Investigation of Staged Laser-Plasma Acceleration

133 Pages·2015·7.55 MB·English

by  Satomi Shiraishi (auth.)

Springer Theses
Recognizing Outstanding Ph.D. Research
Satomi Shiraishi
Investigation
of Staged
Laser-Plasma
Acceleration
Springer Theses
Recognizing Outstanding Ph.D. Research
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Satomi Shiraishi
Investigation of Staged
Laser-Plasma Acceleration
Doctoral Thesis accepted by
The University of Chicago, USA
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Author Supervisor
Dr. SatomiShiraishi Prof.Young-Kee Kim
The Enrico FermiInstitute The Enrico FermiInstitute
Universityof Chicago Universityof Chicago
Chicago, IL Chicago, IL
USA USA
ISSN 2190-5053 ISSN 2190-5061 (electronic)
ISBN 978-3-319-08568-5 ISBN 978-3-319-08569-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-08569-2
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2014942525
SpringerChamHeidelbergNewYorkDordrechtLondon
(cid:2)SpringerInternationalPublishingSwitzerland2015
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Parts of this thesis have been published in the following journal articles:
A.J.Gonsalves, K.Nakamura,C. Lin,J.Osterhoff,S.Shiraishi,C.B. Schroeder,
C. G. R. Geddes, Cs. Tóth, E. Esarey, and W. P. Leemans, Plasma channel
diagnosticbasedonlasercentroidoscillations,Phys.Plasmas17,056706(2010).
A. J. Gonsalves, K. Nakamura, C. Lin, D. Panasenko, S. Shiraishi, T. Sokollik,
C. Benedetti, C. B. Schroeder, C. G. R. Geddes, J. van Tilborg, J. Osterhoff,
E.Esarey,Cs.Tóth,andW.P.Leemans,Tunablelaserplasmaacceleratorbased
on longitudinal density tailoring, Nature Phys. 7, 862 (2011).
C. Lin, J. van Tilborg, K. Nakamura, A. J. Gonsalves, N. H. Matlis, T. Sokollik,
S. Shiraishi, J. Osterhoff, C. Benedetti, C. B. Schroeder, Cs. Tóth, E. Esarey, and
W. P. Leemans, Long-Range Persistence of Femtosecond Modulations on Laser-
Plasma-Accelerated Electron Beams, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 094801 (2012).
G. R. Plateau, C. G. R. Geddes, D. B. Thorn, M. Chen, C. Benedetti, E. Esarey,
A. J. Gonsalves, N. H. Matlis, K. Nakamura, C. B. Schroeder, S. Shiraishi,
T. Sokollik, J. van Tilborg, Cs. Tóth, S. Trotsenko, T. S. Kim, M. Battaglia,
Th. Stoehlker, and W. P. Leemans, Low-Emittance Electron Bunches from a
Laser-PlasmaAcceleratorMeasuredusingSingle-ShotX-RaySpectroscopy,Phys.
Rev. Lett. 109, 064802 (2012).
S.Shiraishi,C.Benedetti,A.J.Gonsalves,K.Nakamura,B.H.Shaw,T.Sokollik,
J. van Tilborg, C. G. R. Geddes, C. B. Schroeder, Cs. Tóth, E. Esarey, and
W. P. Leemans, Laser red shifting based characterization of wakefield excitation
in a laser-plasma accelerator, Phys. Plasmas 20, 063103 (2013).
To my families and friends
Supervisor’s Foreword
Particle accelerators have been key drivers for a broad spectrum offundamental
discoveries and transformational scientific advances since the early twentieth
century. Each generation of particle accelerators builds on the previous one,
raisingthepotentialfordiscoveryandpushingtheleveloftechnologyeverhigher.
The science and technology of particle accelerators developed for particle and
nuclear physics research have transformational applications for (i) other areas of
basic science such as atomic physics, bio-physics, and material science (using
synchrotron light sources and spallation neutron sources) and (ii) many areas of
benefit to the nation’s well-being including medical isotope production, cancer
treatments, biomedicine and drug development, national security (scanning of
shipping containers), food sterilization, power transmission, and nuclear waste
transmutation. It has evolved to become an important engine driving world
economy. Over 30,000 accelerators are in operation worldwide, primarily for
industrial and medical purposes.
Experimental investigation of laser-driven plasma accelerators (LPAs) is a
topic pushing the limits of physics and technology. An LPA uses plasma as a
mediumtotransferalaserenergyintothekineticenergyofchargedparticles.This
novelconceptoffersthepotentialtoreducethesizeofacceleratorsbyafactorofa
thousand. However, LPAs require a number of advancements before they can be
used reliably. One critical milestone is particle acceleration using multiple LPA
units sequenced one after another (staged acceleration). Studies of the physics
critical to realizing staged acceleration are the topics of Satomi Shiraishi’s Ph.D.
thesis.
Experiments were conducted using the 40 TW laser system at the LOASIS
facility at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Design, installation, and
commissioningofthesetupwereanimportantpartofherthesiswork.Fromthese
experiments, she produced high-quality electron beams, measured slice energy
spread and emittance, and characterized plasma wave amplitudes. These topics
form the basis of staged acceleration by improving beam quality and by under-
standing accelerating fields and electron beam dynamics. The anticipated
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x Supervisor’sForeword
demonstration of staged acceleration is an exciting beginning for LPAs to further
develop toward the next generation of compact accelerators.
The thesis work of Dr. Satomi Shiraishi is to perform fundamental accelerator
science, providing the foundation inknowledge and workforce upon which major
advances in accelerator-driven technologies will be based. It conducted research
with capabilities that would change existing paradigms, advance accelerator sci-
ence at a fundamental level, and develop transformational applications in the
crosscutting academic discipline. It could enable discoveries that lead to novel,
compact, powerful, and/or cost-effective accelerators.
Chicago, March 2014 Prof. Young-Kee Kim
Foreword
Laser-plasmaaccelerators(LPAs)areanexcitingareaofcurrentresearchowingto
their ability tosustainultrahighaccelerating gradients, ofthe orderof100 GV/m,
some three orders of magnitude beyond conventional radio-frequency linear
accelerators. Experiments on LPAs at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
(LBNL)havebeensuccessfulingeneratingelectronbeamsintheGeVrangeusing
a40fslaserpulsewithafewjoulesofenergyinteractingwithaplasmachannelof
a few centimeters in length. With further development, it is hoped that LPAs can
providethenextgenerationofparticleacceleratorswithapplicationsrangingfrom
high energy physics to advanced light sources, to compact accelerators for basic
science and medicine.
A key component of LPA technology is the plasma channel, which serves to
guide the laser pulse as well as to sustain the large amplitude plasma wave
responsibleforacceleratingtheparticles.AtLBNL,weareusingaplasmachannel
technologybasedoncapillarydischarges,inwhichtheplasmaisgeneratedwithin
a narrow cylindrical channel machined through a block of sapphire. Because
sapphire surrounds the plasma channel, it is difficult to use conventional plasma
techniques to measure the plasma profile and to diagnose the laser–plasma inter-
action. Measurement of the plasma profile and diagnosis of the laser–plasma
interaction is essential to both the understanding and optimization of LPA.
As part of her Ph.D. dissertation, Satomi has developed a novel technique to
diagnose the laser–plasma interaction within the plasma channel. In brief, this is
accomplished by measuring the properties of the laser pulse exiting the plasma
channel, just after interaction with the plasma, and comparing this with the
properties of the laser pulse entering the plasma channel, before interaction with
theplasma.Bymeasuringhowtheplasmainteractionhasmodifiedthelaserpulse,
important properties of the laser–plasma interaction can be ascertained. For
example, by measuring the amount that the laser pulse wavelength has increased
due to the laser–plasma interaction, Satomi was able to determined how much
laserenergywasdepositedwithintheplasmaaswellashowlargeaplasmawave
was generated within the plasma channel. Knowledge of these quantities—laser
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