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Open Access
Featured
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Letter |
Direct observation of relativistic broken plasma waves
In a plasma-based accelerator, the amplitude of the plasma wave is constrained by the wavebreaking limit. Experiments reveal features of the plasma waves at the point at which wavebreaking occurs.
- Yang Wan
- , Omri Seemann
- & Victor Malka
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Editorial |
Accelerate to the next level
The merits of conventional particle accelerators range from fundamental science to applications like radiotherapy. Plasma-based accelerators are getting up to speed and may overtake conventional ones in the near future.
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News & Views |
Ready for translational research
Laser accelerators promised to deliver high-energy particle beams for biomedical uses, but have struggled to meet constraints on dose control and stability. An experiment now enables translational research with proton beams at ultrahigh dose rate.
- Leonida A. Gizzi
- & Maria Grazia Andreassi
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Article
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Tumour irradiation in mice with a laser-accelerated proton beam
A laser–plasma accelerator provides proton beams for the precise irradiation of human tumours in a mouse model. This work advances translational research with ultrahigh proton dose rates at laser-driven sources.
- Florian Kroll
- , Florian-Emanuel Brack
- & Elke Beyreuther
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Letter |
High-throughput injection–acceleration of electron bunches from a linear accelerator to a laser wakefield accelerator
Previously, injections from a conventional accelerator into a plasma-based one suffered from low coupling efficiencies. Now electron bunches are injected with an efficiency of nearly 100% into a laser wakefield accelerator without loss of charge.
- Yipeng Wu
- , Jianfei Hua
- & Chan Joshi
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Article |
Low-divergence femtosecond X-ray pulses from a passive plasma lens
X-ray pulses with low divergences are produced in a laser-wakefield accelerator by focusing electron bunches in a dense passive plasma lens.
- Jonas Björklund Svensson
- , Diego Guénot
- & Olle Lundh
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Letter |
Energy spread minimization in a beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator
In a beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator, the energy spread of an electron bunch is reduced with respect to the plasma entrance, which is achieved through setting a positive energy chirp that rotates the bunches’ longitudinal phase space.
- R. Pompili
- , D. Alesini
- & A. Zigler
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Article |
Generalized superradiance for producing broadband coherent radiation with transversely modulated arbitrarily diluted bunches
A new form of superradiance is predicted that ‘in contrast to the standard effect’ arises even for vanishing numbers of particles per wavelength. This finding may enable coherent emission in plasma accelerators.
- J. Vieira
- , M. Pardal
- & R. A. Fonseca
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Letter |
Generation and acceleration of electron bunches from a plasma photocathode
Electron bunches are generated and accelerated to relativistic velocities by tunnel ionization of neutral gas species in a plasma. This represents a step towards ultra-bright, high-emittance beams in plasma wakefield accelerators. [This summary has been amended from ‘laser-plasma’ to ‘plasma wakefield’ accelerators.]
- A. Deng
- , O. S. Karger
- & B. Hidding
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Article |
Direct observation of ion acceleration from a beam-driven wave in a magnetic fusion experiment
A major challenge for achieving useful thermonuclear fusion regimes is heating plasma to reactive temperature conditions. It is demonstrated experimentally how energetic ions, generated via neutral beam injection, can be exploited for this process.
- R. M. Magee
- , A. Necas
- & T. Tajima
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Article |
Optically controlled dense current structures driven by relativistic plasma aperture-induced diffraction
Shining intense laser light onto a thin aluminium foil creates a relativistic plasma aperture—and diffraction. As a result, an electron beam is generated with a spatial structure that can be changed by varying the characteristics of the laser pulse.
- Bruno Gonzalez-Izquierdo
- , Ross J. Gray
- & Paul McKenna
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Article |
Vacuum laser acceleration of relativistic electrons using plasma mirror injectors
Exploiting lasers for accelerating charged particles to relativistic velocities has long been theoretically considered. Now, applying a plasma mirror for injecting electrons into an intense laser field in vacuum is shown to lead to such acceleration.
- M. Thévenet
- , A. Leblanc
- & J. Faure
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News & Views |
An unexpected shock
Observations made by the Cassini spacecraft at the bow shock of Saturn suggest that electrons are likely to be accelerated to near-relativistic energies by strong astrophysical shocks.
- Ian G. Richardson
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Letter |
Electron acceleration to relativistic energies at a strong quasi-parallel shock wave
Data from the Cassini spacecraft identify strong electron acceleration as the solar wind approaches the magnetosphere of Saturn. This so-called bow shock unexpectedly occurs even when the magnetic field is roughly parallel to the shock-surface normal. Knowledge of the magnetic dependence of electron acceleration will aid understanding of supernova remnants.
- A. Masters
- , L. Stawarz
- & M. K. Dougherty
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Article |
A compact laser-driven plasma accelerator for megaelectronvolt-energy neutral atoms
A megaelectronvolt beam of atoms is now generated by ionizing argon clusters, and then neutralizing the ions using Rydberg atoms. The compact system demonstrates a high neutral yield, and could find an important application as a sensitive probe of matter.
- R. Rajeev
- , T. Madhu Trivikram
- & M. Krishnamurthy
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Laser-driven high-energy proton beams from cascaded acceleration regimes