Radiation from laser accelerated electron bunches: Coherent terahertz and femtosecond X-rays

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 2004 · IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science

OSTI ID:838197

Leemans, W P ^[1]; Esarey, E; van Tilborg, J; Michel, P A; Schroeder, C B; Toth, Cs; Geddes, C G.R.; Shadwick, B A

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1. LBNL Library

Electron beam based radiation sources provide electromagnetic radiation for countless applications. The properties of the radiation are primarily determined by the properties of the electron beam. Compact laser driven accelerators are being developed that can provide ultra-short electron bunches (femtosecond duration) with relativistic energies reaching towards a GeV. The electron bunches are produced when an intense laser interacts with a dense plasma and excites a large amplitude plasma density modulation (wakefield) that can trap background electrons and accelerate them to high energies. The short pulse nature of the accelerated bunches and high particle energy offer the possibility of generating radiation from one compact source that ranges from coherent terahertz to gamma rays. The intrinsic synchronization to a laser pulse and unique character of the radiation offers a wide range of possibilities for scientific applications. Two particular radiation source regimes are discussed: Coherent terahertz emission and x-ray emission based on betatron oscillations and Thomson scattering.

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Director. Office of Science. Office of High Energy Physics; Hertz Foundation (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 838197
• Report Number(s): LBNL--56584
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science Journal Issue: 1 Pt 1 Vol. 33
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
ACCELERATORS
AMPLITUDES
BETATRON OSCILLATIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRONS
LASERS
LASERS PLASMAS ELECTRON ACCELERATORS ELECTROMAGETIC RADIATION X-RAYS
MODULATION
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIATIONS
SYNCHRONIZATION
THOMSON SCATTERING