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Title: Compact tunable Compton x-ray source from laser-plasma accelerator and plasma mirror

Abstract

We present an in-depth experimental-computational study of the parameters necessary to optimize a tunable, quasi-monoenergetic, efficient, low-background Compton backscattering (CBS) x-ray source that is based on the self-aligned combination of a laser-plasma accelerator (LPA) and a plasma mirror (PM). The main findings are (1) an LPA driven in the blowout regime by 30 TW, 30 fs laser pulses produce not only a high-quality, tunable, quasi-monoenergetic electron beam, but also a high-quality, relativistically intense (a{sub 0} ∼ 1) spent drive pulse that remains stable in profile and intensity over the LPA tuning range. (2) A thin plastic film near the gas jet exit retro-reflects the spent drive pulse efficiently into oncoming electrons to produce CBS x-rays without detectable bremsstrahlung background. Meanwhile, anomalous far-field divergence of the retro-reflected light demonstrates relativistic “denting” of the PM. Exploiting these optimized LPA and PM conditions, we demonstrate quasi-monoenergetic (50% FWHM energy spread), tunable (75–200 KeV) CBS x-rays, characteristics previously achieved only on more powerful laser systems by CBS of a split-off, counter-propagating pulse. Moreover, laser-to-x-ray photon conversion efficiency (∼6 × 10{sup −12}) exceeds that of any previous LPA-based quasi-monoenergetic Compton source. Particle-in-cell simulations agree well with the measurements.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ;  [1]; ; ;  [2]
  1. Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States)
  2. Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-1081 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22408136
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 22; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; BACKSCATTERING; BLOWOUTS; BREMSSTRAHLUNG; COMPTON EFFECT; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; ELECTRON BEAMS; LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA; MIRRORS; PHOTONS; PLASMA GUNS; PLASTICS; PULSES; RELATIVISTIC RANGE; THIN FILMS; VISIBLE RADIATION; X RADIATION; X-RAY SOURCES

Citation Formats

Tsai, Hai-En, Wang, Xiaoming, Shaw, Joseph M., Li, Zhengyan, Zgadzaj, Rafal, Henderson, Watson, Downer, M. C., E-mail: downer@physics.utexas.edu, Arefiev, Alexey V., Zhang, Xi, Khudik, V., Shvets, G., and Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712. Compact tunable Compton x-ray source from laser-plasma accelerator and plasma mirror. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4907655.
Tsai, Hai-En, Wang, Xiaoming, Shaw, Joseph M., Li, Zhengyan, Zgadzaj, Rafal, Henderson, Watson, Downer, M. C., E-mail: downer@physics.utexas.edu, Arefiev, Alexey V., Zhang, Xi, Khudik, V., Shvets, G., & Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712. Compact tunable Compton x-ray source from laser-plasma accelerator and plasma mirror. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4907655
Tsai, Hai-En, Wang, Xiaoming, Shaw, Joseph M., Li, Zhengyan, Zgadzaj, Rafal, Henderson, Watson, Downer, M. C., E-mail: downer@physics.utexas.edu, Arefiev, Alexey V., Zhang, Xi, Khudik, V., Shvets, G., and Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712. 2015. "Compact tunable Compton x-ray source from laser-plasma accelerator and plasma mirror". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4907655.
@article{osti_22408136,
title = {Compact tunable Compton x-ray source from laser-plasma accelerator and plasma mirror},
author = {Tsai, Hai-En and Wang, Xiaoming and Shaw, Joseph M. and Li, Zhengyan and Zgadzaj, Rafal and Henderson, Watson and Downer, M. C., E-mail: downer@physics.utexas.edu and Arefiev, Alexey V. and Zhang, Xi and Khudik, V. and Shvets, G. and Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712},
abstractNote = {We present an in-depth experimental-computational study of the parameters necessary to optimize a tunable, quasi-monoenergetic, efficient, low-background Compton backscattering (CBS) x-ray source that is based on the self-aligned combination of a laser-plasma accelerator (LPA) and a plasma mirror (PM). The main findings are (1) an LPA driven in the blowout regime by 30 TW, 30 fs laser pulses produce not only a high-quality, tunable, quasi-monoenergetic electron beam, but also a high-quality, relativistically intense (a{sub 0} ∼ 1) spent drive pulse that remains stable in profile and intensity over the LPA tuning range. (2) A thin plastic film near the gas jet exit retro-reflects the spent drive pulse efficiently into oncoming electrons to produce CBS x-rays without detectable bremsstrahlung background. Meanwhile, anomalous far-field divergence of the retro-reflected light demonstrates relativistic “denting” of the PM. Exploiting these optimized LPA and PM conditions, we demonstrate quasi-monoenergetic (50% FWHM energy spread), tunable (75–200 KeV) CBS x-rays, characteristics previously achieved only on more powerful laser systems by CBS of a split-off, counter-propagating pulse. Moreover, laser-to-x-ray photon conversion efficiency (∼6 × 10{sup −12}) exceeds that of any previous LPA-based quasi-monoenergetic Compton source. Particle-in-cell simulations agree well with the measurements.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4907655},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22408136}, journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
issn = {1070-664X},
number = 2,
volume = 22,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Sun Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

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