Experimental Observation of Plasma Wake-Field Acceleration

J. B. Rosenzweig; D. B. Cline; B. Cole; H. Figueroa; W. Gai; R. Konecny; J. Norem; P. Schoessow; J. Simpson

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.61.98

Experimental Observation of Plasma Wake-Field Acceleration

J. B. Rosenzweig, D. B. Cline, B. Cole, H. Figueroa, W. Gai, R. Konecny, J. Norem, P. Schoessow, and J. Simpson

Phys. Rev. Lett. 61, 98 – Published 4 July 1988

Abstract

We report the first experimental test of the physics of plasma wake-field acceleration performed at the Argonne National Laboratory Advanced Accelerator Test Facility. Megavolt-per-meter plasma wake fields are excited by a intense 21-MeV, multipiscosecond bunch of electrons in a plasma of density $n_{e} ≃ 10^{13}$ ${cm}^{- 3}$ , and probed by a low-intensity 15-MeV witness pulse with a variable delay time behind the intense bunch. Accelerating and deflecting wake-field measurements are presented, and the results compared to theoretical predictions.

Received 21 March 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.61.98

Authors & Affiliations

J. B. Rosenzweig, D. B. Cline^*, B. Cole^†, H. Figueroa^‡, W. Gai, R. Konecny, J. Norem, P. Schoessow, and J. Simpson

High Energy Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439

^*Present address: Department of Physics, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024.
^†Permanent address: Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706.
^‡Present address: Department of Physics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089.