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

Effective-Action based approach to modelling plasma wakefields for use in rapid parameter scans and Optimization

30 Jul 2026, 15:10
20m
Legacy B (Luskin)

Legacy B

Luskin

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

Speaker

Elias Hansen (University of California, Los Angeles)

Description

The bubble regime of drive plasma wakefields is notoriously difficult from an analytical perspective due to the inapplicability of standard fluid theory and perturbative approaches. The most widely used model was developed by Lu and extended for improved accuracy in the rear of the bubble by Dalichaouch, this approach gave a 2nd order ODE for the ‘bubble radius’ with one or more phenomenological free parameters and initial conditions determined by PIC simulation data. Taking inspiration for the Lu-type model, we have developed a self-consistent theoretical framework that gives a relatively small closed set of ODE’s for the wake which has a direct correspondence to the kinetic quasistatic theory used in highly accurate PIC codes such as QPAD. This framework is ideal for use with standard ML libraries for rapid parameter scans and optimization. The approach is based on constructing the effective Lagrangian for only the radial coordinates of the plasma electrons by integrating out the fields. The fields can be recovered from the solution for the trajectories. The Lagrangian-based approach has the advantage that it allows for construction of further reduced models using constraint forces and generalized coordinates. The connection to the ‘energy conserving’ delta-sheath theory of Golovanov is given. Comparison of the wakes is also given.

Working group WG3

Authors

Elias Hansen (University of California, Los Angeles) Thamine Dalichaouch (University of California Los Angeles) Jacob Pierce (University of California, Los Angeles) Ishan Bahtia (University of California, Los Angeles) Qianqian Su (Old Dominion University) Frank Tsung (University of California, Los Angeles) Paulo Alves (University of California Los Angeles) Warren Mori (University of California Los Angeles)

Presentation materials

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