Gas-dynamic density downramp injection in a beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator

Gas-dynamic density downramp injection in a beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator

Couperus Cabadağ, J. P.; Pausch, R.; Schöbel, S.; Bussmann, M.; Chang, Y.-Y.; Corde, S.; Debus, A.; Ding, H.; Dopp, A.; Foerster, F. M.; Gilljohann, M.; Haberstroh, F.; Heinemann, T.; Hidding, B.; Karsch, S.; Köhler, A.; Kononenko, O.; Knetsch, A.; Kurz, T.; Martinez De La Ossa, A.; Nutter, A.; Raj, G.; Steiniger, K.; Schramm, U.; Ufer, P.; Irman, A.

We present the experimental demonstration of density downramp injection at a gas-dynamic shock in a beam-driven plasma accelerator.
The ultrashort driver electron beam with a peak-current exceeding 10 kA allows operation in the blowout regime and enables injection of electron witness bunches at gentle density ramps, i.e. longer than the plasma wavelength, which nurtures prospects for ultralow bunch emittance.
By precision control over the position of injection we show that these bunches can be energy-tuned in acceleration gradients of near 120 GV/m.

Keywords: PWFA; LWFA; Downramp injection; Particle-in-cell; Particle acceleration in plasmas; Plasma-beam interactions; Novel acceleration methods; Beam-driven plasma acceleration

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-33140