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.     

Effect of electron and optical factors on the beam extraction coefficient of large-area electron accelerators

A combined numerical-analytical model for the electron-optical system of a large-area accelerator is suggested. The model is used to analyze various electron and optical factors that affect the beam extraction coefficient. To find ways of improving the beam extraction coefficient, the spatial and angular characteristics of the beam are calculated in various cross sections. The effect of the magnetic field produced by the cathode filament current is studied in detail for the first time.     

Imaging electron trajectories in a laser-wakefield cavity using betatron X-ray radiation

We demonstrate that betatron x-ray radiation accurately provides direct imaging of electrons trajectories accelerated in laser wakefields. Experimental far field x-ray beam profiles reveal that electrons can follow similar transverse trajectories with typical excursions of 1.5 microm+/-0.5 microm in the plane of laser polarization and 0.7 microm+/-0.2 microm in the plane perpendicular.     

Formation of wide-aperture electron beams in electron accelerators with explosive emission cathodes

The problems concerning the formation of electron beams of microsecond duration, electron energy 500–600 keV, and current density up to 20–30 A/cm² with a rectangular cross section of area 0.1–1 m² in high-current electron accelerators with explosive emission cathodes are considered. The designs of vacuum diodes capable of producing such beams to be used in high-power lasers and for ionization of gas in large volumes are presented. Institute of High-Current Electronics, Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 87–91, April, 2000.     

Study of the possibility of the production and separation of the 18F radioisotope at electron accelerators

The possibility of production and separation of the ¹⁸F medical radioisotope at a race-track microtron with an accelerated electron energy of 55 MeV in the ²³Na(γ, αn) photonuclear reaction is studied. Ion-exchange chromatography is used to separate ¹⁸F from irradiated NaOH targets.     

Laser-wakefield acceleration of monoenergetic electron beams in the first plasma-wave period

Beam profile measurements of laser-wakefield accelerated electron bunches reveal that in the monoenergetic regime the electrons are injected and accelerated at the back of the first period of the plasma wave. With pulse durations ctau >or= lambda(p), we observe an elliptical beam profile with the axis of the ellipse parallel to the axis of the laser polarization. This increase in divergence in the laser polarization direction indicates that the electrons are accelerated within the laser pulse. Reducing the plasma density (decreasing ctau/lambda(p)) leads to a beam profile with less ellipticity, implying that the self-injection occurs at the rear of the first period of the plasma wave. This also demonstrates that the electron bunches are less than a plasma wavelength long, i.e., have a duration <25 fs. This interpretation is supported by 3D particle-in-cell simulations.     

Characterization of electron flow in negative- andpositive-polarity linear-induction accelerators

The operation of the linear-induction accelerators HELIA and Hermes III was studied in both negative and positive polarities. The experiments in positive polarity have provided a unique opportunity to explore the consequences of multiple-cathode electron emission in magnetically insulated transmission lines. It is maintained that an examination of the total energy-canonical momentum distribution of the electrons explains the features of the magnetically insulated flow exhibited by these systems. Simple analysis based on the basic concept of pressure balance, in conjunction with particle-in-cell numerical simulations, shows how the line voltage is related to the anode and cathode currents. Two flow designations are introduced that can apply to multiple-cathode, magnetically insulated transmission lines: full-gap flow (FGF) and locally emitted flow (LEF)     

Accurate monoenergetic electron parameters of laser wakefield in a bubble model

A reliable analytical expression for the potential of plasma waves with phase velocities near the speed of light is derived. The presented spheroid cavity model is more consistent than the previous spherical and ellipsoidal model and it explains the mono-energetic electron trajectory more accurately, especially at the relativistic region. As a result, the quasi-mono-energetic electrons output beam interacting with the laser plasma can be more appropriately described with this model.     

Efficiency and energy spread in laser-wakefield acceleration

The theoretical limits on efficiency and energy spread of the laser-wakefield accelerator are investigated using a one-dimensional model. Modifications, both of the wakefield due to the electron bunch, and of the laser pulse shape due to the varying permittivity of the plasma, are described self-consistently. It is found that a short laser pulse gives a higher efficiency than a long laser pulse with the same initial energy. Energy spread can be minimized by optimizing bunch length and bunch charge such that the variation of the accelerating force along the length of the bunch is minimized. An inherent trade-off between energy spread and efficiency exists.     

Application of aluminum and titanium foils in low-energy wide-aperture electron accelerators

We have reported on the results of theoretical and experimental investigations of characteristics of aluminum and titanium foils used in devices to extract electron beams from wide-aperture low-energy accelerators with a high current density. The mechanical properties of foils at different temperatures and the electron beam transmission and absorption coefficients have been compared. The results of analyzing the dependences of the efficiency of the electron beam extraction from accelerators on the type of the electron–optical system, material, and thickness of the foil for various sizes of extraction windows and the same type of the slot support grids have been presented. We have proposed an analytic model for calculating the temperature of the foil in the unit cell of the support grid. The electron transmittance and absorbance, as well as the temperature regimes of the foils, have been calculated using different methods.     

Production and use of low-energy,monoenergetic positron beams from electron LINACS

Low-energy intense positron beams derived from pair production can be made at high-energy electron linacs and such beams are in operation or under installation at several linac facilities. Using a pulsed position beam made at a 100 MeV electron linac, we have measured the intensity and velocity distribution of positronium emitted from materials by measuring the time-of-flight of annihilating positronium. The time-of-flight data are augmented by positron lifetime and angular correlation measurements performed with the beam. Positronium spectra have been measured for a number of metallic samples. Several new observations have been made including details of the energy distribution of positronium emission formed by a thermalized positron and a conduction electron and the production of positronium from energetic positrons scattered out of the sample.This paper is based upon an invited talk given by R.H.H. at the International Symposium Production of Low-Energy Positrons with Accelerators and Applications Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, FRG (25–27 September, 1986)     

Generation of stable, low-divergence electron beams by laser-wakefield acceleration in a steady-state-flow gas cell

Laser-driven, quasimonoenergetic electron beams of up to approximately 200 MeV in energy have been observed from steady-state-flow gas cells. These beams emitted within a low-divergence cone of 2.1+/-0.5 mrad FWHM display unprecedented shot-to-shot stability in energy (2.5% rms), pointing (1.4 mrad rms), and charge (16% rms) owing to a highly reproducible gas-density profile within the interaction volume. Laser-wakefield acceleration in gas cells of this type provides a simple and reliable source of relativistic electrons suitable for applications such as the production of extreme-ultraviolet undulator radiation.     

Measurement of electron clouds in large accelerators by microwave dispersion

Clouds of low energy electrons in the vacuum beam pipes of accelerators of positively charged particle beams present a serious limitation for operation at high currents. Furthermore, it is difficult to probe their density over substantial lengths of the beam pipe. We have developed a novel technique to directly measure the electron cloud density via the phase shift induced in a TE wave transmitted over a section of the accelerator and used it to measure the average electron cloud density over a 50 m section in the positron ring of the PEP-II collider at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.     

Intense source of slow positrons from pulsed electron accelerators

A pulsed LINAC is used for pair production in a tantalum target of 2.5 radiation lengths in an energy range from 80 to 260 MeV. Several well-annealed tungsten vanes are placed immediately behind the target and thermalize a small fraction of the fast positrons. The slow positrons are extracted from the target region and magnetically guided over a distance of 17 m to the detector at the end of an S-shaped solenoid. Two Nal detectors with well-known detection efficiency are used to register the 511 keV annihilation-rays. To reduce pile-up effects 50 mm of Pb were placed in front of the detectors. At an average electron current of 1 A we could detect about 10⁷ slow positrons per second. The positron yield is proportional to the electron current, and shows an increase with the electron energy for our target. The positron energy distribution has a FWHM of 1.8 eV.     

Evaluation of neutron production in new accelerators for radiotherapy

Ambient dose equivalent, H*(10), and personal dose equivalent, Hp(10), were calculated in different points located inside two different treatment rooms. 15-MV Varian and 15-MV Elekta accelerators were used in these studies. The geometry of both accelerators heads and treatment rooms were built up to perform the Monte Carlo simulations. The patient was also simulated using an ICRU phantom. Calculations were done using the MCNPX code. Ambient dose equivalents rates from neutrons range between 1.2 and 419 mSv/h in the Elekta treatment room and between 0.96 and 1140 mSv/h in the Varian treatment room, depending on the location. These values suggest a larger neutron production in the Varian than in the Elekta accelerator.     

Theoretical and experimental study of electron-optical systems in low-energy wide-aperture electron accelerators

A large-area electron accelerator based on filament cathodes that operates in a continuous mode is described. The results of calculations of electron-optical systems of triode- and tetrode-type accelerators in accordance with the proposed engineering approach are considered, and experimental and calculated parameters of the accelerator are compared.     

DG型电子加速器自校正扫描系统的研制

为了提高DG型电子加速器束流扫描均匀度、解决束流中心偏移、提升束流引出效率,开发了一种既可实现X,Y两相互垂直方向均匀扫描又可以实现束流中心自动对中调节的扫描系统。介绍了扫描磁铁及其电源参数的选取依据,阐述了将扫描磁铁和束流校正线圈进行整体式设计的扫描系统扫描电流成形方式及自动对中电路信号调制过程,包括为提高加速器运行安全性而设计的连锁保护信号。产业化现场使用事实已证明,该系统设计完全达到了设计要求,具有优良的扫描均匀度和长时间工作稳定可靠性。     

Generation of monoenergetic ultrashort electron pulses from a fs laser plasma

Ultrashort high-energy electron beams are generated by focusing fs Ti:sapphire laser pulses on a thin metal tape at normal incidence. At laser intensities above 10¹⁶ W/cm² , the fs laser plasma ejects copious amounts of electrons in a direction parallel to the target surface. These electrons are directly detected by means of a backside illuminated X-ray CCD, and their energy spectrum is determined with an electrostatic analyzer. The electrons were observed for two laser polarization directions, parallel and perpendicular to the observation direction. At the maximum applied intensity of 2×10¹⁷ W/cm², the energy distribution peaks at around 35 keV with a hot tail detectable up to about 300 keV. The number of electrons per shot at 35 keV is about 5×10⁸ per sterad per keV. Quasi-monoenergetic electron pulses with a relative energy spread of 1% were produced by using a 50-m slit in the beam path after the analyzer. This approach offers great potential for time-resolved studies of plasma, liquid, and surface structures with atomic-scale spatial resolution. PACS 41.75.Fr; 52.38.Kd; 52.70.Nc