Ion motion in the wake driven by long particle bunches in plasmas

We explore the role of the background plasma ion motion in self-modulated plasma wakefield accelerators. We employ J. Dawson's plasma sheet model to derive expressions for the transverse plasma electric field and ponderomotive force in the narrow bunch limit. We use these results to determine the on-set of the ion dynamics, and demonstrate that the ion motion could occur in self-modulated plasma wakefield accelerators. Simulations show the motion of the plasma ions can lead to the early suppression of the self-modulation instability and of the accelerating fields. The background plasma ion motion can nevertheless be fully mitigated by using plasmas with heavier plasmas.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figure

Efeito residual da aplicação do lodo de esgoto em milho (Zea mays L).

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito residual da aplicação de lodo de esgoto na produtividade do milho (Zea mays L). O experimento iniciou-se em 1999 e a partir de então foram feitas várias aplicações ao solo de lodos oriundos da Estação de Tratamento de Barueri e de Franca. O delineamento foi de blocos ao acaso, com três repetições, e os seguintes tratamentos: controle, sem adição de lodo ou de fertilizantes, fertilização mineral completa, dose 1 do lodo de Franca, dose 2 do lodo de Franca, dose 1 do lodo de Barueri e dose 2 do lodo de Barueri. A dose 1 de lodo foi calculada baseando-se na recomendação de N pela cultura. A dose 2 foi o dobro da dose 1. As avaliações deste trabalho foram feitas no ano agrícola 2007/2008, quando somente o lodo de Franca foi aplicado. Apesar da não aplicação do lodo de Barueri os rendimentos do milho neste tratamento foram similares ao do tratamento com fertilização mineral. A aplicação do lodo de Franca produziu os maiores rendimentos e retornou mais N ao solo por meio dos restos vegetais. Os resultados demonstraram que aplicações anuais de lodo podem levar a perdas de N para o ambiente e que os efeitos residuais do lodo deveriam ser considerados no cálculo de recomendação daquele composto, quando se utiliza os requerimentos da planta em nitrogênio

Astrometry of mutual approximations between natural satellites. Application to the Galilean moons

Typically we can deliver astrometric positions of natural satellites with errors in the 50-150 mas range. Apparent distances from mutual phenomena, have much smaller errors, less than 10 mas. However, this method can only be applied during the equinox of the planets. We developed a method that can provide accurate astrometric data for natural satellites -- the mutual approximations. The method can be applied when any two satellites pass close by each other in the apparent sky plane. The fundamental parameter is the central instant $t_0$ of the passage when the distances reach a minimum. We applied the method for the Galilean moons. All observations were made with a 0.6 m telescope with a narrow-band filter centred at 889 nm with width of 15 nm which attenuated Jupiter's scattered light. We obtained central instants for 14 mutual approximations observed in 2014-2015. We determined $t_0$ with an average precision of 3.42 mas (10.43 km). For comparison, we also applied the method for 5 occultations in the 2009 mutual phenomena campaign and for 22 occultations in the 2014-2015 campaign. The comparisons of $t_0$ determined by our method with the results from mutual phenomena show an agreement by less than 1-sigma error in $t_0$, typically less than 10 mas. This new method is particularly suitable for observations by small telescopes.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures and 8 tables. Based on observations made at the Laborat\'orio Nacional de Astrof\'isica (LNA), Itajub\'a-MG, Brazi

Magnetically assisted self-injection and radiation generation for plasma based acceleration

It is shown through analytical modeling and numerical simulations that external magnetic fields can relax the self-trapping thresholds in plasma based accelerators. In addition, the transverse location where self-trapping occurs can be selected by adequate choice of the spatial profile of the external magnetic field. We also find that magnetic-field assisted self-injection can lead to the emission of betatron radiation at well defined frequencies. This controlled injection technique could be explored using state-of-the-art magnetic fields in current/next generation plasma/laser wakefield accelerator experiments.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusio

Transverse self-modulation of ultra-relativistic lepton beams in the plasma wakefield accelerator

The transverse self-modulation of ultra-relativistic, long lepton bunches in high-density plasmas is explored through full-scale particle-in-cell simulations. We demonstrate that long SLAC-type electron and positron bunches can become strongly self-modulated over centimeter distances, leading to wake excitation in the blowout regime with accelerating fields in excess of 20 GV/m. We show that particles energy variations exceeding 10 GeV can occur in meter-long plasmas. We find that the self-modulation of positively and negatively charged bunches differ when the blowout is reached. Seeding the self-modulation instability suppresses the competing hosing instability. This work reveals that a proof-of-principle experiment to test the physics of bunch self-modulation can be performed with available lepton bunches and with existing experimental apparatus and diagnostics.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Physics of Plasma