Electron Trapping from Interactions between Laser-Driven Relativistic Plasma Waves

Authors

Grigory Golovin, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Wenchao Yan, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Ji Luo, Shanghai Jiaotong University
Colton Fruhling, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Daniel Haden, University of Nebraska–LincolnFollow
Baozhen Zhao, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Cheng Liu, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Min Chen, Shanghai Jiaotong University
Shouyuan Chen, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Ping Zhang, University of Nebraska–LincolnFollow
Sudeep Banerjee, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Donald Umstadter, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2018

Citation

PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 121, 104801 (2018)

Comments

© 2018 American Physical Society

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.104801

Abstract

Interactions of large-amplitude relativistic plasma waves were investigated experimentally by propagating two synchronized ultraintense femtosecond laser pulses in plasma at oblique crossing angles to each other. The electrostatic and electromagnetic fields of the colliding waves acted to preaccelerate and trap electrons via previously predicted, but untested injection mechanisms of ponderomotive drift and wakewake interference. High-quality energetic electron beams were produced, also revealing valuable new information about plasma-wave dynamics.