Laser wakefield acceleration of short electron bunches

The theory of electron acceleration in a plasma wake wave is developed, and the dependence of the main characteristics of accelerated electron bunches on the wakefield parameters is investigated, It is shown that using a prebunching stage, under proper conditions, the final electron density of a compressed and accelerated bunch can exceed the initial electron beam density by orders of magnitude and that longitudinal bunch compression provides quasi-monoenergetic acceleration to high energies, It is demonstrated that, for an initial electron beam radius smaller than the optimal one for efficient beam trapping, the energy spread of the compressed and accelerated electron bunch and its length can be evaluated by using the simple analytical predictions of a one-dimensional (1-D) theory. The obtained analytical results are confirmed by three-dimensional (3-D) numerical modeling     

高品质激光尾波场电子加速器

激光尾波场电子加速的加速梯度相比于传统直线加速器高了3—4个量级,对于小型化粒子加速器与辐射源的研制具有重要的意义,成为当今国内外的研究热点.台式化辐射源应用需求的提高,特别是自由电子激光装置的快速发展,对电子束流品质提出了更高的要求,激光尾波场电子加速的束流品质和稳定性是目前实现新型辐射源的首要障碍.本文归纳整理了中国科学院上海光学精密机械研究所电子加速研究团队十年来在研制台式化激光尾波场电子加速器过程中采取的方案和取得的进展.例如率先提出了注入级和加速级分离的级联加速方案,通过实验获得了GeV量级的电子束能量;基于级联加速方式利用能量啁啾控制,实验获得世界最高品质的电子束流;通过优化激光系统稳定性和特殊的气体喷流结构,获得稳定的高品质电子束流输出等.这一系列实验结果有利于进一步推进激光尾波场电子加速器的应用.     

3.3MeV直线感应加速器的电子束传输研究

采用SLAC-226程序,模拟了电子束在3.3MeV加速器中的加速与传输过程,并与从电子束传输的层流近似出发所推导的边包络方程解进行了比较。程序和包络方程都考虑了束流的自生电磁场及外加电磁场。     

Airy加速光束的局域空间频率及其在光束设计中的应用

Airy加速光束是近年来备受关注的一种新型无衍射光束. 它所具有的自由加速、无衍射及自恢复特性使其在光学微操纵、非线性光学、 电子加速等诸多领域显示出重要的应用价值. 因此, 如何方便高效地生成加速光束成为近年来的一个热点研究内容. 本文对Airy加速光束复振幅分布的空间振荡特性进行了分析, 建立了利用局域空间频率描述其加速特性的理论. 提出了利用零点坐标计算加速光束局域空间频率的方法, 通过非线性拟合给出了可以精确描述Airy光束局域空间频率的解析公式; 确定了加速光束的局域空间频率函数与加速轨迹之间的定量关系, 给出了由给定加速轨迹计算相应的局域空间频率以及加速光束的纯相位函数的一种简单计算方法. 将上述分析结果用于设计产生具有给定加速轨迹的加速光束所需的相位函数, 成功求出了能够产生圆弧形加速轨迹的新型加速光束的纯相位函数的解析表达式. 基于该相位函数设计的纯相位衍射光学元件的模拟衍射结果证明了上述方法的可行性. 关键词： 衍射光学 加速光束 局域空间频率     

Energetic electron and ion beam generation in plasma openingswitches

In this paper, we present measurements of ion and electron flows in a nanosecond plasma opening switch (NPOS) and a microsecond plasma opening switch (MPOS), performed using charge collectors. In both experiments, an electron flow toward the anode, followed by an ion flow, were observed to propagate downstream toward the load side of the plasma during the plasma opening switch (POS) conduction. In the MPOS, ion acceleration was observed to propagate axially through the entire plasma. These results are in satisfactory agreement with the predictions of the electron magnetohydrodynamics (EHMD) theory and the results of fluid and particle-in-cell (PIC) code simulations. At the beginning of the POS opening, a high-current density (≈2 kA/cm²) short-duration (10-30 ns) axial ion flow downstream toward the load was observed in both experiments, with an electron beam in front of it. These ions are accelerated at the load side of the plasma and are accompanied by comoving electrons. In the NPOS, the ion energy reaches 1.35 MeV, whereas in the MPOS, the ion energy does not exceed 100 keV. We suggest that in the NPOS the dominant mechanism for the axial ion acceleration is collective acceleration by the space charge of the electron beam, while in the MPOS, axial ion acceleration is probably governed by the Hall field in the current carrying plasma     

Parameters of the electron beam in a betatron with radial comb-type poles

Expressions for the vector potential and components of the magnetic field induction vector of a betatron with radial comb-type poles are derived. The dynamics of the electron beam in the electromagnetic betatron field is investigated in the process of electron injection and acceleration. It is demonstrated that the azimuthally varying field engender beam beats. However, the amplitudes of beam particle oscillations during acceleration do not exceed their values estimated from the symmetric azimuthal component of the betatron magnetic field induction. The energy spectrum of accelerated electrons is not described by a normal law. In the electron energy spectrum, the relative number of electrons whose energy exceeds the average value is large. Application of poles with radial combs improves the efficiency of electron capture in acceleration. Results of investigations can find application in the development and adjustment of electron beam accelerating systems. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 10, pp. 27–34, October, 2005.     

Nonstationary 2D models of the electron-wave interaction

A 2D nonstationary model of induced emission of ribbon-shaped electron beams and clusters in free space is developed in the quasi-optical approximation. On the basis of this model, the problem of enhancement of a short electromagnetic pulse propagating along a quasi-stationary ribbon electron flow, the theory of a BWT-type oscillator with radiation channeling by an electron beam, and the process of collective acceleration of a short electron cluster in the field of an intense cocurrent wave are considered.     

Conditions for the Stable Acceleration of Ion Rings by Collapsed Liners

The conditions of suppressing the collective slowing-down of an ionic beam on electrons, which is caused by the excitation of electron plasma oscillations (beam instability) by ions, are found. In contrast to available explicit and implicit indications, a large spread of the energies only in an ionic beam is insufficient for this suppression. The acceleration of ions is shown to become stable when a sufficiently large spread of the electron velocities is simultaneously present. The beam instability of ions is suppressed by the Landau damping of the ion-excited plasma waves at electrons. The results obtained are used to analyze the possibility of ion acceleration by collapsed cylindrical plasma liners.     

Three-dimensional dynamics of breakout afterburner ion acceleration using high-contrast short-pulse laser and nanoscale targets

Breakout afterburner (BOA) laser-ion acceleration has been demonstrated for the first time in the laboratory. In the BOA, an initially solid-density target undergoes relativistically induced transparency, initiating a period of enhanced ion acceleration. First-ever kinetic simulations of the BOA in three dimensions show that the ion beam forms lobes in the direction orthogonal to laser polarization and propagation. Analytic theory presented for the electron dynamics in the laser ponderomotive field explains how azimuthal symmetry breaks even for a symmetric laser intensity profile; these results are consistent with recent experiments at the Trident laser facility.     

Dynamics of an electron beam in the magnetic field of a betatron

Expressions for the vector potential and magnetic induction vector components have been obtained for a vertically asymmetric magnetic field of a betatron. The dynamics of the electron beam in the process of injection and acceleration in the electromagnetic field of the betatron has been investigated. It has been shown that the asymmetry of the magnetic field decreases the efficiency of the electron involvement in acceleration. The mutually related radial-vertical asymmetric oscillations of the electron beam in the asymmetric field lead to considerable losses of the beam particles on the walls and injector of the acceleration chamber. The results of these investigations may be useful in developing and tuning electron beam acceleration systems.__________Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 12, pp. 42–46, December, 2004.     

Tomography of injection and acceleration of monoenergetic electrons in a laser-wakefield accelerator

A tomographic diagnosis method was developed to systematically resolve the injection and acceleration processes of a monoenergetic electron beam in a laser-wakefield accelerator. It was found that all the monoenergetic electrons are injected at the same location in the plasma column and accelerated from 5 to 55 MeV energy in 200 microm distance. This is a direct measurement of the real acceleration gradient in a laser-wakefield accelerator, and the experimental data are consistent with the model of transverse wave breaking and beam loading for monoenergetic electron injection.     

基于激光等离子体加速的自由电子激光研究新进展

激光等离子体加速器能够在cm尺度内产生GeV量级的高品质电子束,为研制台式化自由电子激光提供驱动源。但是受限于激光等离子体加速中的难点和现有技术发展,电子束的品质难以达到自由电子激光的需求,尤其在稳定性、发散角和能散等方面,阻碍了台式化自由电子激光的研制。介绍了基于激光等离子体加速器的自由电子激光的最新进展,整理了目前高增益自由电子激光实验过程中存在的主要挑战和对应的解决方案与实验进展,并展望未来的发展方向。最近的研究结果证明,通过控制和优化激光等离子体加速器的注入和加速过程产生的高品质电子束可以在指数增益区域实现自发辐射放大,产生高增益的辐射,这也推动基于激光等离子体加速器的自由电子激光研究进入了一个新的阶段。     

轴向加速管—一种新的高功率微波源

 提出一种新的高功率微波源器件——轴向加速管,与径向加速管比较,有两点不同：在二极管/共振腔后加了一个加速区及将径向加速改为轴向加速。研究了这种器件中电子束的群聚和辐射。发现在二极管与共振腔结合的系统里,电子束可实现理想群聚,各次谐波电流在非相对论条件下可达到初始电流的5.6倍。通过电子束再加速和仔细设计提取腔,可望得到可调频率和高功率的微波脉冲。     

Electron acceleration to GeV energy by a radially polarized laser

We present a relativistic single particle simulation of vacuum acceleration of an electron by a high-intensity radially polarized laser beam. The inherent complete symmetry of radially polarized laser beam leads to improvement in the trapping and acceleration of an electron so that an electron can be accelerated to the level of GeV. In addition, the external magnetic field further enhances the electron acceleration. Hence, an electron of ultrahigh energy was observed. The strong correlation between final electron energy and scattering angle is discussed.     

Hosing instability in the blow-out regime for plasma-wakefield acceleration

The electron hosing instability in the blow-out regime of plasma-wakefield acceleration is investigated using a linear perturbation theory about the electron blow-out trajectory in Lu et al. [in Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 165002 (2006)10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.165002]. The growth of the instability is found to be affected by the beam parameters unlike in the standard theory Whittum et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 991 (1991)10.1103/PhysRevLett.67.991] which is strictly valid for preformed channels. Particle-in-cell simulations agree with this new theory, which predicts less hosing growth than found by the hosing theory of Whittum et al.     

Simulation of a Radio-Frequency Photogun for the Generation of Ultrashort Beams

A radio-frequency photogun for the generation of ultrashort electron beams to be used in fast electron diffractoscopy, wakefield acceleration experiments, and the design of accelerating structures of the millimeter range is modeled. The beam parameters at the photogun output needed for each type of experiment are determined. The general outline of the photogun is given, its electrodynamic parameters are calculated, and the accelerating field distribution is obtained. The particle dynamics is analyzed in the context of the required output beam parameters. The optimal initial beam characteristics and field amplitudes are chosen. A conclusion is made regarding the obtained beam parameters.     

Estimation of the longitudinal electric field produced by a relativistic electron beam in a plasma

An axially symmetric model is used to analytically estimate the longitudinal electric field created in a plasma by an injected electron beam. The relationship can be used to estimate the electron beam energy loss in the range of parameters where theoretical studies rely only on numerical simulations. The results are of interest for creating relativistic electron beams, studying their relaxation in plasma, and developing new methods for charged particle acceleration.     

Two-color-laser-driven direct electron acceleration in infinite vacuum

We propose a direct electron acceleration scheme that uses a two-color pulsed radially polarized laser beam. The two-color scheme achieves electron acceleration exceeding 90% of the theoretical energy gain limit, over twice of what is possible with a one-color pulsed beam of equal total energy and pulse duration. The scheme succeeds by exploiting the Gouy phase shift to cause an acceleration-favoring interference of fields only as the electron enters its effectively final accelerating cycle. Optimization conditions and power scaling characteristics are discussed.     

Generation of high-quality electron beams from a laser-based advanced accelerator

At Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) we have established a research laboratory for advanced acceleration research based on high-power lasers and plasma technologies. In a primary experiment based on the laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) scheme, multi-hundred MeV electron beams of reasonable quality are generated using 20-40 TW, 30 femtosecond laser pulses interacting independently with helium, neon, nitrogen and argon gas jet targets. The laser-plasma interaction conditions are optimized for stabilizing the electron beam generation from each type of gas. The electron beam pointing angle stability and divergence angle as well as the energy spectra from each gas jet are measured and compared.     

Prospects for electron cooling of antiprotons at low energies

The motivation of using electron cooling in low-energy antiproton storage rings and the expected cooling performance are discussed. Results obtained recently, during the first operation of electron cooling in LEAR at CERN with a 50 MeV proton beam, are summarized, concerning in particular the equilibrium beam properties, the recombination between cooling electrons and cooled protons, and the deceleartion of acceleration of protons by friction in the electron beam. Conclusions are drawn for the formation of antihydrogen with the cooled antiproton beam, and for the deceleration of antiprotons to energies close to or below 1 MeV.