A High-Density Hydrogen-Based Capillary Plasma Source for Particle-Beam-Driven Wakefield Accelerator Applications

We report the generation of variable plasma densities up to 10 19 cm -3 in hydrogen-filled hollow cathode capillary discharges and consider their applications as a practical plasma source for particle-beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerators. The capillary consists of a transparent cylindrical boro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on plasma science 2009-03, Vol.37 (3), p.456-462
Main Authors: Hao Chen, Kallos, E., Muggli, P., Katsouleas, T.C., Gundersen, M.A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acceleration
Accelerators
Borosilicate glasses
Capillarity
Capillary
Cathodes
Channels
Delay effects
Density
Drives
Electric discharges
Exact sciences and technology
Fault location
gas discharge
Glass
Hydrogen
Nanostructure
Other gas discharges
Particle accelerators
Physics
Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges
Physics of plasmas and electric discharges
Plasma
Plasma accelerators
Plasma applications
Plasma density
Plasma production and heating
Plasma sources
plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA)
pulsed power
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Summary:We report the generation of variable plasma densities up to 10 19 cm -3 in hydrogen-filled hollow cathode capillary discharges and consider their applications as a practical plasma source for particle-beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerators. The capillary consists of a transparent cylindrical borosilicate glass tube. The plasma density is determined as a function of time, using Stark broadening of the H alpha line, with a resolution of 50 ns, and is found to decay exponentially with a typical time constant of several hundreds of nanoseconds. The time delay between the discharge and the drive electron beam can therefore be tuned to reach the density appropriate for the maximum acceleration gradient. The dependence of the plasma density on the capillary geometry and gas pressure is discussed, and the results of optical studies of the discharge channel formation process are presented. The implications of the results for beam-driven plasma accelerators araree discussed.
ISSN:0093-3813
1939-9375
DOI:10.1109/TPS.2008.2011799