CRITICAL MASS: Collective radiation-beam-plasma interactions at high intensities

This proposal describes a programme of research on single-particle and collective radiation-beam-plasma interactions at high field intensities, production of high-brightness particle beams with femtosecond to attosecond duration, new sources of coherent and incoherent radiation that are both compact and inexpensive, new methods of accelerating particles which could make them widely available and, by extending their parameter range, stimulate new application areas. An important adjunct to the proposal will be a programme to apply the sources to demonstrate their usefulness and also provide a way to involve industry and other end-users. The project builds on previous experiments and theoretical investigations of the Advanced Laser Plasma High-energy Accelerators towards X-rays (ALPHA-X) project, which has demonstrated controlled acceleration in a laser-plasma wakefield accelerator (LWFA), initial applications of beams from the LWFA and demonstrations of gamma ray production due to resonant betatron motion in the LWFA. The programme will have broad relevance, through developing an understanding of the highly nonlinear and collective physics of radiation-matter interactions, to fields ranging from astrophysics, fusion and nuclear physics, to the interaction of radiation with biological matter. It will also touch on several basic problems in physics, such as radiation reaction in plasma media and the development of coherence in nonlinear coupled systems.

Impact and relevance will take place at several levels and on different timescales.

The impact of the research will be wide ranging, from pure academic research to advancing the field and exploring new regimes arising from moving into new parameter domains. In addition to new opportunities in basic research, there are numerous new applications, some of which could have a very high impact e.g. radiotherapy, nuclear fusion, imaging of dense matter, medical radio-isotope production. Basic research will feed into applications and deliver benefits to industry and ultimately the UK economy. Indirectly, trained scientists may find their way into industry. By setting a high standard for the research, and publishing in high impact journals, the group will become more competitive in a rapidly growing area of research, which has many potential applications. Multi-disciplinary approach will develop a flexibility to tackle challenging problems and be attractive to international projects, thus allowing the team to engage with and lead international projects. The most important dissemination paths enhancing the profile of the research in the academic community will be through publishing the outcomes of the research in high impact journals and presenting the work at national and international conferences.

The output of the research will have longer term but significant impact. As one of the objectives is on applications of the technology, in particular in the health sector, we expect the project to have more immediate impact in radiotherapy and imaging, which has a high impact on society and quality of life.

There is a demand for improving cancer therapy in the UK. Particle therapy is currently seen as a possible route to improving treatment of certain types of cancer, particularly in young children. Compact accelerators and radiation sources could have impact on diagnosis of illnesses, e.g. by enabling on-site production of PET radioisotopes and other tracers. Recent reports have identified an impending acute shortage of medical radioisotopes because of the imminent decommissioning of reactors. Compact radiation sources could have an impact on detection of explosives and therefore on global insecurity. Imaging of stored nuclear waste could also have an impact on the lagacy of nuclear power generation.

Academia and industry are likely to gain from the development of more compact coherent radiation sources. Furthermore, ultrashort gamma ray pulses should allow real time investigation of materials subject to stimuli. A compact coherent X-ray source based on laser plasma wakefield accelerators would have a major impact on the pharmaceuticals industry and health care because reduced cost would make them more widely available.

Employers will benefit from skilled workforce trained in a multidisciplinary environment. The immediate beneficiaries will be academic institutes, industry, NHS and government laboratories, but it is anticipated that the broad skills gained could be transferred to a diverse range of career pathways.