Generation of ultrashort electron bunches by colliding laser pulses
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
- Beam Physics Branch, Plasma Physics Division, Navel Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia 20375 (United States)
- Center for Beam Physics, Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
A proposed laser-plasma based relativistic electron source [E. Esarey {ital et al.}, Phys. Rev. Lett. {bold 79}, 2682 (1997)] using laser triggered injection of electrons is investigated. The source generates ultrashort electron bunches by dephasing and trapping background plasma electrons undergoing fluid oscillations in an excited plasma wake. The plasma electrons are dephased by colliding two counter-propagating laser pulses which generate a slow phase velocity beat wave. Laser pulse intensity thresholds for trapping and the optimal wake phase for injection are calculated. Numerical simulations of test particles, with prescribed plasma and laser fields, are used to verify analytic predictions and to study the longitudinal and transverse dynamics of the trapped plasma electrons. Simulations indicate that the colliding laser pulse injection scheme has the capability to produce relativistic femtosecond electron bunches with fractional energy spread of order a few percent and normalized transverse emittance less than 1 mm mrad using 1 TW injection laser pulses. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG03-95ER40936
- OSTI ID:
- 701001
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-980742-; ISSN 0094-243X; TRN: 9922M0036
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 472, Issue 1; Conference: 8. workshop on advanced accelerator concepts, Baltimore, MD (United States), 6-11 Jul 1998; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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