Controlling the Phase-Space Volume of Injected Electrons in a Laser-Plasma Accelerator

International audienceTo take full advantage of a laser-plasma accelerator, stability and control of the electron beam parameters have to be achieved. The external injection scheme with two colliding laser pulses is a way to stabilize the injection of electrons into the plasma wave, and to easily tune the energy of the output beam by changing the longitudinal position of the injection. In this Letter, it is shown that by tuning the optical injection parameters, one is able to control the phase-space volume of the injected particles, and thus the charge and the energy spread of the beam. With this method, the production of a laser accelerated electron beam of 10 pC at the 200 MeV level with a 1% relative energy spread at full width half maximum (3.1% rms) is demonstrated. This unique tunability extends the capability of laser-plasma accelerators and their applications

Seismic anisotropy as an indicator of reservoir quality in siliciclastic rocks

Improving the accuracy of subsurface imaging is commonly the main incentive for including the effects of anisotropy in seismic processing. However, the anisotropy itself holds valuable information about rock properties and, as such, can be viewed as a seismic attribute. Here we summarize results from an integrated project that explored the potential to use observations of seismic anisotropy to interpret lithological and fluid properties (the SAIL project). Our approach links detailed petrofabric analyses of reservoir rocks, laboratory based measurements of ultrasonic velocities in core samples, and reservoir-scale seismic observations. We present results for the Clair field, a Carboniferous-Devonian reservoir offshore Scotland, west of the Shetland Islands. The reservoir rocks are sandstones that are variable in composition and exhibit anisotropy on three length-scales: the crystal, grain and fracture scale. We have developed a methodology for assessing crystal-preferred-orientation (CPO) using a combination of electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD), X-ray texture goniometry (XRTG) and image analysis. Modal proportions of individual minerals are measured using quantitative X-ray diffraction (QXRD). These measurements are used to calculate the intrinsic anisotropy due to CPO via Voigt-Reuss-Hill averaging of individual crystal elasticities and their orientations. The intrinsic anisotropy of the rock is controlled by the phyllosilicate content and to a lesser degree the orientation of quartz and feldspar; the latter can serve as a palacoflow indicator. Our results show remarkable consistency in CPO throughout the reservoir and allow us to construct a mathematical model of reservoir anisotropy. A comparison of CPO-predicted velocities and those derived from laboratory measurements of ultrasonic signals allows the estimation of additional elastic compliance terms due to grain-boundary interactions. The results show that the CPO estimates are good proxies for the intrinsic anisotropy of the clean sandstones. The more micaceous rocks exhibit enhanced anisotropy due to interactions between the phyllosilicate grains. We then compare the lab-scale predictions with reservoir-scale measurements of seismic anisotropy, based on amplitude variation with offset and azimuth (AVOA) analysis and non-hyperbolic moveout. Our mathematical model provides a foundation for interpreting the reservoir-scale seismic data and improving the geological modelling of complex reservoirs. The observed increases in AVOA signal with depth can only be explained with an increase in fracturing beneath the major unit boundaries, rather than a chan e in intrinsic CPO properties. In general, the style and magnitude of anisotropy in the Clair field appears to be indicative of reservoir quality

Comparison of measured with calculated dose distribution from a 120-MeV electron beam from a laser-plasma accelerator

International audiencePURPOSE:To evaluate the dose distribution of a 120-MeV laser-plasma accelerated electron beam which may be of potential interest for high-energy electron radiation therapy.METHODS:In the interaction between an intense laser pulse and a helium gas jet, a well collimated electron beam with very high energy is produced. A secondary laser beam is used to optically control and to tune the electron beam energy and charge. The potential use of this beam for radiation treatment is evaluated experimentally by measurements of dose deposition in a polystyrene phantom. The results are compared to Monte Carlo simulations using the geant4 code.RESULTS:It has been shown that the laser-plasma accelerated electron beam can deliver a peak dose of more than 1 Gy at the entrance of the phantom in a single laser shot by direct irradiation, without the use of intermediate magnetic transport or focusing. The dose distribution is peaked on axis, with narrow lateral penumbra. Monte Carlo simulations of electron beam propagation and dose deposition indicate that the propagation of the intense electron beam (with large self-fields) can be described by standard models that exclude collective effects in the response of the material.CONCLUSIONS:The measurements show that the high-energy electron beams produced by an optically injected laser-plasma accelerator can deliver high enough dose at penetration depths of interest for electron beam radiotherapy of deep-seated tumors. Many engineering issues must be resolved before laser-accelerated electrons can be used for cancer therapy, but they also represent exciting challenges for future research

Few femtosecond, few kiloampere electron bunch produced by a laser-plasma accelerator

International audienceParticle accelerators driven by the interaction of ultraintense and ultrashort laser pulses with a plasma(1) can generate accelerating electric fields of several hundred gigavolts per metre and deliver high-quality electron beams with low energy spread(2-5), low emittance(6) and up to 1 GeV peak energy(7,8). Moreover, it is expected they may soon be able to produce bursts of electrons shorter than those produced by conventional particle accelerators, down to femtosecond durations and less. Here we present wide-band spectral measurements of coherent transition radiation which we use for temporal characterization. Our analysis shows that the electron beam, produced using controlled optical injection(9), contains a temporal feature that can be identified as a 15 pC, 1.4-1.8 fs electron bunch (root mean square) leading to a peak current of 3-4 kA depending on the bunch shape. We anticipate that these results will have a strong impact on emerging applications such as short-pulse and short-wavelength radiation sources(10,11), and will benefit the realization of laboratory-scale free-electron lasers(12-14)