Particle-in-cell simulations of tunneling ionization effects in plasma-based accelerators

Journal Article · Wed Feb 12 04:00:00 EST 2003 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1566027· OSTI ID:815357

Bruhwiler, David L ^[1]; Dimitrov, D A; Cary, John R; Esarey, Eric; Leemans, Wim; Giacone, Rodolfo E

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1. LBNL Library

Plasma-based accelerators can sustain accelerating gradients on the order of 100 GV/m. If the plasma is not fully ionized, fields of this magnitude will ionize neutral atoms via electron tunneling, which can completely change the dynamics of the plasma wake. Particle-in-cell simulations of a high-field plasma wakefield accelerator, using the OOPIC code, which includes field-induced tunneling ionization of neutral Li gas, show that the presence of even moderate neutral gas density significantly degrades the quality of the wakefield. The tunneling ionization model in OOPIC has been validated via a detailed comparison with experimental data from the l'OASIS laboratory. The properties of a wake generated directly from a neutral gas are studied, showing that one can recover the peak fields of the fully ionized plasma simulations, if the density of the electron drive bunch is increased such that the bunch rapidly ionized the gas.

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Director, Office of Science. High Energy Physics (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 815357
• Report Number(s): LBNL--52177
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 10; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
ACCELERATORS
ATOMS
ELECTRONS
IONIZATION
LASER PLASMA ACCELERATORS
PLASMA
PLASMA SIMULATION
TUNNELING
WAKEFIELD ACCELERATORS