Laser and Particle Dynamics in LWFA

The concept of electron acceleration in the wakefields behind powerful laser pulses propagating in gas-filled capillaries or plasma channels has been widely discussed during the past years. In the presented images, we show two aspects of electron acceleration: 1) the problem of precise focusing and pointing stability of the laser pulse, necessary for the regular structure of the wakefield generated in a capillary, and 2) self-consistent simulation of the electron trapping, compression, and acceleration in the wakefield generated in a plasma channel using the scheme of an electron bunch injection in front of the laser pulse.