Thesis

Studies of transverse properties of relativistic electrons from laser wakefield accelerator

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2013
Thesis identifier
  • T13560
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Abstract
  • Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) can occur when the ponderomotive force of high power ultra short laser pulses produce wakefields in underdense plasma. The structure of these wakefields are similar to those in rf cavities of conventional linear accelerators, but are characterised by large fields that can accelerate particles to high energies over much shorter distances. Compactness and inherent short bunch duration make LWFAs potential candidates for laboratory-scale coherent radiation sources. Currently, theoretical and experimental studies are being pursued to obtain in-depth understanding of LWFAs, in particular the injection mechanisms, as these will lead to better control and improved quality of the electron beams. Experimental effort is being directed towards the design of suitable diagnostics to measure the most important properties of the electron beam, one of which is the emittance. Emittance is a good figure of merit as it describes the beam distribution in phase space and provides information on the beam focusability. This work presents a numerical and experimental study of the potential of LWFA as a next generation table-top accelerator. The first part of the thesis investigates the transport of LWFA produced electron beams using conventional devices. To provide a "usable" beam, the transport system should be capable of preserving the transverse emittance. Possible sources of emittance growth are examined, focusing on the effects of energy spread, divergence and pointing stability on the emittance. The second part of the thesis presents direct single shot measurements of the transverse emittance using the pepper-pot technique. This method is also used to quantify the performance of high-gradient miniature permanent quadrupoles.
Resource Type
DOI
Date Created
  • 2013
Former identifier
  • 1001527

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