Modeling Hybrid Wakefield Accelerators with PIConGPU

Hybrid LWFA-PWFA obtain high-charge beams of several 100pC with comparably large energy spread and divergence from a first LWFA stage. These beams are then used as a driver in a subsequent PWFA stage, where electron beams with less charge, but higher beam brightness are accelerated. Recent experiments at the HZDR, based on a LWFA-PWFA setup that includes an additional metal foil in between the gas jets, have provided promising results. The presence of very different regimes in hybrid LWFA-PWFAs ranging from underdense plasma to overdense plasma of the foil, interspersed with extended vacuum propagation distances is challenging for 3D-PIC simulations with regard to HPC resources, performance, numerical stability and the ability to iteratively compare with experimental results. The poster presents current simulation efforts at HZDR together with DESY collaborators in modeling experimental results using the open-source, 3D-PIC code PIConGPU. This includes simulation results from parameter scans, as well as the numerical techniques used.