Speaker
Description
Electrons accelerated in the plasma wake of a high-intensity laser pulse can reach higher energies by interacting with a second, delayed pulse. The total energy gain depends on the phase velocity of the wake and the phase and group velocities of the pulses. With conventional pulses, these velocities are set by the plasma density, which limits the maximum energy gain. Here, we show that flying-focus pulses can enhance the energy gain in synergistic laser wakefield and direct laser acceleration by enabling control of the wake and pulse velocities independent of plasma density. The higher electron energies, in turn, result in brighter and more energetic betatron x-rays. Calculations demonstrate that higher electron energies and enhanced x-ray emission are achievable with experimentally realizable flying-focus pulses on 100-TW-class laser systems.
This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy [National Nuclear Security Administration] University of Rochester “National Inertial Confinement Fusion Program” under Award Number(s) DE-NA0004144, and the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, under Award Number DE-SC0021057.
| Working group | WG6 |
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