Igor Pogorelsky

Monoenergetic proton beams accelerated by a radiation pressure driven shock.

We report on the acceleration of impurity-free quasimononenergetic proton beams from an initially gaseous hydrogen target driven by an intense infrared (λ=10 μm) laser. The front surface of the target was observed by optical probing to be driven forward by the radiation pressure of the laser. A proton beam of ∼MeV energy was simultaneously recorded with narrow energy spread (σ∼4%), low normalized emittance (∼8 nm), and negligible background. The scaling of proton energy with the ratio of intensity over density (I/n) confirms that the acceleration is due to the radiation pressure driven shock.

Picosecond pulse amplification in isotopic CO 2 active medium

Using a high-pressure carbon-dioxide laser amplifier enriched with the oxygen-18 isotope, we produced a 5-ps, 10-µm pulse of the 1 TW peak power without splitting, which otherwise occurs due to spectral modulation by the rotation structure of the CO(2) amplification band.

Quantitative evaluation of single-shot inline phase contrast imaging using an inverse compton x-ray source

Inverse compton scattering (ICS) x-ray sources are of current interest in biomedical imaging. We present an experimental demonstration of inline phase contrast imaging using a single picosecond pulse of the ICS source located at the BNL Accelerator Test Facility. The phase contrast effect is clearly observed. Its qualities are shown to be in agreement with the predictions of theoretical models through comparison of experimental and simulated images of a set of plastic wires of differing composition and size. Finally, we display an application of the technique to a biological sample, confirming the possibility of time-resolved imaging on the picosecond scale.

Performance of the Brookhaven Photocathode RF Gun

The Brookhaven Accelerator Test Facility (ATF) uses a photocathode rf gun to provide a high-brightness electron beam intended for FEL and laser-acceleration experiments. The rf gun consists of 1{1/2} cells driven at 2856 MHz in {pi}-mode with a maximum cathode field of 100 MV/m. To achieve long lifetimes, the photocathode development concentrates on robust metals such as copper, yttrium and samarium. We illuminate these cathodes with a 10-ps, frequency-quadrupled Nd:YAG laser. We describe the initial operation of the gun, including measurements of transverse and longitudinal emittance, quantum efficiencies, and peak current. The results are compared to models.

Experimental characterization of the high-brightness electron photoinjector

Abstract Operational experience of the emittance compensated photoinjector at the Brookhaven Accelerator Test Facility (ATF) is presented in this paper. The photoinjector has demonstrated the stability and reliability required for UV and X-ray FEL applications. The RF gun has been routinely running at more than 100 MV/m peak acceleration field; the laser system of the photoinjector has achieved 2% peak to peak energy stability, 0,5% point stability and better than 2 ps timing jitter. The highest measured quantum efficiency of the Cu cathode is 0.05%. The electron beam bunch length was measured to be 10 ps using a linac RF phase scan. The normalized rms emittance for 0.5 nC charge was measured, to be from 1 to 2 mm rad, which agrees with PARMELA simulations.

Observation of High Intensity X-Rays in Inverse Compton Scattering Experiment

Abstract We report the first results of high-intensity X-ray generation using Inverse Laser Compton scattering. This experiment was carried out by a US–Japan collaboration at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) Accelerator Test Facility (ATF) in September 1999. The 3.5 ps X-ray pulse at 6.5 keV, containing 3×10 6 X-ray photons was generated by the interaction of 60 MeV, 0.5 nC electron bunches and CO 2 laser pulses of 600 MW peak power.

Observation of the nonlinear effect in relativistic thomson scattering of electron and laser beams

Thomson scattering of high-power laser and electron beams is a good test of electrodynamics in the high-field region. We demonstrated production of high-intensity X-rays in the head-on collision of a CO2 laser and 60-MeV electron beams at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Accelerator Test Facility. The energy of an X-ray photon was limited at 6.5 keV in the linear (lowest order) Thomson scattering, but the nonlinear (higher order) process produces higher energy X-rays. We measured the angular distribution of the high-energy X-rays and confirmed that it agrees with theoretical predictions.

Efficient extreme ultraviolet plasma source generated by a CO2 laser and a liquid xenon microjet target

We demonstrated efficacy of a CO2-laser-produced xenon plasma in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral region at 13.5nm at variable laser pulse widths between 200ps and 25ns. The plasma target was a 30μm liquid xenon microjet. To ensure the optimum coupling of CO2 laser energy with the plasma, they applied a prepulse yttrium aluminum garnet laser. The authors measured the conversion efficiency (CE) of the 13.5nm EUV emission for different pulse widths of the CO2 laser. A maximum CE of 0.6% was obtained for a CO2 laser pulse width of 25ns at an intensity of 5×1010W∕cm2.

Measurement of an inverse Compton scattering source local spectrum using k-edge filters

X-ray sources based on the inverse Compton scattering process are attracting a growing interest among scientists, due to their extremely fast pulse, quasi-monochromatic spectrum, and relatively high intensity. The energy spectrum of the x-ray beam produced by inverse Compton scattering sources in a fixed observation direction is a quasi-monochromatic approximately Gaussian distribution. The mean value of this distribution varies with the scattering polar angle between the electron beam direction and the x-ray beam observation direction. Previous works reported experimental measurements of the mean energy as a function of the polar angle. This work introduces a method for the measurement of the whole local energy spectrum (i.e., the spectrum in a fixed observation direction) of the x-ray beam yielded by inverse Compton scattering sources, based on a k-edge filtering technique.

Spectral Modification of Shock Accelerated Ions Using a Hydrodynamically Shaped Gas Target

We report on reproducible shock acceleration from irradiation of a λ=10  μm CO_{2} laser on optically shaped H_{2} and He gas targets. A low energy laser prepulse (I≲10^{14}  W cm^{-2}) is used to drive a blast wave inside the gas target, creating a steepened, variable density gradient. This is followed, after 25 ns, by a high intensity laser pulse (I>10^{16}  W cm^{-2}) that produces an electrostatic collisionless shock. Upstream ions are accelerated for a narrow range of prepulse energies. For long density gradients (≳40  μm), broadband beams of He^{+} and H^{+} are routinely produced, while for shorter gradients (≲20  μm), quasimonoenergetic acceleration of protons is observed. These measurements indicate that the properties of the accelerating shock and the resultant ion energy distribution, in particular the production of narrow energy spread beams, is highly dependent on the plasma density profile. These findings are corroborated by 2D particle-in-cell simulations.