Wakefield Principle (IMAGE)

DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Wakefield Principle

Caption

Like a speedboat leaving a wake that a surfer can ride, a laser pulse in a laser-plasma wakefield accelerator creates a wake in the plasma that an electron beam "surfs" to high energy. The ridges at bottom right are the laser pulse, which drives the wake as it speeds through the plasma. Colors in the wake represent intense electric fields: the decelerating fields (orange) and accelerating fields (blue) drive the electrons (white) to high energy.

Credit

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Original boat-surfing photo by Sean C. Fulton.

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