Quasimonoenergetic laser plasma positron accelerator using particle-shower plasma-wave interactions

Plasma Science of Wave-Particle Interactions

Laser Plasma Electron Linear Accelerator

The generation of an ultrashort relativistic electron bunch from a strong laser-plasma interaction have been studied by particle-in-cell simulations and observed experimentally. The electron beam was generated from the plasma created by focusing a Ti: sapphire 12 TW (tera watt) laser pulse at the edge of helium gas jet expanded into the vacuum from a pulsed supersonic nozzle. The laser pulse du...

Positron Production in a Plasma Wakefield Accelerator

In a visit on Oct. 28, 1996 to the Center for Ultrafast Optical Studies at U. Michigan I had interesting conversations with Gerard Mourou and Don Umstadter about possible mechanisms for positron production in a plasma that is illuminated with a strong laser. I argue that positron production via a trident process (which includes Bethe-Heitler pair production) involving an isolated nucleus is pos...

Particle in Cell-Monte Carlo Collisions of a Plasma Column Driven by Surface Wave Plasma Discharges

In this work, applicability of Particle in Cell-Monte Carlo Collisions (PIC-MCC) simulation method for better understanding of the plasma physical mechanisms and real important aspects of a plasma column driven by surface wave plasma discharges that is used in plasma antennas is examined. Via the implementation of geometry and physical parameters of the plasma column to an Object Oriented PIC-M...

A Laser-cooled Positron Plasma

We present results on trapping and cooling of positrons in a Penning trap. Positrons from a 2 mCi Na source travel along the axis of a 6 T magnet and through the trap after which they strike a Cu reflection moderator crystal. Up to a few thousand positrons are trapped and lose energy through Coulomb collisions (sympathetic cooling) with laser-cooled Be. By imaging the Be laser-induced fluoresce...