high intensity electromagnetic pulses with electron bunches and on the collision of multiple electromagnetic pulses for studying extreme field limits in the nonlinear interaction of electromagnetic waves. The effects of nonlinear QED will be revealed in these laser plasma experiments.
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
Operational plasma density and laser parameters for future colliders based on laser-plasma accelerators
The operational plasma density and laser parameters for future colliders based on laser-plasma accelerators are discussed. Beamstrahlung limits the charge per bunch at low plasma densities. Reduced laser intensity is examined to improve accelerator efficiency in the beamstrahlung-limited regime.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Ion acceleration from thin foil and extended plasma targets by slow electromagnetic wave and related ion-ion beam instability
When ions are accelerated by the radiation pressure of a laser pulse, their velocity cannot exceed the pulse group velocity which can be considerably smaller than the speed of light in vacuum. This is demonstrated in two cases corresponding to a thin foil target irradiated by high intensity laser light and to the hole boring produced in an extended plasma by the laser pulse. It is found that the beams of accelerated ions are unstable against Buneman-like and Weibel-like instabilities which results in the broadening of the ion energy spectrum.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Optimized laser pulse profile for efficient radiation pressure acceleration of ions
The radiation pressure acceleration regime of laser ion acceleration requires high intensity laser pulses to function efficiently. Moreover, the foil should be opaque for incident radiation during the interaction to ensure maximum momentum transfer from the pulse to the foil, which requires proper matching of the target to the laser pulse. However, in the ultrarelativistic regime, this leads to large acceleration distances, over which the high laser intensity for a Gaussian laser pulse must be maintained. It is shown that proper tailoring of the laser pulse profile can significantly reduce the acceleration distance, leading to a compact laser ion accelerator, requiring less energy to operate.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Quasi-matched propagation of ultra-short, intense laser pulses in plasma channels
The propagation of an ultrashort and relativistically intense laser pulse in a preformed plasma channel is investigated. The nonlinear paraxial wave equation describing the laser propagation in the plasma is solved both analytically and numerically. For any arbitrary temporal laser pulse profile with a given power (less then the critical power for self-focusing) and any prescribed transverse density profile in the channel, we determine the laser intensity distribution along the pulse ensuring quasi-matched propagation, neglecting non-paraxial effects. For the case of a Gaussian laser with an initially uniform spot throughout the pulse, we determine the optimal channel depth that minimizes laser evolution (e.g., minimizes spot size oscillations). The analytical and semi-analytical results obtained for both cases in the weakly relativistic regime are presented and validated through comparison with numerical simulations.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Particle beam self-modulation instability in tapered and inhomogeneous plasma
The particle beam self-modulation instability in tapered and inhomogeneous plasmas is analyzed via an evolution equation for the beam radius. For a sufficiently fast taper, the instability is suppressed, and the condition for growth suppression is derived. The form of the taper to phase lock a trailing witness bunch in the plasma wave driven by a self-modulated beam is determined, which can increase the energy gain by several orders of magnitude. Growth of the instability places stringent constraints on the initial background plasma density fluctuations.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Modeling of 10 GeV-1 TeV laser-plasma accelerators using Lorentz boosted simulations
Modeling of laser-plasma wakefield accelerators in an optimal frame of reference [J.-L. Vay, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 130405 (2007)] allows direct and efficient full-scale modeling of deeply depleted and beam loaded laser-plasma stages of 10 GeV-1 TeV (parameters not computationally accessible otherwise). This verifies the scaling of plasma accelerators to very high energies and accurately models the laser evolution and the accelerated electron beam transverse dynamics and energy spread. Over 4, 5, and 6 orders of magnitude speedup is achieved for the modeling of 10 GeV, 100 GeV, and 1 TeV class stages, respectively. Agreement at the percentage level is demonstrated between simulations using different frames of reference for a 0.1 GeV class stage. Obtaining these speedups and levels of accuracy was permitted by solutions for handling data input (in particular, particle and laser beams injection) and output in a relativistically boosted frame of reference, as well as mitigation of a high-frequency instability that otherwise limits effectiveness.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Growth and Phase Velocity of Self-Modulated Beam-Driven Plasma Waves
A long, relativistic particle beam propagating in an overdense plasma is subject to the self-modulation instability. This instability is analyzed and the growth rate is calculated, including the phase relation. The phase velocity of the wake is shown to be significantly less than the beam velocity. These results indicate that the energy gain of a plasma accelerator driven by a self-modulated beam will be severely limited by dephasing. In the long-beam, strongly coupled regime, dephasing is reached in a homogeneous plasma in less than four e foldings, independent of beam-plasma parameters.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Group velocity and pulse lengthening of mismatched laser pulses in plasma channels
Analytic solutions are presented to the non-paraxial wave equation describing an ultra-short, low-power, laser pulse propagating in a plasma channel. Expressions for the laser pulse centroid motion and laser group velocity are derived, valid for matched and mismatched propagation in a parabolic plasma channel, as well as in vacuum, for an arbitrary Laguerre-Gaussian laser mode. The group velocity of a mismatched laser pulse, for which the laser spot size is strongly oscillating, is found to be independent of propagation distance and significantly less than that of a matched pulse. Laser pulse lengthening of a mismatched pulse owing to laser mode slippage is examined and found to dominate over that due to dispersive pulse spreading for sufficiently long pulses. Analytic results are shown to be in excellent agreement with numerical solutions of the full Maxwell equations coupled to the plasma response. Implications for plasma channel diagnostics are discussed.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
X-ray Emission from Electron Betatron Motion in a Laser-Plasma Accelerator
Single-shot x-ray spectra from electron bunches produced by a laser-plasma wakefield accelerator (LPA) were measured using a photon-counting single-shot pixelated Silicon-based detector [3], providing for the first time direct spectra without assumptions required by filter based techniques. In addition, the electron bunch source size was measured by imaging a wire target, demonstrating few micron source size and stability. X-rays are generated when trapped electrons oscillate in the focusing field of the wake trailing the driver laser pulse. In addition to improving understanding of bunch emittance and wake structure, this provides a broadband, synchronized femtosecond source of keV x-rays. Electron bunch spectra and divergence were measured simultaneously and preliminary analysis shows correlation between x-ray andelectron spectra. Bremsstrahlung background was managed using shielding and magnetic diversion.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Colliding Laser Pulses for Laser-Plasma Accelerator Injection Control
Decoupling injection from acceleration is a key challenge to achieve compact, reliable, tunable laser-plasma accelerators (LPA). In colliding pulse injection the beat between multiple laser pulses can be used to control energy, energy spread, and emittance of the electron beam by injecting electrons in momentum and phase into the accelerating phase of the wake trailing the driver laser pulse. At LBNL, using automated control of spatiotemporal overlap of laser pulses, two-pulse experiments showed stable operation and reproducibility over hours of operation. Arrival time of the colliding beam was scanned, and the measured timing window and density of optimal operation agree with simulations. The accelerator length was mapped by scanning the collision point.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Wavefront Measurement for Laser-Guiding Diagnostic
The wavefront of a short laser pulse after interaction in a laser-plasma accelerator (LPA) was measured to diagnose laser-guiding quality. Experiments were performed on a 100 TW class laser at the LOASIS facility of LBNL using a hydrogen-filled capillary discharge waveguide. Laser-guiding with a pre-formed plasma channel allows the laser pulse to propagate over many Rayleigh lengths at high intensity and is crucial to accelerate electrons to the highest possible energy. Efficient coupling of laser energy into the plasma is realized when the laser and the channel satisfy a matched guiding condition, in which the wavefront remains flat within the channel. Using a wavefront sensor, the laser-guiding quality was diagnosed based on the wavefront of the laser pulse exiting the plasma channel. This wavefront diagnostic will contribute to achieving controlled, matched guiding in future experiments.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗