Design Considerations for a Density-Channel-Guided Laser Wake-Field Accelerator.
Abstract
A self-modulated laser wake-field accelerator configuration in which the laser pulse is optically guided by a plasma density channel is considered. Preliminary experiments on the generation of a plasma channel by a slow capillary discharge are described. It is shown that homogeneous channels with length L sub channel >> lambda p can be produced, where lambda sub p is the plasma wavelength. Key issues are addressed, including phase detuning between the accelerated electron bunch and the wake field, beam-plasma and laser-plasma instabilities, and the effect of density variations that might occur over the length of the plasma channel. Numerical simulations, using present experimental parameters, show accelerating gradients in excess of 50 GV/m.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 14, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA292876
Entities
People
- Arie Zigler
- J. Krall
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory