High-performance computing helps researchers understand
and improve laser-plasma accelerators. This
simulation came from the code VORPAL, created by
Tech-X Corp. and the
University of Colorado and run at NERSC, at LBNL’s National Energy
Research Supercomputing Center.
A laser pulse
(green) travels from left to right, leaving behind a
density modulation (blue and white) in the plasma.
This wake can trap a bunch of electrons (red) that
“surf” the modulation to high energies. A plasma
density gradient set up by a “heater” laser
pulse—denoted in this simulation by a slight
variation of color from the beam axis to the
edges—guides the laser and improves electron-beam
quality.
For more information see
an article about the simulation in OE Magazine and the scholarly papers cited at the
end of the Center for Beam Physics chapter, such as the cover story of Nature 431, pp. 538-541 (2004).
This research at the confluence of lasers, plasmas, and particle beams is performed by the l’OASIS Program (Laser Optics and Accelerator Systems Integrated Studies). As with most of their activities, this work involves groups in their former home at the Center for Beam Physics and elsewhere.
l’OASIS has made remarkable progress in just a few years. For instance, they have observed mono-energetic beams in the 100 MeV class from a channel-guided wakefield accelerator. Now they are pushing toward GeV beams, with an important spinoff already in the works: using laser accelerators for producing short pulses of hard x-rays. As of May 1, 2005, they do so as an AFRD program in their own right.
Administrative and legal information on the AFRD homepage is applicable to this page.
Approved by Wim Leemans and posted 27 October 2005. Pageowner: Joe Chew.