[Table of Contents]

Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 4, 045 (2009)

Review Articles


Surfing Plasma Waves: A New Paradigm for Particle Accelerators
Chandrashekhar JOSHI
UCLA, Electrical Engineering Department, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1594, USA
(Received 26 August 2008 / Accepted 6 February 2009 / Published 5 October 2009)

Abstract

Accelerator-based experiments have produced key breakthroughs in our understanding of the physical world. New accelerators, to explore the frontiers of Tera-scale Physics, appear possible, based on concepts developed over the last three decades in multi-disciplinary endeavors. The Plasma-Based Particle Accelerator is one concept that has made spectacular advances in the last few years. In this scheme, electrons or positrons gain energy by surfing the electric field of a plasma wave that is produced by the passage of an intense laser pulse or an electron beam through the plasma. This talk reviews the principles of this new technique and prognosticates how it is likely to impact science and technology in the future.


Keywords

plasma wakefield accelerator, laser, relativistic electron beam, tera-scale physics

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.4.045


References

  • [1] Revealing the Hidden Nature of Space and Time (The National Academy Press, 2000).
  • [2] C. Joshi, Phys. Plasmas 14, 055501 (2007).
  • [3] C. Joshi, Nature 311, 525 (1984).
  • [4] T. Tajima and J.M. Dawson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 43, 267 (1979).
  • [5] P. Chen et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 54, 693 (1985).
  • [6] J.B. Rosenzweig, Phys. Rev. A 44, R6189 (1991).
  • [7] A. Pukhov and J. Meyertervehn, Appl. Phys. B: Lasers and Optics 74, 355 (2002).
  • [8] C. Joshi, Sci. Am. 294, 40 (2006).
  • [9] C.G.R. Geddes et al., Nature 431, 538 (2004).
  • [10] J. Faure et al., Nature 431, 541 (2004).
  • [11] S. Mangles et al., Nature 431, 535 (2004).
  • [12] C. DesRosiers et al., Phys. Med. Biol. 45, 1781 (2000).
  • [13] C. Joshi, Cern Courier 47, 28 (2007).
  • [14] I. Blumenfeld et al., Nature 445, 741 (2007).
  • [15] B. Blue et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 214801 (2003).
  • [16] V. Yakimenko and R. Ischebeck in “Advanced Accelerator Concepts,” AIP Conf. Proc. 877, 158 (2006).

This paper may be cited as follows:

Chandrashekhar JOSHI, Plasma Fusion Res. 4, 045 (2009).