Optical Plasma Diagnostics for Plasma Wakefield Accelerators
(University of Tulsa)
Research Project Description.
Plasma wakefield accelerators can provide energy gain of up to two orders of magnitude greater than conventional RF accelerators, making them a promising new technology for creating compact particle accelerators. Diagnostics for PWFA plasma sources are necessary to experimentally measure the plasma profile, which provides information that is essential for optimizing the plasma source and thereby generating high-quality accelerated electron bunches. However, PWFA plasma sources are challenging to diagnose due to their short lifetime, low density, and long, narrow shape. This object includes theory, simulations, and experimental setup work for novel applications of two methods of plasma diagnostics, plasma glow imagery and shadowgraphy, which together could provide a simple and robust diagnostic tool for PWFA plasma sources.
