High-gradient plasma-wakefield acceleration with two subpicosecond electron bunches.
A plasma-wakefield experiment is presented where two 60 MeV subpicosecond electron bunches are sent into a plasma produced by a capillary discharge. Both bunches are shorter than the plasma wavelength, and the phase of the second bunch relative to the plasma wave is adjusted by tuning the plasma density. It is shown that the second bunch experiences a 150 MeV/m loaded accelerating gradient in the wakefield driven by the first bunch. This is the first experiment to directly demonstrate high-gradient, controlled acceleration of a short-pulse trailing electron bunch in a high-density plasma.
Kallos
Efthymios
E
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA.
Katsouleas
Tom
T
Kimura
Wayne D
WD
Kusche
Karl
K
Muggli
Patric
P
Pavlishin
Igor
I
Pogorelsky
Igor
I
Stolyarov
Daniil
D
Yakimenko
Vitaly
V