High flux femtosecond x-ray emission from the electron-hose instability in laser wakefield accelerators
- Princeton Univ., Princeton, NJ (United States). Princeton Plasma Physics Lab.; Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Lancaster Univ., Lancaster (United Kingdom)
Here, bright and ultrashort duration x-ray pulses can be produced by through betatron oscillations of electrons during laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA). Our experimental measurements using the Hercules laser system demonstrate a dramatic increase in x-ray flux for interaction distances beyond the depletion/dephasing lengths, where the initial electron bunch injected into the first wake bucket catches up with the laser pulse front and the laser pulse depletes. A transition from an LWFA regime to a beam-driven plasma wakefield acceleration regime consequently occurs. The drive electron bunch is susceptible to the electron-hose instability and rapidly develops large amplitude oscillations in its tail, which leads to greatly enhanced x-ray radiation emission. We measure the x-ray flux as a function of acceleration length using a variable length gas cell. 3D particle-in-cell simulations using a Monte Carlo synchrotron x-ray emission algorithm elucidate the time-dependent variations in the radiation emission processes.
- Research Organization:
- Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- NA0002372; 1054164; FA9550-12-1-0310
- OSTI ID:
- 1434406
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1436752
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review Accelerators and Beams, Vol. 21, Issue 4; ISSN 2469-9888
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
Hybrid LWFA–PWFA staging as a beam energy and brightness transformer: conceptual design and simulations
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journal | June 2019 |
Hybrid LWFA $\vert$ PWFA Staging as a Beam Energy and Brightness Transformer : Conceptual Design and Simulations | text | January 2019 |
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