Laser-Driven Cyclotron Autoresonance Accelerator - LACARA--Omega-P, Inc., 202008 Yale Station, Suite 100, New Haven, CT 06520; 203-789-1164
Dr. Jay L. Hirshfield, Principal Investigator
Mr. George P. Trahan, Business Official
DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-99ER82846
Amount: $750,000

High-energy electron acceleration using intense lasers, with gradients on the order of 100 MeV/m, for meter-length distances and in a manner that facilitates staging, has not yet been demonstrated. This project will develop laser-driven cyclotron autoresonance acceleration (LACARA) to exploit gyroresonance to achieve all of these characteristics. In Phase I, a thorough computational study was carried out to assess the effects of various parameters and design characteristics on beam acceleration. The computations showed that acceleration from 50 to 121 MeV can occur over 150 cm in the focus of a two terawatt, 10.4 micron Gaussian laser beam with a minimum waist diameter of 0.20 cm. An optimized design, employing an affordable single-coil dry cryomagnet, was developed for an experimental layout suitable for the Brookhaven National Laboratory Accelerator Test Facility (BNL-ATF). In Phase II, the final specifications for a single-coil, dry cryomagnet for a prototype LACARA will be determined and its procurement initiated. Design and fabrication will be undertaken for the LACARA beam pipe, including precision alignment fittings for copper mirrors and the pipe itself. Installation of the prototype LACARA in the BNL-ATF and evaluations of its performance will be carried out. Computations to enable the design of a future multi-stage LACARA will then be undertaken.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: A laser-based vacuum electron accelerator that can accelerate all particles in a short bunch equally, with a continuous acceleration gradient on the order of 100 MeV/m over meter-long paths and in a manner that facilitates staging, should be attractive to commercial uses of energetic electron beams. Applications include light sources and medical therapy.