We report on the generation of a narrow divergence ($thetaapprox 2.5$ mrad), multi-MeV ($E_text{MAX} = 18$ MeV) and ultra-high brilliance ($approx 2times10^{19}$ photons s$^{-1}$ mm$^{-2}$ mrad $^{-2}$ 0.1% BW) $gamma$-ray beam from the scattering of
an ultra-relativistic laser-wakefield accelerated electron beam in the field of a relativistically intense laser (dimensionless amplitude $a_0approx2$). The spectrum of the generated $gamma$-ray beam is measured, with MeV resolution, seamlessly from 6 MeV to 18 MeV, giving clear evidence of the onset of non-linear Thomson scattering. The photon source has the highest brilliance in the multi-MeV regime ever reported in the literature.
Laser-wakefield acceleration is a promising technique for the next generation of ultra-compact, high-energy particle accelerators. However, for a meaningful use of laser-driven particle beams it is necessary that they present a high degree of pointin
g stability in order to be injected into transport lines and further acceleration stages. Here we show a comprehensive experimental study of the main factors limiting the pointing stability of laser-wakefield accelerated electron beams. It is shown that gas-cells provide a much more stable electron generation axis, if compared to gas-jet targets, virtually regardless of the gas density used. A sub-mrad shot-to-shot fluctuation in pointing is measured and a consistent non-zero offset of the electron axis in respect to the laser propagation axis is found to be solely related to a residual angular dispersion introduced by the laser compression system and can be used as a precise diagnostic tool for compression oprtimisation in chirped pulse amplified lasers.
We report on the laser-driven generation of purely neutral, relativistic electron-positron pair plasmas. The overall charge neutrality, high average Lorentz factor ($gamma_{e/p} approx 15$), small divergence ($theta_{e/p} approx 10 - 20$ mrad), and h
igh density ($n_{e/p}simeq 10^{15}$cm$^{-3}$) of these plasmas open the pathway for the experimental study of the dynamics of this exotic state of matter, in regimes that are of relevance to electron-positron astrophysical plasmas.
The generation of ultra-relativistic positron beams with short duration ($tau_{e^+} leq 30$ fs), small divergence ($theta_{e^+} simeq 3$ mrad), and high density ($n_{e^+} simeq 10^{14} - 10^{15}$ cm$^{-3}$) from a fully optical setup is reported. The
detected positron beam propagates with a high-density electron beam and $gamma$-rays of similar spectral shape and peak energy, thus closely resembling the structure of an astrophysical leptonic jet. It is envisaged that this experimental evidence, besides the intrinsic relevance to laser-driven particle acceleration, may open the pathway for the small-scale study of astrophysical leptonic jets in the laboratory.
The dynamics of magnetic fields with amplitude of several tens of Megagauss, generated at both sides of a solid target irradiated with a high intensity (? 1019W/cm2) picosecond laser pulse, has been spatially and temporally resolved using a proton im
aging technique. The amplitude of the magnetic fields is sufficiently large to have a constraining effect on the radial expansion of the plasma sheath at the target surfaces. These results, supported by numerical simulations and simple analytical modeling, may have implications for ion acceleration driven by the plasma sheath at the rear side of the target as well as for the laboratory study of self-collimated high-energy plasma jets.
The expansion of electromagnetic post-solitons emerging from the interaction of a 30 ps, $3times 10^{18}$ W cm$^{-2}$ laser pulse with an underdense deuterium plasma has been observed up to 100 ps after the pulse propagation, when large numbers of po
st-solitons were seen to remain in the plasma. The temporal evolution of the post-solitons has been accurately characterized with a high spatial and temporal resolution. The observed expansion is compared to analytical models and three dimensional particle-in-cell results providing indication of the polarisation dependence of the post-soliton dynamics.
The direct observation and full characterization of a Phase Space Electron Hole (EH) generated by laser-matter interaction is presented. This structure has been detected via proton radiography during the interaction between an intense laser pulse (t=
1ns temporally flat-top, I= 10^14W/cm^2) and a gold 26 micron thick hohlraum. This technique has allowed us the simultaneous detection of propagation velocity, potential and electron density spatial profile across the EH with fine spatial and temporal resolution providing an unprecedentedly detailed experimental characterization.
