MeV-Energy X Rays from Inverse Compton Scattering with Laser-Wakefield Accelerated Electrons
Abstract
We report the generation of MeV x rays using an undulator and accelerator that are both driven by the same 100-terawatt laser system. The laser pulse driving the accelerator and the scattering laser pulse are independently optimized to generate a high energy electron beam (>200MeV) and maximize the output x-ray brightness. The total x-ray photon number was measured to be ∼1×107, the source size was 5μm, and the beam divergence angle was ∼10mrad. The x-ray photon energy, peaked at 1 MeV (reaching up to 4 MeV), exceeds the thresholds of fundamental nuclear processes (e.g., pair production and photodisintegration).
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- April 2013
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.155003
- Bibcode:
- 2013PhRvL.110o5003C
- Keywords:
-
- 52.38.Ph;
- 41.60.Ap;
- 52.38.Kd;
- X-ray gamma-ray and particle generation;
- Synchrotron radiation;
- Laser-plasma acceleration of electrons and ions