Speaker
Description
LWFAs, with their gradients of tens of GeV/m, are a potential candidate for next generation particle sources. Recent theoretical work has indicated that there is a fundamental tradeoff between acceleration efficiency and beam stability in these devices. The Accelerator Test Facility (ATF) is engaged into experimentally study of this tradeoff by injecting relativistic electron bunches from a photocathode RF LINAC into an LWFA driven by a multi-terawatt long-wave infrared (LWIR) laser, the first ever external injection of an electron beam into a LWIR-driven LWFA. To prepare for this experiment, we design and construct a permanent magnet chicane to compress the electron beam from 5 ps to less than 100 fs, necessary for the electron beam to couple into the LWFA plasma cavity. Following this, we will study the energy gain and transverse stability of the electron beam after exiting the LWFA, as well as measure by electron radiography the transverse wakefields experienced by the beam in the LWFA. Together, these measurements will allow refinements in LWFA theory and help determine the suitability of LWFAs as a replacement for conventional accelerator technology.
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