Photon acceleration in the amplified plasma density wake of two copropagating laser pulses

doi:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3457125

Title: Photon acceleration in the amplified plasma density wake of two copropagating laser pulses

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Abstract

Photon acceleration of a laser pulse occurs in a medium with a space and time-varying permittivity. Using Hamiltonian formulation, a theoretical study of the frequency upshift of a probe laser pulse, which is considered as a 'quasiphoton' or 'test particle,' propagating through an amplified plasma density wake of two copropagating laser pulses, is presented. The linear superposition of wakefields studied using an analytical model shows that the presence of a controlling pulse amplifies the wake of a driver pulse. The amplified wake amplitude can be controlled by varying the delay between the two pulses. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate wake superposition due to the two copropagating laser pulses. A phase space analysis shows that the probe photon can experience a significant frequency upshift in the amplified density wake. Furthermore, the range of photon frequencies trapped and accelerated is determined by the amplitude of the density wake.

Authors:

Raj, G; Islam, M R; Ersfeld, B; Jaroszynski, D A ^[1]

Department of Physics, Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom and University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG (United Kingdom)

Publication Date:: 2010-07-15

OSTI Identifier:: 21389131

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Physics of Plasmas

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 17; Journal Issue: 7; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3457125; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; ACCELERATION; HAMILTONIANS; LASERS; PERMITTIVITY; PHOTONS; PLASMA DENSITY; PLASMA GUNS; PLASMA SIMULATION; PROBES; TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS; BOSONS; DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES; ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; MASSLESS PARTICLES; MATHEMATICAL OPERATORS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; QUANTUM OPERATORS; SIMULATION

Citation Formats


                    Raj, G, Islam, M R, Ersfeld, B, and Jaroszynski, D A. Photon acceleration in the amplified plasma density wake of two copropagating laser pulses.  United States: N. p., 2010. 
        Web.  doi:10.1063/1.3457125.

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                    Raj, G, Islam, M R, Ersfeld, B, & Jaroszynski, D A. Photon acceleration in the amplified plasma density wake of two copropagating laser pulses.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3457125

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                    Raj, G, Islam, M R, Ersfeld, B, and Jaroszynski, D A. Thu .  
        "Photon acceleration in the amplified plasma density wake of two copropagating laser pulses".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3457125.

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@article{osti_21389131,

  title        = {Photon acceleration in the amplified plasma density wake of two copropagating laser pulses},

  author       = {Raj, G and Islam, M R and Ersfeld, B and Jaroszynski, D A},

  abstractNote = {Photon acceleration of a laser pulse occurs in a medium with a space and time-varying permittivity. Using Hamiltonian formulation, a theoretical study of the frequency upshift of a probe laser pulse, which is considered as a 'quasiphoton' or 'test particle,' propagating through an amplified plasma density wake of two copropagating laser pulses, is presented. The linear superposition of wakefields studied using an analytical model shows that the presence of a controlling pulse amplifies the wake of a driver pulse. The amplified wake amplitude can be controlled by varying the delay between the two pulses. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate wake superposition due to the two copropagating laser pulses. A phase space analysis shows that the probe photon can experience a significant frequency upshift in the amplified density wake. Furthermore, the range of photon frequencies trapped and accelerated is determined by the amplitude of the density wake.},

  doi          = {10.1063/1.3457125},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21389131},
  journal      = {Physics of Plasmas},

  issn         = {1070-664X},

  number       = 7,

  volume       = 17,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2010},

  month        = {7}

}

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https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3457125

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