161 research outputs found
Tunable and precise two-bunch generation at FLASHForward
Beam-driven plasma-wakefield acceleration based on external injection has the
potential to significantly reduce the size of future accelerators. Stability
and quality of the acceleration process substantially depends on the incoming
bunch parameters. Precise control of the current profile is essential for
optimising energy-transfer efficiency and preserving energy spread. At the
FLASHForward facility, driver--witness bunch pairs of adjustable bunch length
and separation are generated by a set of collimators in a dispersive section,
which enables fs-level control of the longitudinal bunch profile. The design of
the collimator apparatus and its commissioning is presented.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, to be published in the proceedings of the 4th
European Advanced Accelerator Concepts Workshop, 15-21 September 2019, La
Biodola Bay, Isola d'Elba, Ital
FLASHForward: plasma wakefield accelerator science for high-average-power applications
The FLASHForward experimental facility is a high-performance test-bed for precision plasma wakefield research, aiming to accelerate high-quality electron beams to GeV-levels in a few centimetres of ionized gas. The plasma is created by ionizing gas in a gas cell either by a high-voltage discharge or a high-intensity laser pulse. The electrons to be accelerated will either be injected internally from the plasma background or externally from the FLASH superconducting RF front end. In both cases, the wakefield will be driven by electron beams provided by the FLASH gun and linac modules operating with a 10âHz macro-pulse structure, generating 1.25âGeV, 1ânC electron bunches at up to 3âMHz micro-pulse repetition rates. At full capacity, this FLASH bunch-train structure corresponds to 30âkW of average power, orders of magnitude higher than drivers available to other state-of-the-art LWFA and PWFA experiments. This high-power functionality means FLASHForward is the only plasma wakefield facility in the world with the immediate capability to develop, explore and benchmark high-average-power plasma wakefield research essential for next-generation facilities. The operational parameters and technical highlights of the experiment are discussed, as well as the scientific goals and high-average-power outlook.
This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue âDirections in particle beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerationâ
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