Access

News and Views

Nature 444, 688-689 (7 December 2006) | doi:10.1038/444688a; Published online 6 December 2006

Plasma physics: On the node of a wave

Tom Katsouleas1

Top

A compact electron accelerator can be made by the cunning use of laser pulses to let electrons 'surf' on a plasma wave. The problem has been controlling exactly how much the electrons are accelerated.

In the early 1990s, off the north shore of Maui, Hawaii, Laird Hamilton and Buzzy Kerbox invented the sport of tow-in surfing, using jet skis to propel themselves into particularly large or fast waves. Catching these waves by paddling would have been impossible without becoming caught up in the waves' white water (Fig. 1

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

NEWS AND VIEWS

Accelerator physics Electrons hang ten on laser wake

Nature News and Views (30 Sep 2004)

Plasma physics On the crest of a wake

Nature News and Views (15 Feb 2007)

RESEARCH

Marketplace

Nature Structural Biology Marketplace (01 Jan 1997)

Controlled injection and acceleration of electrons in plasma wakefields by colliding laser pulses

Nature Letters to Editor (07 Dec 2006)

See all 6 matches for Research