1
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Curcio A, Cianchi A, Costa G, Del Dotto A, Demurtas F, Ferrario M, Frías MDR, Galletti M, Pérez-Hernández JA, Gatti G. Reconstruction of lateral coherence and 2D emittance in plasma betatron X-ray sources. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1719. [PMID: 38243043 PMCID: PMC10799011 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52231-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
X-ray sources have a strong social impact, being implemented for biomedical research, material and environmental sciences. Nowadays, compact and accessible sources are made using lasers. We report evidence of nontrivial spectral-angular correlations in a laser-driven betatron X-ray source. Furthermore, by angularly-resolved spectral measurements, we detect the signature of spatial phase modulations by the electron trajectories. This allows the lateral coherence function to be retrieved, leading to the evaluation of the coherence area of the source, determining its brightness. Finally, the proposed methodology allows the unprecedented reconstruction of the size of the X-ray source and the electron beam emittance in the two main emission planes in a single shot. This information will be of fundamental interest for user applications of new radiation sources.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alessandro Cianchi
- Department of Physics, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
- INFN-Tor Vergata, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
- NAST Centre, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Gemma Costa
- INFN-LNF, via Enrico Fermi 40, 00044, Frascati, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Maria Dolores Rodríguez Frías
- Centro de Laseres Pulsados (CLPU), Edificio M5, Parque Científico, C/ Adaja 8, 37185, Villamayor, Salamanca, Spain
- Dpto. Física y Matemáticas, Universidad de Alcalá, Plaza de San Diego, s/n Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Galletti
- Department of Physics, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
- INFN-Tor Vergata, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
- NAST Centre, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - José Antonio Pérez-Hernández
- Centro de Laseres Pulsados (CLPU), Edificio M5, Parque Científico, C/ Adaja 8, 37185, Villamayor, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Giancarlo Gatti
- Centro de Laseres Pulsados (CLPU), Edificio M5, Parque Científico, C/ Adaja 8, 37185, Villamayor, Salamanca, Spain
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2
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Ong JF, Berceanu AC, Grigoriadis A, Andrianaki G, Dimitriou V, Tatarakis M, Papadogiannis NA, Benis EP. Non-linear QED approach for betatron radiation in a laser wakefield accelerator. Sci Rep 2024; 14:605. [PMID: 38182609 PMCID: PMC10770394 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50030-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Laser plasma-based accelerators provide an excellent source of collimated, bright, and adequately coherent betatron-type x-ray pulses with potential applications in science and industry. So far the laser plasma-based betatron radiation has been described within the concept of classical Liénard-Wiechert potentials incorporated in particle-in-cell simulations, a computing power-demanding approach, especially for the case of multi-petawatt lasers. In this work, we describe the laser plasma-based generation of betatron radiation at the most fundamental level of quantum mechanics. In our approach, photon emission from the relativistic electrons in the plasma bubble is described within a nonlinear quantum electrodynamics (QED) framework. The reported QED-based betatron radiation results are in excellent agreement with similar results using Liénard-Wiechert potentials, as well as in very good agreement with betatron radiation measurements, obtained with multi-10-TW lasers interacting with He and multielectron N[Formula: see text] gas targets. Furthermore, our QED approach results in a dramatic reduction of the computational runtime demands, making it a favorable tool for designing betatron radiation experiments, especially in multi-petawatt laser facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Ong
- Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), "Horia Hulubei" National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), 30 Reactorului Street, 077125, Bucharest-Măgurele, RO, Romania.
| | - A C Berceanu
- Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), "Horia Hulubei" National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), 30 Reactorului Street, 077125, Bucharest-Măgurele, RO, Romania
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, University Research and Innovation Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimno, Crete, Greece
| | - A Grigoriadis
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, University Research and Innovation Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimno, Crete, Greece
- Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, Greece
| | - G Andrianaki
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, University Research and Innovation Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimno, Crete, Greece
- School of Production Engineering and Management, Technical University of Crete, 73100, Chania, Greece
| | - V Dimitriou
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, University Research and Innovation Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimno, Crete, Greece
- Physical Acoustics and Optoacoustics Laboratory, Department of Music Technology and Acoustics, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimnon, Greece
| | - M Tatarakis
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, University Research and Innovation Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimno, Crete, Greece
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 73133, Chania, Greece
| | - N A Papadogiannis
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, University Research and Innovation Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimno, Crete, Greece
- Physical Acoustics and Optoacoustics Laboratory, Department of Music Technology and Acoustics, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimnon, Greece
| | - E P Benis
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, University Research and Innovation Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimno, Crete, Greece
- Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, Greece
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3
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Hannasch A, Laso Garcia A, LaBerge M, Zgadzaj R, Köhler A, Couperus Cabadağ JP, Zarini O, Kurz T, Ferrari A, Molodtsova M, Naumann L, Cowan TE, Schramm U, Irman A, Downer MC. Compact spectroscopy of keV to MeV X-rays from a laser wakefield accelerator. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14368. [PMID: 34257331 PMCID: PMC8277848 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93689-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We reconstruct spectra of secondary X-rays from a tunable 250–350 MeV laser wakefield electron accelerator from single-shot X-ray depth-energy measurements in a compact (7.5 × 7.5 × 15 cm), modular X-ray calorimeter made of alternating layers of absorbing materials and imaging plates. X-rays range from few-keV betatron to few-MeV inverse Compton to > 100 MeV bremsstrahlung emission, and are characterized both individually and in mixtures. Geant4 simulations of energy deposition of single-energy X-rays in the stack generate an energy-vs-depth response matrix for a given stack configuration. An iterative reconstruction algorithm based on analytic models of betatron, inverse Compton and bremsstrahlung photon energy distributions then unfolds X-ray spectra, typically within a minute. We discuss uncertainties, limitations and extensions of both measurement and reconstruction methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Hannasch
- Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712-1081, USA
| | - A Laso Garcia
- The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute for Radiation Physics, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - M LaBerge
- Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712-1081, USA.,The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute for Radiation Physics, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - R Zgadzaj
- Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712-1081, USA
| | - A Köhler
- The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute for Radiation Physics, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - J P Couperus Cabadağ
- The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute for Radiation Physics, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - O Zarini
- The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute for Radiation Physics, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - T Kurz
- The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute for Radiation Physics, 01328, Dresden, Germany.,Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - A Ferrari
- The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute for Radiation Physics, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - M Molodtsova
- The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute for Radiation Physics, 01328, Dresden, Germany.,Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - L Naumann
- The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute for Radiation Physics, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - T E Cowan
- The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute for Radiation Physics, 01328, Dresden, Germany.,Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - U Schramm
- The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute for Radiation Physics, 01328, Dresden, Germany.,Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - A Irman
- The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute for Radiation Physics, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - M C Downer
- Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712-1081, USA.
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4
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Edwards MR, Mikhailova JM. The X-Ray Emission Effectiveness of Plasma Mirrors: Reexamining Power-Law Scaling for Relativistic High-Order Harmonic Generation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5154. [PMID: 32198482 PMCID: PMC7083899 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61255-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrashort pulsed lasers provide uniquely detailed access to the ultrafast dynamics of physical, chemical, and biological systems, but only a handful of wavelengths are directly produced by solid-state lasers, necessitating efficient high-power frequency conversion. Relativistic plasma mirrors generate broadband power-law spectra, that may span the gap between petawatt-class infrared laser facilities and x-ray free-electron lasers; despite substantial theoretical work the ultimate efficiency of this relativistic high-order-harmonic generation remains unclear. We show that the coherent radiation emitted by plasma mirrors follows a power-law distribution of energy over frequency with an exponent that, even in the ultrarelativistic limit, strongly depends on the ratio of laser intensity to plasma density and exceeds the frequently quoted value of -8/3 over a wide range of parameters. The coherent synchrotron emission model, when adequately corrected for the finite width of emitting electron bunches, is not just valid for p-polarized light and thin foil targets, but generally describes relativistic harmonic generation, including at normal incidence and with finite-gradient plasmas. Our numerical results support the ω-4/3 scaling of the synchrotron emission model as a limiting efficiency of the process under most conditions. The highest frequencies that can be generated with this scaling are usually restricted by the width of the emitting electron bunch rather than the Lorentz factor of the fastest electrons. The theoretical scaling relations developed here suggest, for example, that with a 20-PW 800-nm driving laser, 1 TW/harmonic can be produced for 1-keV photons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Edwards
- Princeton University, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, USA.
| | - Julia M Mikhailova
- Princeton University, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, USA.
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5
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Guo B, Zhang X, Zhang J, Hua J, Pai CH, Zhang C, Chu HH, Mori W, Joshi C, Wang J, Lu W. High-resolution phase-contrast imaging of biological specimens using a stable betatron X-ray source in the multiple-exposure mode. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7796. [PMID: 31127147 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42834-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Phase-contrast imaging using X-ray sources with high spatial coherence is an emerging tool in biology and material science. Much of this research is being done using large synchrotron facilities or relatively low-flux microfocus X-ray tubes. An alternative high-flux, ultra-short and high-spatial-coherence table-top X-ray source based on betatron motions of electrons in laser wakefield accelerators has the promise to produce high quality images. In previous phase-contrast imaging studies with betatron sources, single-exposure images with a spatial resolution of 6-70 μm were reported by using large-scale laser systems (60-200 TW). Furthermore, images obtained with multiple exposures tended to have a reduced contrast and resolution due to the shot-to-shot fluctuations. In this article, we demonstrate that a highly stable multiple-exposure betatron source, with an effective average source size of 5 μm, photon number and pointing jitters of <5% and spectral fluctuation of <10%, can be obtained by utilizing ionization injection in pure nitrogen plasma using a 30-40 TW laser. Using this source, high quality phase-contrast images of biological specimens with a 5-μm resolution are obtained for the first time. This work shows a way for the application of high resolution phase-contrast imaging with stable betatron sources using modest power, high repetition-rate lasers.
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6
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Hussein AE, Senabulya N, Ma Y, Streeter MJV, Kettle B, Dann SJD, Albert F, Bourgeois N, Cipiccia S, Cole JM, Finlay O, Gerstmayr E, González IG, Higginbotham A, Jaroszynski DA, Falk K, Krushelnick K, Lemos N, Lopes NC, Lumsdon C, Lundh O, Mangles SPD, Najmudin Z, Rajeev PP, Schlepütz CM, Shahzad M, Smid M, Spesyvtsev R, Symes DR, Vieux G, Willingale L, Wood JC, Shahani AJ, Thomas AGR. Laser-wakefield accelerators for high-resolution X-ray imaging of complex microstructures. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3249. [PMID: 30824838 PMCID: PMC6397215 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39845-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Laser-wakefield accelerators (LWFAs) are high acceleration-gradient plasma-based particle accelerators capable of producing ultra-relativistic electron beams. Within the strong focusing fields of the wakefield, accelerated electrons undergo betatron oscillations, emitting a bright pulse of X-rays with a micrometer-scale source size that may be used for imaging applications. Non-destructive X-ray phase contrast imaging and tomography of heterogeneous materials can provide insight into their processing, structure, and performance. To demonstrate the imaging capability of X-rays from an LWFA we have examined an irregular eutectic in the aluminum-silicon (Al-Si) system. The lamellar spacing of the Al-Si eutectic microstructure is on the order of a few micrometers, thus requiring high spatial resolution. We present comparisons between the sharpness and spatial resolution in phase contrast images of this eutectic alloy obtained via X-ray phase contrast imaging at the Swiss Light Source (SLS) synchrotron and X-ray projection microscopy via an LWFA source. An upper bound on the resolving power of 2.7 ± 0.3 μm of the LWFA source in this experiment was measured. These results indicate that betatron X-rays from laser wakefield acceleration can provide an alternative to conventional synchrotron sources for high resolution imaging of eutectics and, more broadly, complex microstructures.
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Affiliation(s)
- A E Hussein
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA.
| | - N Senabulya
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA
| | - Y Ma
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA.,Physics Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK.,The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK
| | - M J V Streeter
- Physics Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK.,The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK.,The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - B Kettle
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - S J D Dann
- Physics Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK.,The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK
| | - F Albert
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, Livermore, CA, 94550, USA
| | - N Bourgeois
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - S Cipiccia
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Fermi Avenue, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - J M Cole
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - O Finlay
- Physics Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK.,The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK
| | - E Gerstmayr
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | | | - A Higginbotham
- York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - D A Jaroszynski
- The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK.,SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - K Falk
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328, Dresden, Germany.,Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany.,Institute of Physics of the ASCR, 182 21, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - K Krushelnick
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA
| | - N Lemos
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, Livermore, CA, 94550, USA
| | - N C Lopes
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.,GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, U.L., Lisboa, 1049-001, Portugal
| | - C Lumsdon
- York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - O Lundh
- Department of Physics, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, S-22100, Lund, Sweden
| | - S P D Mangles
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Z Najmudin
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - P P Rajeev
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - C M Schlepütz
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - M Shahzad
- The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK.,SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - M Smid
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328, Dresden, Germany.,ELI Beamlines, Institute of Physics of the ASCR, 182 21, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - R Spesyvtsev
- The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK.,SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - D R Symes
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - G Vieux
- The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK.,SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - L Willingale
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA
| | - J C Wood
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - A J Shahani
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA
| | - A G R Thomas
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA.,Physics Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK.,The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK
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7
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King PM, Lemos N, Shaw JL, Milder AL, Marsh KA, Pak A, Hegelich BM, Michel P, Moody J, Joshi C, Albert F. X-ray analysis methods for sources from self-modulated laser wakefield acceleration driven by picosecond lasers. Rev Sci Instrum 2019; 90:033503. [PMID: 30927775 DOI: 10.1063/1.5082965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A versatile set of methods for analyzing x-ray energy spectra and photon flux has been developed for laser plasma accelerator experiments driven by picosecond lasers. Forward fit provides extrapolated broad energy spectrum measurements, while Ross pair and differential average transmission analysis provide directly measured data points using a particular diagnostic. Combining these methods allows the measurement of x-ray energy spectra with improved confidence. We apply the methods to three diagnostics (filter wheel, stacked image plate spectrometer, and step wedge), each sensitive to a different region of x-ray energies (<40 keV, 35-100 keV, and 60-1000 keV, respectively), to characterize the analysis methods using laser-driven bremsstrahlung x-rays. We then apply the methods to measure three x-ray mechanisms, betatron, inverse Compton scattering, and bremsstrahlung, driven by a laser plasma accelerator. The analysis results in the measurement of x-ray energy spectra ranging from 10 keV to 1 MeV with peak flux greater than 1010 photons/keV/Sr. The combined analysis methods provide a robust tool to accurately measure broadband x-ray sources (keV to MeV) driven by laser plasma acceleration with picosecond, kilojoule-class lasers.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M King
- NIF and Photon Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - N Lemos
- NIF and Photon Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - J L Shaw
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - A L Milder
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - K A Marsh
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - A Pak
- NIF and Photon Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - B M Hegelich
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - P Michel
- NIF and Photon Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - J Moody
- NIF and Photon Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - C Joshi
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - F Albert
- NIF and Photon Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
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8
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Abstract
Interaction of a high-intensity optical laser with a solid target can generate an ionizing radiation hazard in the form of high-energy "hot" electrons and bremsstrahlung, resulting from hot electrons interacting with the target itself and the surrounding target chamber. Previous studies have characterized the bremsstrahlung dose yields generated by such interactions for lasers in the range of 10 to 10 W cm using particle-in-cell code EPOCH and Monte Carlo code FLUKA. In this paper, electron measurements based on a depth-dose approach are presented for two laser intensities, which indicate a Maxwellian distribution is more suitable for estimating the hot electrons' energy distribution. Also, transmission factors for the resulting bremsstrahlung for common shielding materials are calculated with FLUKA, and shielding tenth-value-layer thicknesses are also derived. In combination with the bremsstrahlung dose yield, the tenth-value layers provide radiation protection programs the means to evaluate radiation hazards and design shielding for high-intensity laser facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taiee Ted Liang
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, MS 48, Menlo Park, CA 94025
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9
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Rusby DR, Armstrong CD, Brenner CM, Clarke RJ, McKenna P, Neely D. Novel scintillator-based x-ray spectrometer for use on high repetition laser plasma interaction experiments. Rev Sci Instrum 2018; 89:073502. [PMID: 30068096 DOI: 10.1063/1.5019213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The characterisation of x-rays from laser-plasma interactions is of utmost importance as they can be useful for both monitoring electron dynamics and also applications in an industrial capacity. A novel versatile scintillator x-ray spectrometer diagnostic that is capable of single shot measurements of x-rays produced from laser-plasma interactions is presented here. Examples of the design and extraction of the temperature of the spectrum of x-rays produced in an intense laser-solid interaction (479 ± 39 keV) and the critical energy from a betatron source (30 ± 10 keV) are discussed. Finally, a simple optimisation process involving adjusting the scintillator thickness for a particular range of input spectra is demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Rusby
- STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - C D Armstrong
- STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - C M Brenner
- STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - R J Clarke
- STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - P McKenna
- SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - D Neely
- STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
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10
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Albert F, Lemos N, Shaw JL, Pollock BB, Goyon C, Schumaker W, Saunders AM, Marsh KA, Pak A, Ralph JE, Martins JL, Amorim LD, Falcone RW, Glenzer SH, Moody JD, Joshi C. Observation of Betatron X-Ray Radiation in a Self-Modulated Laser Wakefield Accelerator Driven with Picosecond Laser Pulses. Phys Rev Lett 2017; 118:134801. [PMID: 28409970 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.118.134801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We investigate a new regime for betatron x-ray emission that utilizes kilojoule-class picosecond lasers to drive wakes in plasmas. When such laser pulses with intensities of ∼5×10^{18} W/cm^{2} are focused into plasmas with electron densities of ∼1×10^{19} cm^{-3}, they undergo self-modulation and channeling, which accelerates electrons up to 200 MeV energies and causes those electrons to emit x rays. The measured x-ray spectra are fit with a synchrotron spectrum with a critical energy of 10-20 keV, and 2D particle-in-cell simulations were used to model the acceleration and radiation of the electrons in our experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Albert
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - N Lemos
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - J L Shaw
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - B B Pollock
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - C Goyon
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - W Schumaker
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford, California 94309, USA
| | - A M Saunders
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - K A Marsh
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - A Pak
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - J E Ralph
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - J L Martins
- GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - L D Amorim
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - R W Falcone
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - S H Glenzer
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford, California 94309, USA
| | - J D Moody
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - C Joshi
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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11
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Liang T, Bauer J, Cimeno M, Ferrari A, Galtier E, Granados E, Lee HJ, Liu J, Nagler B, Prinz A, Rokni S, Tran H, Woods M. RADIATION DOSE MEASUREMENTS FOR HIGH-INTENSITY LASER INTERACTIONS WITH SOLID TARGETS AT SLAC. Radiat Prot Dosimetry 2016; 172:346-355. [PMID: 26718399 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncv505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A systematic study of photon and neutron radiation doses generated in high-intensity laser-solid interactions is underway at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. These laser-solid experiments are being performed using a 25 TW (up to 1 J in 40 fs) femtosecond pulsed Ti:sapphire laser at the Linac Coherent Light Source's (LCLS) Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) facility. Radiation measurements were performed with passive and active detectors deployed at various locations inside and outside the target chamber. Results from radiation dose measurements for laser-solid experiments at SLAC MEC in 2014 with peak intensity between 1018 and 7.1 × 1019 W cm-2 are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Liang
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - J Bauer
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - M Cimeno
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - A Ferrari
- HZDR Institute of Radiation Physics, Dresden, Germany
| | - E Galtier
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - E Granados
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - H J Lee
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - J Liu
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - B Nagler
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - A Prinz
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - S Rokni
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - H Tran
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - M Woods
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
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12
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Huang TW, Robinson APL, Zhou CT, Qiao B, Liu B, Ruan SC, He XT, Norreys PA. Characteristics of betatron radiation from direct-laser-accelerated electrons. Phys Rev E 2016; 93:063203. [PMID: 27415373 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.93.063203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Betatron radiation from direct-laser-accelerated electrons is characterized analytically and numerically. It is shown here that the electron dynamics is strongly dependent on a self-similar parameter S(≡n_{e}/n_{c}a_{0}). Both the electron transverse momentum and energy are proportional to the normalized amplitude of laser field (a_{0}) for a fixed value of S. As a result, the total number of radiated photons scales as a_{0}^{2}/sqrt[S] and the energy conversion efficiency of photons from the accelerated electrons scales as a_{0}^{3}/S. The particle-in-cell simulations agree well with the analytical scalings. It is suggested that a tunable high-energy and high-flux radiation source can be achieved by exploiting this regime.
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Affiliation(s)
- T W Huang
- HEDPS, Center for Applied Physics and Technology and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China.,Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - A P L Robinson
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - C T Zhou
- HEDPS, Center for Applied Physics and Technology and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100094, People's Republic of China.,College of Electronic Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - B Qiao
- HEDPS, Center for Applied Physics and Technology and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - B Liu
- HEDPS, Center for Applied Physics and Technology and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100094, People's Republic of China
| | - S C Ruan
- College of Electronic Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - X T He
- HEDPS, Center for Applied Physics and Technology and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100094, People's Republic of China
| | - P A Norreys
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, United Kingdom.,Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
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13
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Zhang CJ, Hua JF, Xu XL, Li F, Pai CH, Wan Y, Wu YP, Gu YQ, Mori WB, Joshi C, Lu W. Capturing relativistic wakefield structures in plasmas using ultrashort high-energy electrons as a probe. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29485. [PMID: 27403561 PMCID: PMC4939525 DOI: 10.1038/srep29485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A new method capable of capturing coherent electric field structures propagating at nearly the speed of light in plasma with a time resolution as small as a few femtoseconds is proposed. This method uses a few femtoseconds long relativistic electron bunch to probe the wake produced in a plasma by an intense laser pulse or an ultra-short relativistic charged particle beam. As the probe bunch traverses the wake, its momentum is modulated by the electric field of the wake, leading to a density variation of the probe after free-space propagation. This variation of probe density produces a snapshot of the wake that can directly give many useful information of the wake structure and its evolution. Furthermore, this snapshot allows detailed mapping of the longitudinal and transverse components of the wakefield. We develop a theoretical model for field reconstruction and verify it using 3-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. This model can accurately reconstruct the wakefield structure in the linear regime, and it can also qualitatively map the major features of nonlinear wakes. The capturing of the injection in a nonlinear wake is demonstrated through 3D PIC simulations as an example of the application of this new method.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Zhang
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, China.,IFSA Collaborative Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - J F Hua
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - X L Xu
- University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - F Li
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - C-H Pai
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Y Wan
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Y P Wu
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Y Q Gu
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, China
| | - W B Mori
- University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - C Joshi
- University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - W Lu
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,IFSA Collaborative Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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14
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Luo J, Chen M, Zeng M, Vieira J, Yu LL, Weng SM, Silva LO, Jaroszynski DA, Sheng ZM, Zhang J. A compact tunable polarized X-ray source based on laser-plasma helical undulators. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29101. [PMID: 27377126 DOI: 10.1038/srep29101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Laser wakefield accelerators have great potential as the basis for next generation compact radiation sources because of their extremely high accelerating gradients. However, X-ray radiation from such devices still lacks tunability, especially of the intensity and polarization distributions. Here we propose a tunable polarized radiation source based on a helical plasma undulator in a plasma channel guided wakefield accelerator. When a laser pulse is initially incident with a skew angle relative to the channel axis, the laser and accelerated electrons experience collective spiral motions, which leads to elliptically polarized synchrotron-like radiation with flexible tunability on radiation intensity, spectra and polarization. We demonstrate that a radiation source with millimeter size and peak brilliance of 2 × 10(19) photons/s/mm(2)/mrad(2)/0.1% bandwidth can be made with moderate laser and electron beam parameters. This brilliance is comparable with third generation synchrotron radiation facilities running at similar photon energies, suggesting that laser plasma based radiation sources are promising for advanced applications.
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15
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Huang K, Li YF, Li DZ, Chen LM, Tao MZ, Ma Y, Zhao JR, Li MH, Chen M, Mirzaie M, Hafz N, Sokollik T, Sheng ZM, Zhang J. Resonantly Enhanced Betatron Hard X-rays from Ionization Injected Electrons in a Laser Plasma Accelerator. Sci Rep 2016; 6:27633. [PMID: 27273170 PMCID: PMC4917722 DOI: 10.1038/srep27633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrafast betatron x-ray emission from electron oscillations in laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) has been widely investigated as a promising source. Betatron x-rays are usually produced via self-injected electron beams, which are not controllable and are not optimized for x-ray yields. Here, we present a new method for bright hard x-ray emission via ionization injection from the K-shell electrons of nitrogen into the accelerating bucket. A total photon yield of 8 × 10(8)/shot and 10(8 )photons with energy greater than 110 keV is obtained. The yield is 10 times higher than that achieved with self-injection mode in helium under similar laser parameters. The simulation suggests that ionization-injected electrons are quickly accelerated to the driving laser region and are subsequently driven into betatron resonance. The present scheme enables the single-stage betatron radiation from LWFA to be extended to bright γ-ray radiation, which is beyond the capability of 3(rd) generation synchrotrons.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Huang
- Beijing National Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Y F Li
- Beijing National Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China
| | - D Z Li
- Institute of High Energy Physics, CAS, Beijing 100049, China
| | - L M Chen
- Beijing National Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - M Z Tao
- Beijing National Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Y Ma
- Beijing National Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China
| | - J R Zhao
- Beijing National Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China
| | - M H Li
- Beijing National Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China
| | - M Chen
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MOE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - M Mirzaie
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MOE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - N Hafz
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MOE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - T Sokollik
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MOE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Z M Sheng
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MOE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - J Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MOE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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16
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Golovin G, Banerjee S, Liu C, Chen S, Zhang J, Zhao B, Zhang P, Veale M, Wilson M, Seller P, Umstadter D. Intrinsic beam emittance of laser-accelerated electrons measured by x-ray spectroscopic imaging. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24622. [PMID: 27090440 PMCID: PMC4835856 DOI: 10.1038/srep24622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent combination of ultra-intense lasers and laser-accelerated electron beams is enabling the development of a new generation of compact x-ray light sources, the coherence of which depends directly on electron beam emittance. Although the emittance of accelerated electron beams can be low, it can grow due to the effects of space charge during free-space propagation. Direct experimental measurement of this important property is complicated by micron-scale beam sizes, and the presence of intense fields at the location where space charge acts. Reported here is a novel, non-destructive, single-shot method that overcame this problem. It employed an intense laser probe pulse, and spectroscopic imaging of the inverse-Compton scattered x-rays, allowing measurement of an ultra-low value for the normalized transverse emittance, 0.15 (±0.06) π mm mrad, as well as study of its subsequent growth upon exiting the accelerator. The technique and results are critical for designing multi-stage laser-wakefield accelerators, and generating high-brightness, spatially coherent x-rays.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Golovin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln NE 68588, USA
| | - S. Banerjee
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln NE 68588, USA
| | - C. Liu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln NE 68588, USA
| | - S. Chen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln NE 68588, USA
| | - J. Zhang
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln NE 68588, USA
| | - B. Zhao
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln NE 68588, USA
| | - P. Zhang
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln NE 68588, USA
| | - M. Veale
- Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - M. Wilson
- Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - P. Seller
- Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
| | - D. Umstadter
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska, Lincoln NE 68588, USA
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17
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Pollock BB, Tsung FS, Albert F, Shaw JL, Clayton CE, Davidson A, Lemos N, Marsh KA, Pak A, Ralph JE, Mori WB, Joshi C. Formation of Ultrarelativistic Electron Rings from a Laser-Wakefield Accelerator. Phys Rev Lett 2015; 115:055004. [PMID: 26274427 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.115.055004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Ultrarelativistic-energy electron ring structures have been observed from laser-wakefield acceleration experiments in the blowout regime. These electron rings had 170-280 MeV energies with 5%-25% energy spread and ∼10 pC of charge and were observed over a range of plasma densities and compositions. Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that laser intensity enhancement in the wake leads to sheath splitting and the formation of a hollow toroidal pocket in the electron density around the wake behind the first wake period. If the laser propagates over a distance greater than the ideal dephasing length, some of the dephasing electrons in the second period can become trapped within the pocket and form an ultrarelativistic electron ring that propagates in free space over a meter-scale distance upon exiting the plasma. Such a structure acts as a relativistic potential well, which has applications for accelerating positively charged particles such as positrons.
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Affiliation(s)
- B B Pollock
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - F S Tsung
- University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - F Albert
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - J L Shaw
- University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - C E Clayton
- University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - A Davidson
- University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - N Lemos
- University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - K A Marsh
- University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - A Pak
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - J E Ralph
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - W B Mori
- University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - C Joshi
- University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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