Speaker
Description
The field of plasma-based accelerators traces its origin to UCLA and, above all, to John Dawson — whose 1979 paper with Toshi Tajima proposed using an intense laser to drive a plasma wave capable of accelerating electrons at gradients thousands of times beyond conventional radio-frequency cavities. This talk follows that idea from its roots in Dawson's early plasma-physics work through four decades of experimental, theoretical, and computational advances that turned a bold proposal into a thriving international discipline. This is, above all, a story about people. The students and collaborators Dawson mentored built a scientific lineage now leading efforts around the globe. I will trace that lineage from the founding generation to the present day, where plasma-based light sources are beginning to move from concept to reality, and close with a few reflections for students entering the field today.
| Working group | WG3 |
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