Observation of large-angle quasimonoenergetic electrons from a laser wakefield.
A relativistically intense laser pulse is focused into a helium jet and quasimonoenergetic electrons emitted at a 40 degrees angle with respect to the laser axis are observed. The average electron energy is between 1 and 2 MeV and the total accelerated charge is about 1 nC emitted in a 10 degrees cone angle. Three dimensional particle-in-cell simulations reproduce key features of the experimental results and show that the interaction between ionization heating and nonlinear cavitation wakefields is responsible for the acceleration.
Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375, USA. Dmitri@ppdmail.nrl.navy.mil
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Kaganovich
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Gordon
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Ting