Controlling the spectrum of x-rays generated in a laser-plasma accelerator by tailoring the laser wavefront

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 23:00:00 EST 2009 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3258022· OSTI ID:21294412

Mangles, S P. D.; Kneip, S; Dover, N P; Najmudin, Z; Schreiber, J ^[1]; Genoud, G; Burza, M; Kamperidis, C; Persson, A; Wahlstroem, C -G ^[2]; Cassou, K; Cros, B; Wojda, F ^[3]

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1. Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)
2. Department of Physics, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, S-22100 Lund (Sweden)
3. Laboratoire de Physique des Gaz et des Plasmas, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Universite Paris XI, 91405 Orsay (France)

By tailoring the wavefront of the laser pulse used in a laser-wakefield accelerator, we show that the properties of the x-rays produced due to the electron beam's betatron oscillations in the plasma can be controlled. By creating a wavefront with coma, we find that the critical energy of the synchrotronlike x-ray spectrum can be significantly increased. The coma does not substantially change the energy of the electron beam, but does increase its divergence and produces an energy-dependent exit angle, indicating that changes in the x-ray spectrum are due to an increase in the electron beam's oscillation amplitude within the wakefield.

• OSTI ID: 21294412
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 18 Vol. 95; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BETATRON OSCILLATIONS
BETATRONS
ELECTRON BEAMS
ENERGY DEPENDENCE
LASERS
PLASMA
PLASMA GUNS
WAKEFIELD ACCELERATORS
X-RAY SOURCES
X-RAY SPECTRA