Partners - STRATH

Description: The group led by Prof. Dino Jaroszynski is involved in the study of laser-plasma interactions
and the development of new particle sources based on laser-plasma wakefield accelerators and compact
radiation sources based on plasma. The main research programme is a large project to develop a GeV
wakefield accelerator and realise applications including a compact synchrotron or free-electron laser light
source with exceptional temporal properties. To undertake this ambitious project they have set up a
completely new laboratory consisting of terawatt lasers and a conventional RF 10 MeV photo-injector to be
used as an injector for the wakefield accelerator and a full complement of optical and electron beam transport
and diagnostic systems. This activity is underpinned by a substantial theoretical effort and involves a large
community of collaborators. This project, Advanced Laser Plasma High-energy Accelerators towards X-rays
(ALPHA-X), is part of a basic technology programme and is providing a unique facility in the world for
undertaking advanced laser plasma accelerator studies. The ultimate goal of ALPHA-X is to accelerate
femtosecond duration bunches of electrons to energies up to 1 GeV in a plasma wake driven by intense laser
pulses and to use it to power compact ‘table-top’ x-ray FEL and synchrotron sources. Prof.. Jaroszynski set
up the TOPS facility at Strathclyde to provide Users with an ensemble of ultra-short pulse sources for timeresolved
studies of the dynamics and structure of physical, chemical, biological and bio-medical systems.
This facility is currently being enlarged as part of the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA) by
forming the Scottish Centre for the Application of Plasma-based Accelerators. Recent highlights of ALPHAX
have been the first demonstration of controlled acceleration in a plasma wakefield accelerator (Nature 431,
535 - 538 (2004)) and the first demonstration of a compact synchrotron source based on a wakefield
accelerator (Nature Physics, Feb 2008).

Excellence: The group leads the ALPHA-X project and are leaders in the application of wakefield
accelerators.

Main tasks: Laser-wakefield acceleration within the LAPTECH JRA, participant in networking.

Previous experience: Plasma Physics, free-electron lasers, interaction of intense fields with matter, non-linear
optics

Address:

16 Richmond Street

Glasgow G1 1XQ. Scotland

United Kingdom

 Phone +44 (0)141 5522891