Preformed transient gas channels for laser wakefield particle acceleration

Journal Article · Thu Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.49613· OSTI ID:284183

Wood, W M ^[1]

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1. Mail stop E-526, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

A variation on a method demonstrated by Durfee and Milchberg is described for creating extended regions of controlled plasma density which are ideal for plasma wakefield acceleration experiments. Heating of an axially-symmetric region of gas results in a supersonic expansion. The resulting {ital charge}-{ital neutral} density channel offsets the defocusing plasma density profile typically present during high-field ionization of gases. High-intensity, ultrashort pulses incident upon the channel ionize the gas and create waveguiding index profiles which can extend over hundreds of Rayleigh ranges. Immediately following the high-field ionization, a well-predicted plasma density should exist within the channel. Subsequent ultrashort pulses can be used to probe the properties of the channel. When used for plasma wakefield acceleration, energies in the hundreds of MeV can be expected. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 284183
• Report Number(s): CONF-9411120--
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 356; ISSN 0094-243X; ISSN APCPCS
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
BEAM-PLASMA SYSTEMS
DESIGN
ELECTRON BEAMS
GASES
LIGHT TRANSMISSION
MEV RANGE
PULSE TECHNIQUES
WAKEFIELD ACCELERATORS