1
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Põder K, Wood JC, Lopes NC, Cole JM, Alatabi S, Backhouse MP, Foster PS, Hughes AJ, Kamperidis C, Kononenko O, Mangles SPD, Palmer CAJ, Rusby D, Sahai A, Sarri G, Symes DR, Warwick JR, Najmudin Z. Multi-GeV Electron Acceleration in Wakefields Strongly Driven by Oversized Laser Spots. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2024; 132:195001. [PMID: 38804956 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.132.195001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Experiments were performed on laser wakefield acceleration in the highly nonlinear regime. With laser powers P<250 TW and using an initial spot size larger than the matched spot size for guiding, we were able to accelerate electrons to energies E_{max}>2.5 GeV, in fields exceeding 500 GV m^{-1}, with more than 80 pC of charge at energies E>1 GeV. Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that using an oversized spot delays injection, avoiding beam loss as the wakefield undergoes length oscillation. This enables injected electrons to remain in the regions of highest accelerating fields and leads to a doubling of energy gain as compared to results from using half the focal length with the same laser.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Põder
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - J C Wood
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
| | - N C Lopes
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
- GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - J M Cole
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
| | - S Alatabi
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
| | - M P Backhouse
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
| | - P S Foster
- Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - A J Hughes
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
| | - C Kamperidis
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
- ELI-ALPS, ELI-HU Non-profit Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
| | - O Kononenko
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
- LOA, ENSTA ParisTech-CNRS-École Polytechnique-Université Paris-Saclay, 828 Boulevard des Maréchaux, 91762 Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - S P D Mangles
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
| | - C A J Palmer
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
- Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - D Rusby
- Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - A Sahai
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
| | - G Sarri
- Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - D R Symes
- Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - J R Warwick
- Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - Z Najmudin
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
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2
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Streeter MJV, Colgan C, Carderelli J, Ma Y, Cavanagh N, Los EE, Ahmed H, Antoine AF, Audet T, Balcazar MD, Calvin L, Kettle B, Mangles SPD, Najmudin Z, Rajeev PP, Symes DR, Thomas AGR, Sarri G. Narrow bandwidth, low-emittance positron beams from a laser-wakefield accelerator. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6001. [PMID: 38472232 PMCID: PMC10933426 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56281-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The rapid progress that plasma wakefield accelerators are experiencing is now posing the question as to whether they could be included in the design of the next generation of high-energy electron-positron colliders. However, the typical structure of the accelerating wakefields presents challenging complications for positron acceleration. Despite seminal proof-of-principle experiments and theoretical proposals, experimental research in plasma-based acceleration of positrons is currently limited by the scarcity of positron beams suitable to seed a plasma accelerator. Here, we report on the first experimental demonstration of a laser-driven source of ultra-relativistic positrons with sufficient spectral and spatial quality to be injected in a plasma accelerator. Our results indicate, in agreement with numerical simulations, selection and transport of positron beamlets containingN e + ≥ 10 5 positrons in a 5% bandwidth around 600 MeV, with femtosecond-scale duration and micron-scale normalised emittance. Particle-in-cell simulations show that positron beams of this kind can be guided and accelerated in a laser-driven plasma accelerator, with favourable scalings to further increase overall charge and energy using PW-scale lasers. The results presented here demonstrate the possibility of performing experimental studies of positron acceleration in a laser-driven wakefield accelerator.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J V Streeter
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK
| | - C Colgan
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - J Carderelli
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, 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
| | - N Cavanagh
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK
| | - E E Los
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - H Ahmed
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - A F Antoine
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA
| | - T Audet
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK
| | - M D Balcazar
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA
| | - L Calvin
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK
| | - B Kettle
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - 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
| | - D R Symes
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - A G R Thomas
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA
| | - G Sarri
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK.
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3
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Ahmad N, Kumar P. Effect of spin polarization on electron acceleration in magnetized quantum plasma by a surface plasma wave. APPLIED OPTICS 2023; 62:3616-3622. [PMID: 37706977 DOI: 10.1364/ao.484303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The effect of spin-up and spin-down exchange interaction on electron acceleration by a surface plasma wave (SPW) propagating in magnetized quantum plasma has been studied. The SPW was excited over the metal-vacuum interface with maximum amplitude at the interface. The effective dielectric constant was evaluated, considering the effects of quantum Bohm potential, degenerate Fermi pressure, and electron spin. The externally applied magnetic field perturbed the densities of the oppositely spinning electrons, which resulted in spin polarization. The dispersion relation and energy exchange mechanism for the electron acceleration was built, incorporating the effects of spin polarization in the wave-plasma interaction. The energy gain was found to increase with the spin polarization.
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4
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Grigoriadis A, Andrianaki G, Tazes I, Dimitriou V, Tatarakis M, Benis EP, Papadogiannis NA. Efficient plasma electron accelerator driven by linearly chirped multi-10-TW laser pulses. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2918. [PMID: 36806668 PMCID: PMC9941572 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28755-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The temporal rearrangement of the spectral components of an ultrafast and intense laser pulse, i.e., the chirp of the pulse, offers significant possibilities for controlling its interaction with matter and plasma. In the propagation of ultra-strong laser pulses within the self-induced plasma, laser pulse chirp can play a major role in the dynamics of wakefield and plasma bubble formation, as well as in the electron injection and related electron acceleration. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the control of the generation efficiency of a relativistic electron beam, with respect to maximum electron energy and current, by accurately varying the chirp value of a multi-10-TW laser pulse. We explicitly show that positively chirped laser pulses, i.e., pulses with instantaneous frequency increasing with time, accelerate electrons in the order of 100 MeV much more efficiently in comparison to unchirped or negatively chirped pulses. Corresponding Particle-In-Cell simulations strongly support the experimental results, depicting a smoother plasma bubble density distribution and electron injection conditions that favor the maximum acceleration of the electron beam, when positively chirped laser pulses are used. Our results, aside from extending the validity of similar studies reported for PW laser pulses, provide the ground for understanding the subtle dynamics of an efficient plasma electron accelerator driven by chirped laser pulses.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Grigoriadis
- grid.419879.a0000 0004 0393 8299Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100 Rethymno, Greece ,grid.9594.10000 0001 2108 7481Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - G. Andrianaki
- grid.419879.a0000 0004 0393 8299Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100 Rethymno, Greece ,grid.6809.70000 0004 0622 3117School of Production Engineering and Management, Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece
| | - I. Tazes
- grid.419879.a0000 0004 0393 8299Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100 Rethymno, Greece ,grid.419879.a0000 0004 0393 8299Department of Electronic Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 73133 Chania, Greece
| | - V. Dimitriou
- grid.419879.a0000 0004 0393 8299Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100 Rethymno, Greece ,grid.419879.a0000 0004 0393 8299Physical Acoustics and Optoacoustics Laboratory, Department of Music Technology and Acoustics, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100 Rethymnon, Greece
| | - M. Tatarakis
- grid.419879.a0000 0004 0393 8299Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100 Rethymno, Greece ,grid.419879.a0000 0004 0393 8299Department of Electronic Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 73133 Chania, Greece
| | - E. P. Benis
- grid.9594.10000 0001 2108 7481Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - N. A. Papadogiannis
- grid.419879.a0000 0004 0393 8299Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100 Rethymno, Greece ,grid.419879.a0000 0004 0393 8299Physical Acoustics and Optoacoustics Laboratory, Department of Music Technology and Acoustics, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100 Rethymnon, Greece
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5
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Song H, Kim CM, Won J, Song J, Lee S, Ryu CM, Bang W, Nam CH. Characterization of relativistic electron-positron beams produced with laser-accelerated GeV electrons. Sci Rep 2023; 13:310. [PMID: 36609530 PMCID: PMC9823095 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27617-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The characterization of an electron-positron beam generated from the interaction of a multi-GeV electron beam with a lead plate is performed using GEANT4 simulations. The dependence of the positron beam size on driver electron beam energy and lead converter thickness is investigated in detail. A pancake-like positron beam structure is generated with a monoenergetic multi-GeV driver electron beam, with the results indicating that a 5 GeV driver electron beam with 1 nC charge can generate a positron beam with a density of 1015-1016 cm-3 at one radiation length of lead. In addition, we find that electron-positron beams generated using above-GeV electron beams have neutralities greater than 0.3 at one radiation length of lead, whereas neutralities of 0.2 are observed when using a 200 MeV electron beam. The possibility of observing plasma instabilities in experiments is also examined by comparing the plasma skin depth with the electron-positron beam size. A quasi-neutral electron-positron plasma can be produced in the interaction between a 1 nC, 5 GeV electron beam and lead with a thickness of five radiation lengths. Our findings will aid in analyzing and interpreting laser-produced electron-positron plasma for laboratory astrophysics research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoon Song
- grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Gwangju, 61005 Korea ,grid.61221.360000 0001 1033 9831Department of Physics and Photon Science, GIST, Gwangju, 61005 Korea
| | - Chul Min Kim
- grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Gwangju, 61005 Korea ,grid.61221.360000 0001 1033 9831Advanced Photonics Research Institute, GIST, Gwangju, 61005 Korea
| | - Junho Won
- grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Gwangju, 61005 Korea ,grid.61221.360000 0001 1033 9831Department of Physics and Photon Science, GIST, Gwangju, 61005 Korea
| | - Jaehyun Song
- grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Gwangju, 61005 Korea ,grid.61221.360000 0001 1033 9831Department of Physics and Photon Science, GIST, Gwangju, 61005 Korea
| | - Seongmin Lee
- grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Gwangju, 61005 Korea ,grid.61221.360000 0001 1033 9831Department of Physics and Photon Science, GIST, Gwangju, 61005 Korea
| | - Chang-Mo Ryu
- grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Gwangju, 61005 Korea
| | - Woosuk Bang
- grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Gwangju, 61005 Korea ,grid.61221.360000 0001 1033 9831Department of Physics and Photon Science, GIST, Gwangju, 61005 Korea
| | - Chang Hee Nam
- grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Gwangju, 61005 Korea ,grid.61221.360000 0001 1033 9831Department of Physics and Photon Science, GIST, Gwangju, 61005 Korea
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6
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Labate L, Palla D, Panetta D, Avella F, Baffigi F, Brandi F, Di Martino F, Fulgentini L, Giulietti A, Köster P, Terzani D, Tomassini P, Traino C, Gizzi LA. Toward an effective use of laser-driven very high energy electrons for radiotherapy: Feasibility assessment of multi-field and intensity modulation irradiation schemes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17307. [PMID: 33057078 PMCID: PMC7560873 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74256-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy with very high energy electrons has been investigated for a couple of decades as an effective approach to improve dose distribution compared to conventional photon-based radiotherapy, with the recent intriguing potential of high dose-rate irradiation. Its practical application to treatment has been hindered by the lack of hospital-scale accelerators. High-gradient laser-plasma accelerators (LPA) have been proposed as a possible platform, but no experiments so far have explored the feasibility of a clinical use of this concept. We show the results of an experimental study aimed at assessing dose deposition for deep seated tumours using advanced irradiation schemes with an existing LPA source. Measurements show control of localized dose deposition and modulation, suitable to target a volume at depths in the range from 5 to 10 cm with mm resolution. The dose delivered to the target was up to 1.6 Gy, delivered with few hundreds of shots, limited by secondary components of the LPA accelerator. Measurements suggest that therapeutic doses within localized volumes can already be obtained with existing LPA technology, calling for dedicated pre-clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Labate
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Daniele Palla
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniele Panetta
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica, Pisa, Italy
| | - Federico Avella
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Pisa, Italy
| | - Federica Baffigi
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fernando Brandi
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Martino
- Unità Operativa di Fisica Sanitaria, Azienza Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Fulgentini
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Pisa, Italy
| | - Antonio Giulietti
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Pisa, Italy
| | - Petra Köster
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Pisa, Italy
| | - Davide Terzani
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Pisa, Italy
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, LBL, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Paolo Tomassini
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudio Traino
- Unità Operativa di Fisica Sanitaria, Azienza Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy
| | - Leonida A Gizzi
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Pisa, Italy.
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7
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Williams GJ, Chen H, Kim J, Kerr S, Khater HY. Comment on "Table-Top Laser-Based Source of Femtosecond, Collimated, Ultrarelativistic Positron Beams". PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 124:179501. [PMID: 32412254 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.124.179501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- G J Williams
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - Hui Chen
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - J Kim
- Center for Energy Research, University of California, San Diego, California 92093, USA
| | - S Kerr
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - H Y Khater
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
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8
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Sarri G, Schumaker W, Di Piazza A, Vargas M, Dromey B, Dieckmann ME, Chvykov V, Maksimchuk A, Yanovsky V, He ZH, Hou BX, Nees JA, Thomas AGR, Keitel CH, Zepf M, Krushelnick K. Sarri et al. Reply. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 124:179502. [PMID: 32412293 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.124.179502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- G Sarri
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The Queen's University of Belfast, BT7 1NN Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - W Schumaker
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099, USA
| | - A Di Piazza
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - M Vargas
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099, USA
| | - B Dromey
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The Queen's University of Belfast, BT7 1NN Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - M E Dieckmann
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The Queen's University of Belfast, BT7 1NN Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - V Chvykov
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099, USA
| | - A Maksimchuk
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099, USA
| | - V Yanovsky
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099, USA
| | - Z H He
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099, USA
| | - B X Hou
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099, USA
| | - J A Nees
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099, USA
| | - A G R Thomas
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099, USA
| | - C H Keitel
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - M Zepf
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The Queen's University of Belfast, BT7 1NN Belfast, United Kingdom
- Helmholtz Institute Jena, Fröbelstieg 3, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - K Krushelnick
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099, USA
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9
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Copious positron production by femto-second laser via absorption enhancement in a microstructured surface target. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5861. [PMID: 32245986 PMCID: PMC7125301 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61964-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Laser-driven positron production is expected to provide a non-radioactive, controllable, radiation tunable positron source in laboratories. We propose a novel approach of positron production by using a femto-second laser irradiating a microstructured surface target combined with a high-Z converter. By numerical simulations, it is shown that both the temperature and the maximum kinetic energy of electrons can be greatly enhanced by using a microstructured surface target instead of a planar target. When these energetic electrons shoot into a high Z converter, copious positrons are produced via Bethe-Heitler mechanism. With a laser (wavelength λ = 1 μm) with duration ~36 fs, intensity ~5.5 × 1020 W/cm2 and energy ~6 Joule, ~109 positrons can be obtained.
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10
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Ma Y, Seipt D, Hussein AE, Hakimi S, Beier NF, Hansen SB, Hinojosa J, Maksimchuk A, Nees J, Krushelnick K, Thomas AGR, Dollar F. Polarization-Dependent Self-Injection by Above Threshold Ionization Heating in a Laser Wakefield Accelerator. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 124:114801. [PMID: 32242688 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.124.114801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We report on the experimental observation of a decreased self-injection threshold by using laser pulses with circular polarization in laser wakefield acceleration experiments in a nonpreformed plasma, compared to the usually employed linear polarization. A significantly higher electron beam charge was also observed for circular polarization compared to linear polarization over a wide range of parameters. Theoretical analysis and quasi-3D particle-in-cell simulations reveal that the self-injection and hence the laser wakefield acceleration is polarization dependent and indicate a different injection mechanism for circularly polarized laser pulses, originating from larger momentum gain by electrons during above threshold ionization. This enables electrons to meet the trapping condition more easily, and the resulting higher plasma temperature was confirmed via spectroscopy of the XUV plasma emission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Ma
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - D Seipt
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - A E Hussein
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - S Hakimi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - N F Beier
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - S B Hansen
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA
| | - J Hinojosa
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - A Maksimchuk
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - J Nees
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - K Krushelnick
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - A G R Thomas
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - F Dollar
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
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11
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Zaytsev VA, Volotka AV, Yu D, Fritzsche S, Ma X, Hu H, Shabaev VM. Ab initio QED Treatment of the Two-Photon Annihilation of Positrons with Bound Electrons. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019; 123:093401. [PMID: 31524486 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.123.093401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The process of a positron-bound-electron annihilation with simultaneous emission of two photons is investigated theoretically. A fully relativistic formalism based on an ab initio QED description of the process is worked out. The developed approach is applied to evaluate the annihilation of a positron with K-shell electrons of a silver atom, for which a strong contradiction between theory and experiment was previously stated. The results obtained here resolve this longstanding disagreement and, moreover, demonstrate a sizable difference with approaches so far used for calculations of the positron-bound-electron annihilation process, namely, Lee's and the impulse approximations.
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Affiliation(s)
- V A Zaytsev
- Department of Physics, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya naberezhnaya 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - A V Volotka
- Department of Physics, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya naberezhnaya 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Helmholtz-Institut Jena, Fröbelstieg 3, D-07743 Jena, Germany
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, D-64291 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - D Yu
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - S Fritzsche
- Helmholtz-Institut Jena, Fröbelstieg 3, D-07743 Jena, Germany
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, D-64291 Darmstadt, Germany
- Theoretisch-Physikalisches Institut, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena D-07743, Germany
| | - X Ma
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - H Hu
- Hypervelocity Aerodynamics Institute, China Aerodynamics Research and Development Center, 621000 Mianyang, Sichuan, China
| | - V M Shabaev
- Department of Physics, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya naberezhnaya 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
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12
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Hafizi B, Gordon DF, Kaganovich D. Pair Creation with Strong Laser Fields, Compton Scale X Rays, and Heavy Nuclei. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019; 122:233201. [PMID: 31298886 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.122.233201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Electron-positron pair creation is considered when intense laser pulses collide head-on with <1 MeV x-ray photons in the presence of stationary Coulomb charges Z(-e). The analysis employs Coulomb-corrected Volkov states and is not limited to Born's approximation in Z. The cross section and the yield increase dramatically with increasing Z, potentially enabling (i) measurable yields with petawatt lasers and (ii) sensitive tests of strong-field QED.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Hafizi
- Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375, USA
| | - D F Gordon
- Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375, USA
| | - D Kaganovich
- Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375, USA
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13
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Sinha U, Keitel CH, Kumar N. Polarized Light from the Transportation of a Matter-Antimatter Beam in a Plasma. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019; 122:204801. [PMID: 31172739 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.122.204801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A relativistic electron-positron beam propagating through a magnetized electron-ion plasma is shown to generate both circularly and linearly polarized synchrotron radiations, which is intrinsically linked with asymmetric energy dissipation of the pair beam during the filamentation instability dynamics in the background plasma. The ratio of both polarizations |⟨P_{circ}⟩/⟨P_{lin}⟩|∼0.15, occurring for a wide range of beam-plasma parameters, can help in understanding the recent observation of circularly polarized radiation from gamma-ray bursts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ujjwal Sinha
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christoph H Keitel
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Naveen Kumar
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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14
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Alejo A, Walczak R, Sarri G. Laser-driven high-quality positron sources as possible injectors for plasma-based accelerators. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5279. [PMID: 30918287 PMCID: PMC6437300 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41650-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The intrinsic constraints in the amplitude of the accelerating fields sustainable by radio-frequency accelerators demand for the pursuit of alternative and more compact acceleration schemes. Among these, plasma-based accelerators are arguably the most promising, thanks to the high-accelerating fields they can sustain, greatly exceeding the GeV/m. While plasma-based acceleration of electrons is now sufficiently mature for systematic studies in this direction, positron acceleration is still at its infancy, with limited projects currently undergoing to provide a viable test facility for further experiments. In this article, we study the feasibility of using a recently demonstrated laser-driven configuration as a relatively compact and inexpensive source of high-quality ultra-relativistic positrons for laser-driven and particle-driven plasma wakefield acceleration studies. Monte-Carlo simulations show that near-term high-intensity laser facilities can produce positron beams with high-current, femtosecond-scale duration, and sufficiently low normalised emittance at energies in the GeV range to be injected in further acceleration stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Alejo
- Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK.
| | - Roman Walczak
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford, OX1 3RH, UK
| | - Gianluca Sarri
- Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK
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15
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Yu JQ, Lu HY, Takahashi T, Hu RH, Gong Z, Ma WJ, Huang YS, Chen CE, Yan XQ. Creation of Electron-Positron Pairs in Photon-Photon Collisions Driven by 10-PW Laser Pulses. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019; 122:014802. [PMID: 31012720 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.122.014802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A novel approach is proposed to demonstrate the two-photon Breit-Wheeler process by using collimated and wide-bandwidth γ-ray pulses driven by 10-PW lasers. Theoretical calculations suggest that more than 3.2×10^{8} electron-positron pairs with a divergence angle of 7° can be created per shot, and the signal-to-noise ratio is higher than 10^{3}. The positron signal, which is roughly 100 times higher than the detection limit, can be measured by using the existing spectrometers. This approach, which could demonstrate the e^{-}e^{+} pair creation process from two photons, would provide important tests for two-photon physics and other fundamental physical theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Q Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, and Key Laboratory of HEDP of the Ministry of Education, CAPT, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - H Y Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, and Key Laboratory of HEDP of the Ministry of Education, CAPT, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - T Takahashi
- AdSM Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8530, Japan
| | - R H Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, and Key Laboratory of HEDP of the Ministry of Education, CAPT, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Z Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, and Key Laboratory of HEDP of the Ministry of Education, CAPT, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - W J Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, and Key Laboratory of HEDP of the Ministry of Education, CAPT, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Y S Huang
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Particle Detection and Electronics (Institute of High Energy Physics, CAS), Beijing 100049, China
| | - C E Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, and Key Laboratory of HEDP of the Ministry of Education, CAPT, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - X Q Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, and Key Laboratory of HEDP of the Ministry of Education, CAPT, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
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16
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Multi-GeV electron-positron beam generation from laser-electron scattering. Sci Rep 2018; 8:4702. [PMID: 29549367 PMCID: PMC5856856 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23126-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The new generation of laser facilities is expected to deliver short (10 fs–100 fs) laser pulses with 10–100 PW of peak power. This opens an opportunity to study matter at extreme intensities in the laboratory and provides access to new physics. Here we propose to scatter GeV-class electron beams from laser-plasma accelerators with a multi-PW laser at normal incidence. In this configuration, one can both create and accelerate electron-positron pairs. The new particles are generated in the laser focus and gain relativistic momentum in the direction of laser propagation. Short focal length is an advantage, as it allows the particles to be ejected from the focal region with a net energy gain in vacuum. Electron-positron beams obtained in this setup have a low divergence, are quasi-neutral and spatially separated from the initial electron beam. The pairs attain multi-GeV energies which are not limited by the maximum energy of the initial electron beam. We present an analytical model for the expected energy cutoff, supported by 2D and 3D particle-in-cell simulations. The experimental implications, such as the sensitivity to temporal synchronisation and laser duration is assessed to provide guidance for the future experiments.
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17
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Warwick J, Dzelzainis T, Dieckmann ME, Schumaker W, Doria D, Romagnani L, Poder K, Cole JM, Alejo A, Yeung M, Krushelnick K, Mangles SPD, Najmudin Z, Reville B, Samarin GM, Symes DD, Thomas AGR, Borghesi M, Sarri G. Experimental Observation of a Current-Driven Instability in a Neutral Electron-Positron Beam. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2017; 119:185002. [PMID: 29219555 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.119.185002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We report on the first experimental observation of a current-driven instability developing in a quasineutral matter-antimatter beam. Strong magnetic fields (≥1 T) are measured, via means of a proton radiography technique, after the propagation of a neutral electron-positron beam through a background electron-ion plasma. The experimentally determined equipartition parameter of ε_{B}≈10^{-3} is typical of values inferred from models of astrophysical gamma-ray bursts, in which the relativistic flows are also expected to be pair dominated. The data, supported by particle-in-cell simulations and simple analytical estimates, indicate that these magnetic fields persist in the background plasma for thousands of inverse plasma frequencies. The existence of such long-lived magnetic fields can be related to analog astrophysical systems, such as those prevalent in lepton-dominated jets.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Warwick
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - T Dzelzainis
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - M E Dieckmann
- Department of Science and Technology (ITN), Linköping University, Campus Norrköping, 60174 Norrköping, Sweden
| | - W Schumaker
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - D Doria
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - L Romagnani
- LULI, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, CEA, UPMC, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - K Poder
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW72AZ, United Kingdom
| | - J M Cole
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW72AZ, United Kingdom
| | - A Alejo
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - M Yeung
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - K Krushelnick
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 481099-2099, USA
| | - S P D Mangles
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW72AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Z Najmudin
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW72AZ, United Kingdom
| | - B Reville
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - G M Samarin
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - D D Symes
- Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - A G R Thomas
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 481099-2099, USA
- Physics Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, United Kingdom
| | - M Borghesi
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - G Sarri
- School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
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18
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Dense GeV electron-positron pairs generated by lasers in near-critical-density plasmas. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13686. [PMID: 27966530 PMCID: PMC5171869 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Pair production can be triggered by high-intensity lasers via the Breit–Wheeler process. However, the straightforward laser–laser colliding for copious numbers of pair creation requires light intensities several orders of magnitude higher than possible with the ongoing laser facilities. Despite the numerous proposed approaches, creating high-energy-density pair plasmas in laboratories is still challenging. Here we present an all-optical scheme for overdense pair production by two counter-propagating lasers irradiating near-critical-density plasmas at only ∼1022 W cm−2. In this scheme, bright γ-rays are generated by radiation-trapped electrons oscillating in the laser fields. The dense γ-photons then collide with the focused counter-propagating lasers to initiate the multi-photon Breit–Wheeler process. Particle-in-cell simulations indicate that one may generate a high-yield (1.05 × 1011) overdense (4 × 1022 cm−3) GeV positron beam using 10 PW scale lasers. Such a bright pair source has many practical applications and could be basis for future compact high-luminosity electron–positron colliders.
High power lasers can produce electron-positron pairs at GeV energies, but doing so through laser–laser collisions would require exceedingly high intensities. Here the authors present an all-optical scheme for pair production by irradiating near-critical-density plasmas with two counter-propagating lasers.
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19
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Liu JJ, Yu TP, Yin Y, Zhu XL, Shao FQ. All-optical bright γ-ray and dense positron source by laser driven plasmas-filled cone. OPTICS EXPRESS 2016; 24:15978-15986. [PMID: 27410866 DOI: 10.1364/oe.24.015978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
An all-optical scheme for bright γ-rays and dense e-e+ pair source is proposed by irradiating a 1022 W/cm2 laser onto a near-critical-density plasmas filled Al cone. Two-dimensional (2D) QED particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations show that, a dense electron bunch is confined in the laser field due to the radiation reaction and the trapped electrons oscillate transversely, emitting bright γ-rays forward in two ways: (1) nonlinear Compton scattering due to oscillation of electrons in the laser field, and (2) Compton backwardscattering resulting from the bunch colliding with the reflected laser by the cone tip. Finally, the multi-photon Breit-Wheeler process is initiated, producing abundant e-e+ pairs with a density of ∼ 1027m-3. The scheme is further demonstrated by full 3D PIC simulations, which indicates a positron number up to 2 × 109. This compact γ-rays and e-e+ pair source may have many potential applications, such as the laboratory study of astrophysics and nuclear physics.
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20
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Gu YJ, Klimo O, Kumar D, Liu Y, Singh SK, Esirkepov TZ, Bulanov SV, Weber S, Korn G. Fast magnetic-field annihilation in the relativistic collisionless regime driven by two ultrashort high-intensity laser pulses. Phys Rev E 2016; 93:013203. [PMID: 26871179 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.93.013203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The magnetic quadrupole structure formation during the interaction of two ultrashort high power laser pulses with a collisionless plasma is demonstrated with 2.5-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The subsequent expansion of the quadrupole is accompanied by magnetic-field annihilation in the ultrarelativistic regime, when the magnetic field cannot be sustained by the plasma current. This results in a dominant contribution of the displacement current exciting a strong large scale electric field. This field leads to the conversion of magnetic energy into kinetic energy of accelerated electrons inside the thin current sheet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y J Gu
- Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines, Na Slovance 2, 18221 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - O Klimo
- Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines, Na Slovance 2, 18221 Prague, Czech Republic.,FNSPE, Czech Technical University in Prague, 11519 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - D Kumar
- Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines, Na Slovance 2, 18221 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Y Liu
- Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines, Na Slovance 2, 18221 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - S K Singh
- Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines, Na Slovance 2, 18221 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - T Zh Esirkepov
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa-shi, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
| | - S V Bulanov
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa-shi, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
| | - S Weber
- Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines, Na Slovance 2, 18221 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - G Korn
- Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines, Na Slovance 2, 18221 Prague, Czech Republic
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21
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Ribeyre X, d'Humières E, Jansen O, Jequier S, Tikhonchuk VT, Lobet M. Pair creation in collision of γ-ray beams produced with high-intensity lasers. Phys Rev E 2016; 93:013201. [PMID: 26871177 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.93.013201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Direct production of electron-positron pairs in two-photon collisions, the Breit-Wheeler process, is one of the basic processes in the universe. However, it has never been directly observed in the laboratory because of the absence of the intense γ-ray sources. Laser-induced synchrotron sources emission may open a way to observe this process. The feasibility of an experimental setup using a MeV photon source is studied in this paper. We compare several γ-ray sources and estimate the expected number of electron-positron pairs and competing processes by using numerical simulations including quantum electrodynamic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Ribeyre
- Univ. Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA, Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, UMR 5107, 33405 Talence, France
| | - E d'Humières
- Univ. Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA, Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, UMR 5107, 33405 Talence, France
| | - O Jansen
- Univ. Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA, Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, UMR 5107, 33405 Talence, France
| | - S Jequier
- Univ. Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA, Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, UMR 5107, 33405 Talence, France
| | - V T Tikhonchuk
- Univ. Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA, Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, UMR 5107, 33405 Talence, France
| | - M Lobet
- Univ. Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA, Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, UMR 5107, 33405 Talence, France and CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297, Arpajon, France
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22
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High e+/e- Ratio Dense Pair Creation with 10(21)W.cm(-2) Laser Irradiating Solid Targets. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13968. [PMID: 26364764 PMCID: PMC4568603 DOI: 10.1038/srep13968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We report results of new pair creation experiments using ~100 Joule pulses of the Texas Petawatt Laser to irradiate solid gold and platinum targets, with intensities up to ~1.9 × 1021 W.cm−2 and pulse durations as short as ~130 fs. Positron to electron (e+/e−) ratios >15% were observed for many thick disk and rod targets, with the highest e+/e− ratio reaching ~50% for a Pt rod. The inferred pair yield was ~ few ×1010 with emerging pair density reaching ~1015/cm3 so that the pair skin depth becomes < pair jet transverse size. These results represent major milestones towards the goal of creating a significant quantity of dense pair-dominated plasmas with e+/e− approaching 100% and pair skin depth ≪ pair plasma size, which will have wide-ranging applications to astrophysics and fundamental physics.
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23
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Chen H, Fiuza F, Link A, Hazi A, Hill M, Hoarty D, James S, Kerr S, Meyerhofer DD, Myatt J, Park J, Sentoku Y, Williams GJ. Scaling the yield of laser-driven electron-positron jets to laboratory astrophysical applications. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2015; 114:215001. [PMID: 26066440 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.114.215001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We report new experimental results obtained on three different laser facilities that show directed laser-driven relativistic electron-positron jets with up to 30 times larger yields than previously obtained and a quadratic (∼E_{L}^{2}) dependence of the positron yield on the laser energy. This favorable scaling stems from a combination of higher energy electrons due to increased laser intensity and the recirculation of MeV electrons in the mm-thick target. Based on this scaling, first principles simulations predict the possibility of using such electron-positron jets, produced at upcoming high-energy laser facilities, to probe the physics of relativistic collisionless shocks in the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chen
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California 94550, USA
| | - F Fiuza
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California 94550, USA
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - A Link
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California 94550, USA
| | - A Hazi
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California 94550, USA
| | - M Hill
- Directorate of Science and Technology, AWE plc, Reading RG7 4PR, United Kingdom
| | - D Hoarty
- Directorate of Science and Technology, AWE plc, Reading RG7 4PR, United Kingdom
| | - S James
- Directorate of Science and Technology, AWE plc, Reading RG7 4PR, United Kingdom
| | - S Kerr
- University of Alberta, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - D D Meyerhofer
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - J Myatt
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - J Park
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California 94550, USA
| | - Y Sentoku
- University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA
| | - G J Williams
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California 94550, USA
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24
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Generation of neutral and high-density electron-positron pair plasmas in the laboratory. Nat Commun 2015; 6:6747. [PMID: 25903920 PMCID: PMC4462844 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Electron–positron pair plasmas represent a unique state of matter, whereby there exists an intrinsic and complete symmetry between negatively charged (matter) and positively charged (antimatter) particles. These plasmas play a fundamental role in the dynamics of ultra-massive astrophysical objects and are believed to be associated with the emission of ultra-bright gamma-ray bursts. Despite extensive theoretical modelling, our knowledge of this state of matter is still speculative, owing to the extreme difficulty in recreating neutral matter–antimatter plasmas in the laboratory. Here we show that, by using a compact laser-driven setup, ion-free electron–positron plasmas with unique characteristics can be produced. Their charge neutrality (same amount of matter and antimatter), high-density and small divergence finally open up the possibility of studying electron–positron plasmas in controlled laboratory experiments. Electron–positron pair plasma—a state of matter with a complete symmetry between negatively and positively charged particles—are found in many astrophysical object. Here, the authors use high-power laser to create an ion-free electron–positron plasma in the laboratory.
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25
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Levy MC, Wilks SC, Tabak M, Libby SB, Baring MG. Petawatt laser absorption bounded. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4149. [PMID: 24938656 PMCID: PMC4083416 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 05/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction of petawatt (10(15) W) lasers with solid matter forms the basis for advanced scientific applications such as table-top particle accelerators, ultrafast imaging systems and laser fusion. Key metrics for these applications relate to absorption, yet conditions in this regime are so nonlinear that it is often impossible to know the fraction of absorbed light f, and even the range of f is unknown. Here using a relativistic Rankine-Hugoniot-like analysis, we show for the first time that f exhibits a theoretical maximum and minimum. These bounds constrain nonlinear absorption mechanisms across the petawatt regime, forbidding high absorption values at low laser power and low absorption values at high laser power. For applications needing to circumvent the absorption bounds, these results will accelerate a shift from solid targets, towards structured and multilayer targets, and lead the development of new materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C. Levy
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - Scott C. Wilks
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - Max Tabak
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - Stephen B. Libby
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - Matthew G. Baring
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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Corvan DJ, Sarri G, Zepf M. Design of a compact spectrometer for high-flux MeV gamma-ray beams. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2014; 85:065119. [PMID: 24985864 DOI: 10.1063/1.4884643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
A novel design for a compact gamma-ray spectrometer is presented. The proposed system allows for spectroscopy of high-flux multi-MeV gamma-ray beams with MeV energy resolution in a compact design. In its basic configuration, the spectrometer exploits conversion of gamma-rays into electrons via Compton scattering in a low-Z material. The scattered electron population is then spectrally resolved using a magnetic spectrometer. The detector is shown to be effective for gamma-ray energies between 3 and 20 MeV. The main properties of the spectrometer are confirmed by Monte Carlo simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- D J Corvan
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The Queen's University of Belfast, BT7 1NN Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - G Sarri
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The Queen's University of Belfast, BT7 1NN Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - M Zepf
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The Queen's University of Belfast, BT7 1NN Belfast, United Kingdom
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