X-ray laser wakefield acceleration in a nanotube

Abstract

Plasma-based accelerator technology enables compact particle accelerators. In Laser Wakefield Acceleration, with an ultrafast high-intensity optical laser driver, energy gain of electrons is greater if the electron density is reduced. This is because the energy gain of electrons is proportional to the ratio of laser’s critical density to electron density. However, an alternative path for higher energy electrons is increasing the critical density via going to shorter wavelengths. With the advent of Thin Film Compression, we now see a path to a single cycle coherent X-ray beam. Using this X-ray pulse allows us to increase the plasma density to solid density nanotube (carbon or porous alumina) regime and still be under-dense for a Laser Wakefield Acceleration technique. We will discuss some implications of this below.