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Esarey, E.

Paper Title Page
THP094 GeV Laser Wakefield Acceleration and Injection Control at LOASIS 806
 
  • C. G.R. Geddes, E. Esarey, W. Leemans, P. Michel, B. Nagler, K. Nakamura, G. R. Plateau, C. B. Schroeder, B. Shadwick, C. Toth, J. Van Tilborg
    LBNL, Berkeley, California
  • D. L. Bruhwiler, J. R. Cary
    Tech-X, Boulder, Colorado
  • S. M. Hooker
    OXFORDphysics, Oxford, Oxon
  • E. Michel
    University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada
  
  Experiments at the LOASIS laboratory of LBNL have demonstrated production of GeV electron beams with low energy spread and divergence from laser wakefield acceleration. The pondermotive force of a 40 TW laser pulse guided by a 3 cm capillary discharge plasma density channel drove an intense plasma wave (wakefield), producing acceleration gradients on the order of 50 GV/m. Electrons were trapped from the background plasma and accelerated. Beam energy was increased from 100 to 1000 MeV*, compared to earlier experiments**, by using a longer guiding channel at low density, demonstrating the anticipated scaling to higher beam energies. Particle simulations are used to understand the trapping and acceleration mechanisms. Other experiments and simulations are also underway to control injection of particles into the wake, and hence improve beam quality and stability further. Recent experimental and simulation results from channel guided laser acceleration, and initial injection results, will be presented.

*W. P. Leemans et al, submitted.
**C. G.R. Geddes et al, Nature, Sept 2004, p 538.

 
FR1001 High-Quality GeV-Level Electron Beams from Laser Plasma Accelerators 812
 
  • E. Esarey
    LBNL, Berkeley, California
  
  In 2004, three separate groups reported for the first time the production of high quality electron bunches from laser plasma accelerators in the 100 MeV range with narrow divergence and narrow energy spread [S. P.D. Mangles et al., C. G.R. Geddes et al., and J. Faure et al., Nature 30 Sep 2004]. These results were obtained using multi-ten TW lasers interacting with few-mm diameter gas jet targets. High quality electron bunches were generated by exciting plasma wakefields to sufficient amplitudes so as to self-trap electrons from the background plasma and accelerate these electrons over distances on the order of the dephasing length. Recently, the plasma was extended from a length of a few mm to a few cm by using a capillary discharge in experiments at LBNL in collaboration with Oxford University. Capillary discharges also enabled lower plasma densities, thus extending the dephasing length. This has resulted in the production of high quality electron bunches in the GeV-range. These results and the associated physics will be discussed.