Scientists at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China have developed a new laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA) that could pave the way for compact and cost-effective alternatives to conventional particle accelerators. In a LWFA, a dense plasma is created by focusing an intense laser pulse into a gas, which accelerates electrons over short distances. The challenge has been reinjecting the electrons for multiple acceleration stages, but the researchers have found that by using curved plasma channels, they can guide the electrons and retain more particles during acceleration. The team believes their approach could lead to teraelectronvolt energies at a fraction of the size and cost of current particle accelerators.
Tue, 18 Jul 2023 16:09:21 GMT | physicsworld.com