The accelerating structure of the laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA) is dynamic and highly sensitive to the local laser and plasma properties. It can expand and contract as it responds to the evolution of the laser and plasma fields. As a result, the position of, and environment within, the LWFA bubble are usually time dependent, which is not ideal for stable acceleration. Variations can have a negative impact on electron bunch properties, and are deleterious for ion channel lasers and plasma wigglers. We demonstrate how a laser pre-pulse improves the stability of the LWFA, and controls the evolution of the laser group and bubble velocity, which are important for determining LWFA dephasing and ultimately the electron bunch energy.
Volume density gratings produced by degenerate, counterpropagating laser pulses in plasma have several useful optical properties. Here we report on one of these in an investigation into creation of a transient plasma density grating that functions as a waveplate.
Laser plasma accelerators are highly versatile and are sources of both radiation and particle beams, with unique properties. The Scottish Centre for Application based Plasma Accelerators (SCAPA) 40 TW and 350 TW laser at the University of Strathclyde has been used to produce both soft and hard x-rays using a laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA). The inherent characteristics of these femtosecond duration pulsed x-rays make them ideal for probing matter and ultrafast imaging applications. To support the development of applications of laser plasma accelerators at the SCAPA facility an adjustable Kirkpatrick-Baez x-ray microscope has been designed to focus 50 eV - 10 KeV x-rays. It is now possible to produce high quality at silicon wafers substrates that can be used for x-ray optics. Platinum-coated (40 nm) silicon wafers have been used in the KB instrument to image the LWFA x-ray source. We simulate the source distribution as part of an investigation to determine the x-ray source size and therefore its transverse coherence and ultimately the peak brilliance. The OASYS SHAODOW-OUI raytracing and wave propagation code has been used to simulate the imaging setup and determine instrument resolution.
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