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Laser-Driven Cyclotron Autoresonance Accelerator --Omega-P, Inc., 345 Whitney Avenue, Suite 100, New Haven, CT 06511; 203-789-1164
Dr. Jay L. Hirshfield, Principal Investigator
Mr. George P. Trahan, Business Official
DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-99ER82846
Amount: $100,000
High-energy electron acceleration using intense laser acceleration, with a gradient of the order of 100 MeV/m, for meter-length distance, and in a manner that facilitates staging, has not yet been demonstrated. This project will use laser-driven cyclotron autoresonance acceleration (LACARA) to exploit gyroresonance to achieve all of the above parameters. LACARA is an outgrowth of its microwave counterpart, but enjoys the benefit of long interaction length in weakly-focused laser radiation with no stalling limit. Preliminary computations show that acceleration from 50 to 178 MeV can occur over 150 cm in the focus of a 4 TW, 10.4 micron Gaussian laser beam with a minimum waist diameter of 0.20 cm. Phase I will perform a thorough computational study of LACARA to assess the effects of finite initial emittance for the beam, errors in the magentic field profile, beam loading, finite bunch-length and slippage, and orbit gyrations. Then, an experimental layout suitable for the Brookhaven National Laboratory Accelerator Test Facility, including optimization of a cryomagnet, will be designed, and tests will be conducted during Phase II.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: A laser-based electron accelerator that can accelerate all particles in a short bunch equally, with a continuous acceleration gradient of the order of 100 MeV/m over meter-long paths, and in a manner that facilitates staging, should be attractive to commercial users of energetic electron beams. Applications include in experimental and industrial light sources, and medical therapy.