[en] We present complete experimental characterization of the temporal shape of an intense ultrashort 200-TW laser pulse driving a laser wakefield. The phase of the pulse was uniquely measured by using (second-order) frequency-resolved optical gating. The pulses are asymmetrically compressed and exhibit a positive chirp consistent with the expected asymmetric self-phase-modulation due to photon acceleration or deceleration in a relativistic plasma wave. The measured pulse duration decreases linearly with increasing length and density of the plasma, in quantitative agreement with the intensity-dependent group velocity variation in the plasma wave.

No abstract available

[en] Density modulations in plasma caused by a high-intensity laser or a high charge density electron pulse can generate extreme acceleration fields. Acceleration of electrons in such fields may produce ultra-relativistic, quasi-monoenergetic, ultra-short electron bunches over distances orders of magnitudes shorter than in state-of-the-art radio-frequency accelerators. FLASHForward is a beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA) project at DESY with the goal of producing, characterizing, and utilizing such beams. Temporal characterization of the acceleration process is of crucial importance for improving the stability and control in PWFA beams. While measurement of the transient field of the femtosecond bunch in a single shot is challenging, in recent years novel techniques with great promise have been developed [1, 2]. This work discusses the plans and status of the transverse diagnostics at FLASHForward. (paper)

[en] The acceleration of electrons to ≅0.8 GeV has been observed in a self-injecting laser wakefield accelerator driven at a plasma density of 5.5x10¹⁸ cm^-3 by a 10 J, 55 fs, 800 nm laser pulse in the blowout regime. The laser pulse is found to be self-guided for 1 cm (>10z_R), by measurement of a single filament containing >30% of the initial laser energy at this distance. Three-dimensional particle in cell simulations show that the intensity within the guided filament is amplified beyond its initial focused value to a normalized vector potential of a₀>6, thus driving a highly nonlinear plasma wave.

[en] We show that x-rays from a recently demonstrated table top source of bright, ultrafast, coherent synchrotron radiation [Kneip et al., Nat. Phys. 6, 980 (2010)] can be applied to phase contrast imaging of biological specimens. Our scheme is based on focusing a high power short pulse laser in a tenuous gas jet, setting up a plasma wakefield accelerator that accelerates and wiggles electrons analogously to a conventional synchrotron, but on the centimeter rather than tens of meter scale. We use the scheme to record absorption and phase contrast images of a tetra fish, damselfly and yellow jacket, in particular highlighting the contrast enhancement achievable with the simple propagation technique of phase contrast imaging. Coherence and ultrafast pulse duration will allow for the study of various aspects of biomechanics.

[en] A laser wakefield accelerator is shown to operate in the highly non-linear bubble regime, following the characteristic scaling of energy gain with density and leading to monoenergetic electron beams with up to 400 MeV and hundreds of pC charge. The bubble acts at the same time as a miniature undulator, causing the electrons to give off a beam of betatron x-rays with milliradian divergence, μm source size, 1-100 keV photon energy and 10²² ph/mm²/mrad²s/0.1% BW.

[en] Many supernova remnants (SNRs), such as G296.5+10.0, exhibit an axisymmetric or barrel shape. Such morphologies have previously been linked to the direction of the Galactic magnetic field, although this remains uncertain. These SNRs generate magnetohydrodynamic shocks in the interstellar medium, modifying its physical and chemical properties. The ability to study these shocks through observations is difficult due to the small spatial scales involved. In order to answer these questions, we perform a scaled laboratory experiment in which a laser-generated blast wave expands under the influence of a uniform magnetic field. The blast wave exhibits a spheroidal shape, whose major axis is aligned with the magnetic field, in addition to a more continuous shock front. The implications of our results are discussed in the context of astrophysical systems.

[en] A monoenergetic proton beam is observed from the interaction of a short-pulse infrared (λ = 10.6 μm) laser at intensity I = 6 x 10¹⁵ W cm^-2 with a gas jet target. The proton beam is found to have narrow energy spread (∼ 4% ), high spectral brightness (∼ 10¹² protons/MeV/sr), low normalized emittance (ε_n≅ 8 nm rad), and high contrast (> 200 x over noise). The narrow energy spread and low levels of impurity makes this method an interesting route for high-repetition rate high quality proton beam production.

[en] The role of plasma channels as waveguides for laser-wakefield accelerators is discussed in terms of the results of experiments performed with the Astra-Gemini laser, numerical simulations using the code WAKE, and the theory of self-focusing and self-guiding of intense laser beams. It is found that at a given electron density, electron beams can be accelerated using lower laser powers in a waveguide structure than in a gas-jet or cell. The transition between relativistically self-guided and channel-assisted guiding is seen in the simulations and in the behaviour of the production of electron beams. We also show that by improving the quality of the driving laser beam the threshold laser energy required to produce electron beams can be reduced by a factor of almost 2. The use of an aperture allows the production of a quasi-monoenergetic electron beam of energy 520 MeV with an input laser power of only 30 TW.

[en] We report on the characterization of the specular reflection of 50 fs laser pulses in the intensity range 10¹⁷-10²¹ W cm^-2 obliquely incident with p-polarization onto solid density plasmas. These measurements show that the absorbed energy fraction remains approximately constant and that second harmonic generation (SHG) achieves efficiencies of 22±8% for intensities approaching 10²¹ W cm^-2. A simple model based on the relativistic oscillating mirror concept reproduces the observed intensity scaling, indicating that this is the dominant process involved for these conditions. This method may prove to be superior to SHG by sum frequency mixing in crystals as it is free from dispersion and retains high spatial coherence at high intensity.