Narrow bandwidth, low-emittance positron beams from a laser-wakefield accelerator

Bibliographic Details
Title: Narrow bandwidth, low-emittance positron beams from a laser-wakefield accelerator
Authors: M. J. V. Streeter, C. Colgan, J. Carderelli, Y. Ma, N. Cavanagh, E. E. Los, H. Ahmed, A. F. Antoine, T. Audet, M. D. Balcazar, L. Calvin, B. Kettle, S. P. D. Mangles, Z. Najmudin, P. P. Rajeev, D. R. Symes, A. G. R. Thomas, G. Sarri
Source: Scientific Reports, Vol 14, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2024)
Publisher Information: Nature Portfolio, 2024.
Publication Year: 2024
Collection: LCC:Medicine
LCC:Science
Subject Terms: Medicine, Science
More Details: Abstract The rapid progress that plasma wakefield accelerators are experiencing is now posing the question as to whether they could be included in the design of the next generation of high-energy electron-positron colliders. However, the typical structure of the accelerating wakefields presents challenging complications for positron acceleration. Despite seminal proof-of-principle experiments and theoretical proposals, experimental research in plasma-based acceleration of positrons is currently limited by the scarcity of positron beams suitable to seed a plasma accelerator. Here, we report on the first experimental demonstration of a laser-driven source of ultra-relativistic positrons with sufficient spectral and spatial quality to be injected in a plasma accelerator. Our results indicate, in agreement with numerical simulations, selection and transport of positron beamlets containing $$N_{e+}\ge 10^5$$ N e + ≥ 10 5 positrons in a 5% bandwidth around 600 MeV, with femtosecond-scale duration and micron-scale normalised emittance. Particle-in-cell simulations show that positron beams of this kind can be guided and accelerated in a laser-driven plasma accelerator, with favourable scalings to further increase overall charge and energy using PW-scale lasers. The results presented here demonstrate the possibility of performing experimental studies of positron acceleration in a laser-driven wakefield accelerator.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2045-2322
Relation: https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56281-1
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/a13e1376a1b044c5a4db49aa977d7555
Accession Number: edsdoj.13e1376a1b044c5a4db49aa977d7555
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
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More Details
ISSN:20452322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-56281-1
Published in:Scientific Reports
Language:English