Relativistically strong CO{sub 2} laser driver for plasma-channeled particle acceleration

Long-wavelength, short-duration laser pulses are desirable for plasma wakefield particle acceleration and plasma waveguiding. The first picosecond terawatt CO{sub 2} laser is under development to test laser-driven electron acceleration schemes

Prospects for compact high-intensity laser synchrotron x-ray and gamma sources

A laser interacting with a relativistic electron beam behaves like a virtual wiggler of an extremely short period equal to half of the laser wavelength. This approach opens a route to relatively compact, high- brightness x-ray sources alternative or complementary to conventional synchrotron light sources. Although not new, the laser synchrotron source (LSS) concept is still waiting for a convincing demonstration. Available at the BNL Accelerator Test Facility (ATF), a high- brightness electron beam and the high-power C0{sub 2} laser may be used as prototype LSS brick stones. In a feasible demonstration experiment, 10 GW, 100 ps C0{sub 2} laser beam will be brought to a head-on collision with a 10 ps, 0.5 nC, 50 MeV electron bunch. Flashes of collimated 4.7 keV (2.6 A) x-rays of 10-ps pulse duration, with a flux of {approximately}10{sup 19} photons/sec, will be produced via linear Compton backscattering. The x-ray spectra is tunable proportionally to the e- beam energy. A rational short-term extension of the proposed experiment would be further enhancement of the x-ray flux to the 10{sup 22} photon/sec level, after the ongoing ATF C0{sub 2} laser upgrade to 5 TW peak power and electron bunch shortening to 3 ps is realized. In the future, exploiting the promising approach of a high-gradient laser wake field accelerator, a compact ``table- top`` LSS of monochromatic gamma radiation may become feasible

Phase Contrast Imaging Using a Single Picosecond X-ray Pulse of the Inverse Compton Source at the Bnl Accelerator Test Facility

Inverse Compton scattering (ICS) X-ray sources are of current interest due to their novel features that enable new methods in medical and biological imaging. As a compelling example of such a possibility, we present an experimental demonstration of single shot inline phase contrast imaging using the ICS source located at the BNL Accelerator Test Facility. The phase contrast effect is clearly observed in the images obtained. Further, its qualities are shown to be in agreement with the predictions of theoretical models through comparison of experimental and simulated images of a set of plastic wires of differing composition and size. We also display an example of application of the technique to single shot phase contrast imaging of a biological sample

Monoenergetic proton beams accelerated by a radiation pressure driven shock

High energy ion beams (> MeV) generated by intense laser pulses promise to be viable alternatives to conventional ion beam sources due to their unique properties such as high charge, low emittance, compactness and ease of beam delivery. Typically the acceleration is due to the rapid expansion of a laser heated solid foil, but this usually leads to ion beams with large energy spread. Until now, control of the energy spread has only been achieved at the expense of reduced charge and increased complexity. Radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) provides an alternative route to producing laser-driven monoenergetic ion beams. In this paper, we show the interaction of an intense infrared laser with a gaseous hydrogen target can produce proton spectra of small energy spread (~ 4%), and low background. The scaling of proton energy with the ratio of intensity over density (I/n) indicates that the acceleration is due to the shock generated by radiation-pressure driven hole-boring of the critical surface. These are the first high contrast mononenergetic beams that have been theorised from RPA, and makes them highly desirable for numerous ion beam applications

Inverse Cherenkov and inverse FEL accelerator experiments at the Brookhaven Accelerator Test Facility

Status update on the ongoing inverse Cherenkov acceleration experiment and prospects to its 100 MeV short-term upgrade. The first report on 1 MeV electron acceleration with the 0.5 GW CO{sub 2} laser used in the inverse FEL scheme. (author). 22 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab

The first terawatt picosecond CO{sub 2} laser for advanced accelerator studies at the Brookhaven ATF

The first terawatt picosecond C0{sub 2} laser system is under development at the Brookhaven Accelerator Test Facility. Presently operational 1 Joule 100-ps ATF laser will be upgraded with a 10 atm amplifier capable of delivery {approximately} 15 Joules of laser energy in a 3 ps pulse. We describe the design of the x-ray preionized 10 atm amplifier of a 10 liter active volume energized by a 1 MV, 200 kA transverse electric discharge. The amplifier, equipped with internal optics, permits the accommodation of a regenerative stage and a multi-pass booster in a relatively compact single discharge volume. The ATF terawatt C0{sub 2} laser shall become operational in 1997 to serve for laser acceleration, x-ray generation and other strong-field physics experiments

Laser-electron Compton interaction in plasma channels

A concept of high intensity femtosecond laser synchrotron source (LSS) is based on Compton backscattering of focused electron and laser beams. The short Rayleigh length of the focused laser beam limits the length of interaction to a few picoseconds. However, the technology of the high repetition rate high-average power picosecond lasers required for high put through LSS applications is not developed yet. Another problem associated with the picosecond laser pulses is undesirable nonlinear effects occurring when the laser photons are concentrated in a short time interval. To avoid the nonlinear Compton scattering, the laser beam has to be split, and the required hard radiation flux is accumulated over a number of consecutive interactions that complicates the LSS design. In order to relieve the technological constraints and achieve a practically feasible high-power laser synchrotron source, the authors propose to confine the laser-electron interaction region in the extended plasma channel. This approach permits to use nanosecond laser pulses instead of the picosecond pulses. That helps to avoid the nonlinear Compton scattering regime and allows to utilize already existing technology of the high-repetition rate TEA CO{sub 2} lasers operating at the atmospheric pressure. They demonstrate the advantages of the channeled LSS approach by the example of the prospective polarized positron source for Japan Linear Collider

A high stability Nd:YAG photocathode drive laser

A versatile, highly stable, reliable Nd:YAG laser is in operation at Brookhaven Accelerator Test Facility (ATF) for illuminating a metal photocathode RF electron gun. This system addresses stringent requirements on pulse duration, pulse timing jitter, pulse energy, spatial profile, and pointing imposed by electron accelerator experiments. This paper describes the oscillator operation, (which also includes control of a semicconductor switch for ATF`s high power CO{sub 2} laser), beam transport to the cathode, etc