Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 8, 121301 (2005) [12 pages]Proof-of-principle experiment for laser-driven acceleration of relativistic electrons in a semi-infinite vacuum
T. Plettner and R. L. Byer
E. Colby, B. Cowan, C. M. S. Sears, J. E. Spencer, and R. H. Siemann Received 22 September 2005; published 13 December 2005 We recently achieved the first experimental observation of laser-driven particle acceleration of relativistic electrons from a single Gaussian near-infrared laser beam in a semi-infinite vacuum. This article presents an in-depth account of key aspects of the experiment. An analysis of the transverse and longitudinal forces acting on the electron beam is included. A comparison of the observed data to the acceleration viewed as an inverse transition radiation process is presented. This is followed by a detailed description of the components of the experiment and a discussion of future measurements. ©2005 The American Physical Society
URL: http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevSTAB.8.121301 [ Abstract | Previous article | Next article | Issue 12 ] |
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