Benchmarking of hydrodynamic plasma waveguides for multi-GeV laser-driven electron acceleration

ORAL

Abstract

Hydrodynamic plasma waveguides initiated by optical field ionization (OFI) have recently become a key component of multi-GeV laser wakefield accelerators [1–4], We present comprehensive experimental and simulation-based characterization, applicable both to current multi-GeV experiments and future 100 GeV-scale laser plasma accelerators. Crucial to the simulations is the correct modeling of intense Bessel beam interaction with meter-scale gas targets [4], the results of which are used as initial conditions for hydrodynamic simulations [5,6]. The simulations are in good agreement with our experiments measuring plasma and neutral hydrogen density profiles using two-color short pulse interferometry, enabling realistic determination of the guided mode structure for application to laser-driven plasma accelerator design [7].

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Publication: [1] N. Lemos et al, Phys. Plasmas 20, 063102 (2013).
[2] R. J. Shalloo et al, Phys. Rev. E 97, 053203 (2018).
[3] B. Miao et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 074801 (2020).
[4] L. Feder et al, Phys. Rev. Res. 2, 43173 (2020).
[5] D. Gordon et al, NRL Memo. Rep. 6706 (2006).
[6] S. M. Mewes et al, Phys. Rev. Res. 5, 033112 (2023).
[7] B. Miao et al., under review, arXiv:2404.13632(2024)

Presenters

  • Bo Miao

    University of Maryland, College Park

Authors

  • Bo Miao

    University of Maryland, College Park

  • Ela M Rockafellow

    University of Maryland, College Park

  • Jaron E Shrock

    University of Maryland, University of Maryland College Park

  • Scott W Hancock

    University of Maryland, College Park

  • Daniel F. Gordon

    United States Naval Research Laboratory

  • Howard Michael Milchberg

    University of Maryland College Park