Photon and positron generation by ultrahigh intensity laser interaction with electron beams

This study investigates the generation of high energy photons and positrons using focused ultrahigh intensity femtosecond laser pulses on a relativistic electron beam with a set of two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. We consider circularly and linearly polarized, single and spatially separated double laser pulses. We model both 500 MeV and 1 GeV electron beams. Higher positron production is obtained using circularly polarized laser pulses. Using double pulses, the focusing effect of the ponderomotive force confines the electrons to a small volume, generating additional energetic photons and positrons. The positron spectral distributions are effectively modified by these variations. When the electron beam energy is doubled, the number of positrons increased, while the cutoff energy remained nearly constant.     

x强流相对论环形电子束在低磁场中传输分析

用理论和粒子模拟相结合的方法分析了强流薄环形相对论电子束在低磁场导引下,在均匀波导,无箔二极管,以及锥形波导和渐减磁场位形条件下的传输过程,研究了束包络的波动和如何减少波动的问题。分析表明：在无箔二极管中一个适当渐增的磁场位形可以有效地抑制束电子的径向运动,从而减少电子在波导中的波动幅度;电子束在锥形波导和渐减磁场位形中运动,不会增加束电子的波动。因此适当的磁场位形可以降低微波器件对导引磁场的要求,有利于实现永磁包装微波器件。     

x强流相对论环形电子束在低磁场中传输分析

 用理论和粒子模拟相结合的方法分析了强流薄环形相对论电子束在低磁场导引下，在均匀波导，无箔二极管，以及锥形波导和渐减磁场位形条件下的传输过程，研究了束包络的波动和如何减少波动的问题。分析表明：在无箔二极管中一个适当渐增的磁场位形可以有效地抑制束电子的径向运动，从而减少电子在波导中的波动幅度；电子束在锥形波导和渐减磁场位形中运动，不会增加束电子的波动。因此适当的磁场位形可以降低微波器件对导引磁场的要求，有利于实现永磁包装微波器件。     

Formation of closed magnetic field line plasma systems using intense relativistic electron beams

Closed magnetic field plasma confinement geometries produced by plasma currents induced by rotating intense relativistic electron beams are discussed conceptually. Experimental evidence for the formation of such layers is presented.     

Enhanced electron trapping by a static longitudinal magnetic field in laser wakefield acceleration

An externally applied longitudinal magnetic field was found to enhance the particle trapping in the laser wakefield acceleration. When a static magnetic field of a few tens of tesla is applied in parallel with the propagation direction of a driving laser pulse, it is shown from two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations that total charge of the trapped beam and its maximum energy increase. The analysis of electron trajectories strongly suggests that the enhanced trapping originates from the suppression of the transverse motion by the magnetic field. The enhanced trapping by the magnetic field was observed consistently for various values of the plasma density, the amplitude of the laser pulse and pulse spot size.     

相对论电子束在角向磁场中产生硬X射线的实验研究

 在闪光二号加速器上用相对论电子束在低压气体和角向磁场中传输打靶的方法，进行了硬X射线产生的实验研究。在47cm传输距离上，电子束与钽靶作用，获得了面积积分剂量率为2.1×10¹⁰Gy·cm²/s的硬X射线辐射（能谱范围为20～120keV），在总的辐照面积上(4π方向)面积积分剂量达1 843Gy·cm²，X射线转换率达到108Gy·cm²/kJ。     

Measurements of the transverse electron velocities in high-current microsecond relativistic electron beams in a strong magnetic field

An analyzer is created for time-resolved measurements of the electron pitch-angles in high-current microsecond relativistic electron beams in a strong magnetic field. The electron pitch-angles in a 500-keV relativistic electron beam with a current density of ∼1 kA/cm² and a 1-μs flat-top current profile are measured. The diode proposed previously by the authors allows one to produce a high-current electron beam in which pitchangles vary only slightly with time and over the beam cross section.     

Study of the magnetic analyzer of relativistic helical electron beams

The paper presents the results of studying the analyzer of helical electron beams experimentally. The analyzer is based on separation of electron velocity fractions in the adiabatically growing magnetic field. Optimization of the analyzer design to minimize the amount of electrons reflected from the analyzer elements made it possible to practically eliminate the systematic error in measurements of the velocity spread and pitch-factor. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 134–140, February 2006.     

Effect of external static magnetic field on the emittance and total charge of electron beams generated by laser-Wakefield acceleration

Significant enhancement of emittance and an increase of the total charge of femtosecond electron beams produced by a 12 TW, 40 fs laser pulse, tightly focused in a He gas jet, are observed after applying a static magnetic field, B> or =0.2 T, directed along the axis of laser pulse propagation. The effect appears when plasma produced by a laser prepulse becomes magnetized in the vicinity of the focus point: the electron Larmor frequency exceeds the collisional frequency, while periphery of the plasma remains unmagnetized. The entailed change in the shape of the plasma suppresses the diffraction of the main laser pulse that results in a much higher charge of electrons self-injected during the longitudinal wave breaking of the laser wake as well as the excellent stability of the beams.     

Channeling of relativistic laser pulses, surface waves, and electron acceleration

The interaction of a high-energy relativistic laser pulse with an underdense plasma is studied by means of 3-dimensional particle in cell simulations and theoretical analysis. For powers above the threshold for channeling, the laser pulse propagates as a single mode in an electron-free channel during a time of the order of 1?picosecond. The steep laser front gives rise to the excitation of a surface wave along the sharp boundaries of the ion channel. The surface wave first traps electrons at the channel wall and preaccelerates them to relativistic energies. These particles then have enough energy to be further accelerated in a second stage through an interplay between the acceleration due to the betatron resonance and the acceleration caused by the longitudinal part of the surface wave electric field. It is necessary to introduce this two-stage process to explain the large number of high-energy electrons observed in the simulations.     

Collective acceleration of ions by relativistic electron rings

The collective acceleration of hydrogen and helium ions by relativistic electron rings has been successful, using a very fast ring compression, and has clearly been demonstrated by the inertia of the loaded rings and by nuclear track recording.     

Simulation of relaxation processes in electron beams at high magnetic fields

Molecular-dynamics simulations of relaxation processes in electron beams at high magnetic fields are presented. The result of the longitudinal–longitudinal relaxation and the rate of the transverse–longitudinal relaxation are calculated for magnetic fields between 0.006 and 0.1 T for electron beam parameters typical of those in low-energy electron coolers. Comparisons with theoretical and experimental values are made. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Plasma-field structures during relativistic laser interaction with overdense plasmas at finite electron temperatures

A simple model taking into account the effect of electron temperature is derived to define the plasma-field structures which may arise during relativistically intense laser interaction with overdense plasmas. We show that there exist multilayer solutions with electron cavitation, allowing for both relativistic and ponderomotive nonlinearities. The influence of finite electron temperature on such structures is studied. Examples of these plasma-field structures for the cases of an infinite plasma and a plasma layer are presented.     

Effects of sidelobes of focused flat-topped laser beams on vacuum electron acceleration

Using three-dimensional test particle simulations, we investigated electrons accelerated by a focused flat-top laser beam at different intensities and flatness levels of the beam profile before focusing in vacuum. The results show that the presence of sidelobes around the main focal spot of the focused flat-top laser beam influences the optimum (as far as electron acceleration is concerned) initial momentum (and incident angle) of electrons for acceleration. The difference of initial conditions between laser beams with and without sidelobes becomes evident when the laser field is strong enough (a₀>10, corresponding to intensities I>1×10²⁰ W/cm² for the laser wavelength λ=1 μm, where a₀ is a dimensionless parameter measuring laser intensity). The difference becomes more pronounced at increasing a₀. Because of the presence of sidelobes, there exist three typical CAS (capture and acceleration scenario) channels when a₀≥30 (corresponding to I>1×10²¹ W/cm² for λ=1 μm). The energy spread of the outgoing electrons is also discussed in detail. PACS 41.75.Jv; 42.60.Jf; 42.25.Fx     

Transverse dynamics of high-density relativistic electron beams propagating in plasma in the direction of the external magnetic field

Based on analysis of the effective potential, a possibility is found to realize a single type of radial evolution of high-density relativistic electron beams. This operating mode is characterized by periodic oscillations of the beam radius within a certain range. Conditions are found for radial beam stabilization under this beam transport regime.     

Electron acceleration in the inverse free electron laser with a helical wiggler by axial magnetic field and ion-channel guiding

Electron acceleration in the inverse free electron laser (IFEL) with a helical wiggler in the presence of ion-channel guiding and axial magnetic field is investigated in this article. The effects of tapering wiggler amplitude and axial magnetic field are calculated for the electron acceleration. In free electron lasers, electron beams lose energy through radiation while in IFEL electron beams gain energy from the laser. The equation of electron motion and the equation of energy exchange between a single electron and electromagnetic waves are derived and then solved numerically using the fourth order Runge-Kutta method. The tapering effects of a wiggler magnetic field on electron acceleration are investigated and the results show that the electron acceleration increases in the case of a tapered wiggler magnetic field with a proper taper constant.     

Forward acceleration and generation of femtosecond megaelectronvolt electron beams by an ultrafast intense laser pulse

We present a new mechanism of energy gain of electrons accelerated by a laser pulse.It is shown thatwhen the intensity of an ultrafast intense laser pulse decreases rapidly along the direction of propagation,electrons leaving the pulse experience an action of ponderomotivc deceleration at the descending part ofa lower-intensity laser field than acceleration at the ascending part of a high-intensity field, thus gain netenergy from the pulse and move directly forward. By means of such a mechanism, a megaelectronvoltelectron beam with a bunch length shorter than 100 fs could be realized with an ultrafast(≤30 fs),intense (>10~(19)W/cm~2)laser pulse.