Electron beam injection using a laser plasma injector (summary to follow)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
Electron beam injection using a laser plasma injector.
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST/N504129/1 | 01/10/2015 | 31/03/2021 | |||
| 1787274 | Studentship | ST/N504129/1 | 01/01/2016 | 31/03/2020 | Barnaby Williamson |
| Description | All working accelerators used for particle physics experiments today are based on radiofrequency acceleration in metallic cavities. While a mature and successful technology, it leads to fundamental constraints on the size of modern particle physics experiments. Acceleration electric fields hosted in plasma waves are orders of magnitude greater than those found in metallic cavities, and therefore offer a route to more compact and lower-cost beam facilities. The AWAKE experiment at CERN is a proof of principle machine that uses plasma accelerator technology to generate electron beams of sufficient energy and quality that could be used in particle physics experiments. It is the first of its kind to use a proton beam to drive plasma waves, which is a particularly promising technique for longterm plasma acceleration, required for the highest energy colliding beam experiments. The work funded by this award investigated three aspects of beam quality of the AWAKE experiment, which are vital for successful particle physics experiments; how to optimise electron beam properties at injection, how to measure the electron beam quality non-invasively, and how to maintain beam quality throughout longterm acceleration. Firstly, using particle-in-cell simulation, this work produced a design for a novel laser-plasma electron injector that successfully generates electron beams of optimal quality. Secondly, a method was studied and proved to have the capability to measure the electron beam emittance (one of the vital measures of beam quality) non-invasively using betatron radiation spectroscopy. This diagnostic method formed part of a successful grant application to STFC, which was evidenced by the extensive particle-in-cell simulations of betatron radiation emission I conducted in the course of this award, which will become a new piece of diagnostic equipment at AWAKE. Finally, the same particle-in-cell simulation was used to study the radiation damping effect of betatron radiation emission during longterm electron beam acceleration at AWAKE and proved it would not be a significant problem or opportunity for the experiment. In the course of this research I also contributed actively to the day-to-day work of the AWAKE experiment itself, which itself successfully met its initial goal of demonstrating electron beam acceleration in a proton-driven plasma wave. |
| Exploitation Route | Most significantly, other PhD students and researchers will take my work on betatron radiation spectroscopy forward as it forms the basis of the new emittance diagnostic, which received a grant from STFC, and will become a new working piece of diagnostic equipment at the AWAKE experiment. Other aspects of the work that formed part of this award are informative for future design goals and iterations of the AWAKE experiment, including the design of a laser-plasma electron beam injector and the study of betatron radiation damping effects. |
| Sectors | Other |
| Description | My findings have contributed towards the AWAKE experiment, which published its initial successful results in Nature (2018), and had a broad impact on the accelerator physics community. Specifically it demonstrated a new method of plasma wakefield acceleration, which is likely to drive new discoveries in particle physics experiments of the future. Given that accelerators also underpin vital work in many sectors beyond fundamental scientific research, from therapeutic and diagnostic medicine to industrial processing and security scanning, advances in accelerator science that contribute toward more compact and potentially cheaper sources of high energy particles will also eventually lead to benefits to society more broadly. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
| Sector | Other |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Description | Collaboration with UCL |
| Organisation | Lancaster University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We contributed to the simulation study of proton beam-plasma interactions, short electron bunch diagnostic using coherent Cherenkov Diffraction radiation (collaboration with RHUL and CERN), accelerated electron beam emittance measurement using betatron spectroscopy. In addition we are working on the high energy collider based on plasma accelerators and other key issues in plasma based accelerators. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partner universities gave contributions to the AWAKE project on the energy spectrometer, booster linac, electron and proton beam diagnostics. |
| Impact | We applied the AWAKE grant together and gave key contributions to the experiment |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Collaboration with UCL |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Department | Department of Ophthamology |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| PI Contribution | We contributed to the simulation study of proton beam-plasma interactions, short electron bunch diagnostic using coherent Cherenkov Diffraction radiation (collaboration with RHUL and CERN), accelerated electron beam emittance measurement using betatron spectroscopy. In addition we are working on the high energy collider based on plasma accelerators and other key issues in plasma based accelerators. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partner universities gave contributions to the AWAKE project on the energy spectrometer, booster linac, electron and proton beam diagnostics. |
| Impact | We applied the AWAKE grant together and gave key contributions to the experiment |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Collaboration with UCL |
| Organisation | University of Liverpool |
| Department | Institute of Translational Medicine |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We contributed to the simulation study of proton beam-plasma interactions, short electron bunch diagnostic using coherent Cherenkov Diffraction radiation (collaboration with RHUL and CERN), accelerated electron beam emittance measurement using betatron spectroscopy. In addition we are working on the high energy collider based on plasma accelerators and other key issues in plasma based accelerators. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partner universities gave contributions to the AWAKE project on the energy spectrometer, booster linac, electron and proton beam diagnostics. |
| Impact | We applied the AWAKE grant together and gave key contributions to the experiment |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Long-term attachment to the CERN |
| Organisation | European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Studies into a laser-driven plasma wakefield accelerator as an electron source for the AWAKE experiment at CERN. Data acquisition for diagnostics used by the experiment, and studies of betatron radiation from accelerated electrons. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to computing facilities, practical and academic training, purchase of materials used for experiments. |
| Impact | Membership of the AWAKE collaboration and contributions to publications |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Invited talk at school (Oxford) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | I gave a talk at Magdalen College School in Oxford about my research and life as a PhD student at CERN to students interested in pursuing a career in science. The students asked many good questions, and their teacher later said they appreciated it. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Public outreach talk on plasma wakefield accelerators at the 44th Institute of Physics Plasma Physics Conference, University of Oxford |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | One evening of the conference was open to the public to hear a number of short presentations about the different areas of study in plasma physics in the UK. Around 100 members of the public attended, who asked questions at the end of the session. I gave a talk on plasma accelerators for particle physics, summarising the role that novel accelerator technologies may play in the future of particle physics experiments. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Researchers Night at CERN 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | An evening where members of the public come to CERN and meet researchers to learn about and discuss the work conducted at the laboratory, through demonstrations, posters and visits to the some of the beam facilities and exhibits. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | University of Manchester Science Busking at the Manchester Museum in support of British Science Week |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Running a number of simple experiments at the Manchester Museum for members of the public, to communicate fundamental ideas in science |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |