Simulation Study of an LWFA-based Electron Injector for AWAKE Run 2

• Main Authors: Williamson, Barney, Xia, Guoxing, Doebert, Steffen, Karsch, Stefan, Muggli, Patric
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01-12-2017
• Subjects: Physics - Accelerator Physics; Physics - Plasma Physics
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1712.00255

The AWAKE experiment aims to demonstrate preservation of injected electron
beam quality during acceleration in proton-driven plasma waves. The short bunch
duration required to correctly load the wakefield is challenging to meet with
the current electron injector system, given the space available to the
beamline. An LWFA readily provides short-duration electron beams with
sufficient charge from a compact design, and provides a scalable option for
future electron acceleration experiments at AWAKE. Simulations of a shock-front
injected LWFA demonstrate a 43 TW laser system would be sufficient to produce
the required charge over a range of energies beyond 100 MeV. LWFA beams
typically have high peak current and large divergence on exiting their native
plasmas, and optimisation of bunch parameters before injection into the
proton-driven wakefields is required. Compact beam transport solutions are
discussed.