26–31 Jul 2026
Luskin Conference Center, UCLA
US/Pacific timezone

Progress of the E310 - Trojan Horse-II experiment at SLAC FACET-II

27 Jul 2026, 14:50
20m
Legacy B (Luskin)

Legacy B

Luskin

To be considered for Working Group talk A3-Working group # 3

Speaker

Natascha Thomas (Heinrich Heine University)

Description

The E310 - Trojan Horse II project aims to demonstrate a plasma wakefield acceleration (PWFA) injection scheme capable of producing stable, ultra-low emittance, and thus high-brightness electron bunches. Current experimental investigations focus on the Trojan Horse injection scheme not only in transverse but also in collinear geometry, thereby extending earlier findings at SLAC FACET-I, where the feasibility of the 90-degree plasma photocathode injection was successfully demonstrated using the multi-kA drive beams only available there. The now ongoing experimental efforts at SLAC FACET-II focus on validating the underlying ionization and injection processes under realistic operating conditions.
We present recent preparatory experimental results, including successful ionization studies and stability scans performed with the upgraded experimental setup. These experimental runs substantiate reliable operation of the laser ionization and provide insight into the parameter stability for controlled injection. In addition, different strategies for pre-ionization and their impact on injection stability will be discussed. Finally, we outline the next experimental steps toward achieving full collinear Trojan-Horse injection and controlled witness-bunch generation.

Working group WG3

Authors

Natascha Thomas (Heinrich Heine University) Edgar Anton Hartmann (Heinrich Heine University) Thomas Heinemann (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf) AHMAD FAHIM HABIB (University of Strathclyde) Mirela Cerchez (Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf) Alexander Knetsch (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory) Andrew Sutherland (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf) Katharina Benner (Heinrich Heine University) James Rosenzweig (University of California, Los Angeles) Bernhard Hidding (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf / University of Strathclyde / The Cockcroft Institute)

Presentation materials

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