First Results from Hollow-Channel Plasma Wakefield Acceleration Experiments with Positron Beams at FACET

ORAL

Abstract

We report on the first results from a hollow-channel plasma wakefield acceleration experiment using positron beams at FACET. A meter-scale plasma channel is created by field ionizing lithium vapor using an intense laser pulse that has a transverse J8 Bessel profile. The plasma channel is roughly 600 $\mu$m in diameter and has unionized vapor at its center. A 20.35 GeV positron beam with spot size of roughly 50 $\mu$m was sent through the channel. We observed the transverse beam profile while varying the position of the beam relative to the channel. Our measurements clearly indicate that a plasma channel was formed. We characterize the strength of the wake and discuss plans for subsequent experiments.

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Authors

  • Spencer Gessner

    SLAC, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

  • Erik Adli

    Oslo University, SLAC

  • James Allen

    Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, SLAC

  • Christine Clarke

    Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, SLAC

  • Chris Clayton

    UCLA

  • Joel Frederico

    SLAC

  • Selina Green

    SLAC, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

  • Mark Hogan

    SLAC, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

  • C. Joshi

    University of California Los Angeles, University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA, Univ of California - Los Angeles

  • Michael Litos

    SLAC, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

  • K.A. Marsh

    UCLA, Univ of California - Los Angeles, University of California Los Angeles

  • Sebastien Corde

    Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, SLAC

  • N. Vafaei-Najafabadi

    UCLA, University of California Los Angeles

  • Vitaly Yakimenko

    Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, SLAC

  • Weiming An

    UCLA