Three-dimensional wakes driven by intense relativistic beams in gas targets

Author

Martins, Samuel F. ; Fonseca, Ricardo A. ; Silva, Luis O. ; Tsung, Frank S. ; Mori, Warren B. ; Deng, Suzhi ; Katsouleas, Thomas C.

Author_Institution

Centro de Fisica dos Plasmas, Inst. Superior Tecnico, Lisboa, Portugal

Volume

33

Issue

2

fYear

2005

fDate

4/1/2005 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

558

Lastpage

559

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3-D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of intense laser pulses and intense relativistic electron beams, propagating in gas targets are presented. As these beams propagate, the background gas is tunnel ionized, and the beam drives a wake, which sustains 1-100 GV/cm electric fields and propagates at the velocity of the driver. Such wakes can accelerate electrons to gigaelectronvolt energies in cm- length scale plasmas.

Keywords

plasma light propagation; plasma simulation; plasma-beam interactions; wakes; cm-length scale plasmas; electron acceleration; gas targets; intense laser pulses; intense relativistic electron beams; three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations; three-dimensional wakes; tunnel ionized background gas; Acceleration; Electron beams; Gas lasers; Laser beams; Laser theory; Optical propagation; Optical pulses; Particle beams; Plasma accelerators; Plasma waves; Ionization; laser wakefield; plasma wakefield; three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Plasma Science, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0093-3813

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TPS.2005.845909

Filename

1420575