arXiv subjects

A. Pukhov

Publications and source records attributed to A. Pukhov.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Acceleration of electrons in the plasma wakefield of a proton bunch

High energy particle accelerators have been crucial in providing a deeper understanding of fundamental particles and the forces that govern their interactions. In order to increase the energy or reduce the size of the accelerator, new acceleration schemes need to be developed. Plasma wakefield acceleration, in which the electrons in a plasma are excited, leading to strong electric fields, is one such promising novel acceleration technique. Pioneering experiments have shown that an intense laser pulse or electron bunch traversing a plasma, drives electric fields of 10s GV/m and above. These values are well beyond those achieved in conventional RF accelerators which are limited to ~0.1 GV/m. A limitation of laser pulses and electron bunches is their low stored energy, which motivates the use of multiple stages to reach very high energies. The use of proton bunches is compelling, as they have the potential to drive wakefields and accelerate electrons to high energy in a single accelerating stage. The long proton bunches currently available can be used, as they undergo self-modulation, a particle-plasma interaction which longitudinally splits the bunch into a series of high density microbunches, which then act resonantly to create large wakefields. The AWAKE experiment at CERN uses intense bunches of protons, each of energy 400 GeV, with a total bunch energy of 19 kJ, to drive a wakefield in a 10 m long plasma. Bunches of electrons are injected into the wakefield formed by the proton microbunches. This paper presents measurements of electrons accelerated up to 2 GeV at AWAKE. This constitutes the first demonstration of proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration. The potential for this scheme to produce very high energy electron bunches in a single accelerating stage means that the results shown here are a significant step towards the development of future high energy particle accelerators.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2018

Relativistic interaction of long-wavelength ultrashort laser pulses with nanowires

We report on experimental results in a new regime of a relativistic light-matter interaction employing mid-infrared (3.9-micrometer wavelength) high-intensity femtosecond laser pulses. In the laser generated plasma, the electrons reach relativistic energies already at rather low intensities due to the fortunate lambda^2-scaling of the kinetic energy with the laser wavelength. The lower intensity suppresses optical field ionization and creation of the pre-plasma at the rising edge of the laser pulse efficiently, enabling an enhanced efficient vacuum heating of the plasma. The lower critical plasma density for long-wavelength radiation can be surmounted by using nanowires instead of flat targets. In our experiments about 80% of the incident laser energy has been absorbed resulting in a long living, keV-temperature, high-charge state plasma with a density of more than three orders of magnitude above the critical value. Our results pave the way to laser-driven experiments on laboratory astrophysics and nuclear physics at a high repetition rate.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2018

Les Houches 2017: Physics at TeV Colliders New Physics Working Group Report

We present the activities of the `New Physics' working group for the `Physics at TeV Colliders' workshop (Les Houches, France, 5--23 June, 2017). Our report includes new physics studies connected with the Higgs boson and its properties, direct search strategies, reinterpretation of the LHC results in the building of viable models and new computational tool developments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Schlieren Imaging for the Determination of the Radius of an Excited Rubidium Column

AWAKE develops a new plasma wakefield accelerator using the CERN SPS proton bunch as a driver. The proton bunch propagates through a 10 m long rubidium plasma, induced by an ionizing laser pulse. The co-propagation of the laser pulse with the proton bunch seeds the self modulation instability of the proton bunch that transforms the bunch to a train with hundreds of bunchlets which drive the wakefields. Therefore the plasma radius must exceed the proton bunch radius. Schlieren imaging is proposed to determine the plasma radius on both ends of the vapor source. We use Schlieren imaging to estimate the radius of a column of excited rubidium atoms. A tunable, narrow bandwidth laser is split into a beam for the excitation of the rubidium vapor and for the visualization using Schlieren imaging. With a laser wavelength very close to the D2 transition line of rubidium (780 nm), it is possible to excite a column of rubidium atoms in a small vapor source, to record a Schlieren signal of the excitation column and to estimate its radius. We describe the method and show the results of the measurement.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2017

Collider limits on new physics within micrOMEGAs4.3

Results from the LHC put severe constraints on models of new physics. This includes constraints on the Higgs sector from the precise measurement of the mass and couplings of the 125GeV Higgs boson, as well as limits from searches for other new particles. We present the procedure to use these constraints in micrOMEGAs by interfacing it to the external codes Lilith, HiggsSignals, HiggsBounds and SModelS. A few dedicated modules are also provided. With these new features, micrOMEGAs_4.3 provides a generic framework for evaluating dark matter observables together with collider and non-collider constraints.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

AWAKE readiness for the study of the seeded self-modulation of a 400\,GeV proton bunch

AWAKE is a proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration experiment. % We show that the experimental setup briefly described here is ready for systematic study of the seeded self-modulation of the 400\,GeV proton bunch in the 10\,m-long rubidium plasma with density adjustable from 1 to 10$\times10^{14}$\,cm$^{-3}$. % We show that the short laser pulse used for ionization of the rubidium vapor propagates all the way along the column, suggesting full ionization of the vapor. % We show that ionization occurs along the proton bunch, at the laser time and that the plasma that follows affects the proton bunch. %

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2017

Analytic model for electromagnetic fields in the bubble regime of plasma wakefield in non-uniform plasmas

Based on a model of plasma wakefield in the strongly nonlinear (bubble) regime, we develop a lowest-order perturbation theory for the components of electromagnetic fields inside and outside the bubble using the assumption of small thickness of the electron sheath on the boundary of the bubble. Unlike previous models, we derive simple explicit expressions for the components of electromagnetic fields not only in the vicinity of the center of the bubble, but in the whole volume of the bubble (including areas of driving or accelerated bunches) as well as outside it. Moreover, we apply the results to the case of radially non-uniform plasma and, in particular, to plasma with a hollow channel. The obtained results are verified with 3D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations which show good correspondence to our model.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2016

Beam loading in the bubble regime in plasmas with hollow channels

Based on the already existing analytical theory of the strongly-nonlinear wakefield (which is called "bubble") in transversely inhomogeneous plasmas, we study particular behavior of non-loaded (empty) bubbles and bubbles with accelerated bunches. We obtain an analytical expression for the shape of a non-loaded bubble in a general case and verify it with particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. We derive a method of calculation of the acceleration efficiency for arbitrary accelerated bunches. The influence of flat-top electron bunches on the shape of a bubble is studied. It is also shown that it is possible to achieve acceleration in a homogeneous longitudinal electric field by the adjustment of the longitudinal density profile of the accelerated electron bunch. The predictions of the model are verified by 3D PIC simulations and are in a good agreement with them.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2015

AWAKE, The Advanced Proton Driven Plasma Wakefield Acceleration Experiment at CERN

The Advanced Proton Driven Plasma Wakefield Acceleration Experiment (AWAKE) aims at studying plasma wakefield generation and electron acceleration driven by proton bunches. It is a proof-of-principle R&D experiment at CERN and the world's first proton driven plasma wakefield acceleration experiment. The AWAKE experiment will be installed in the former CNGS facility and uses the 400 GeV/c proton beam bunches from the SPS. The first experiments will focus on the self-modulation instability of the long (rms ~12 cm) proton bunch in the plasma. These experiments are planned for the end of 2016. Later, in 2017/2018, low energy (~15 MeV) electrons will be externally injected to sample the wakefields and be accelerated beyond 1 GeV. The main goals of the experiment will be summarized. A summary of the AWAKE design and construction status will be presented.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2015

Status and prospects of the nMSSM after LHC Run-1

The new minimal supersymmetric standard model (nMSSM), a variant of the general next to minimal supersymmetric standard model (NMSSM) without $Z_3$ symmetry, features a naturally light singlino with a mass below 75 GeV. In light of the new constraints from LHC Run-1 on the Higgs couplings, sparticles searches and flavour observables, we define the parameter space of the model which is compatible with both collider and dark matter (DM) properties. Among the regions compatible with these constraints, implemented through NMSSMTools, SModelS and MadAnalysis 5, only one with a singlino lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) with a mass around 5 GeV can explain all the DM abundance of the universe, while heavier mixed singlinos can only form one of the DM components. Typical collider signatures for each region of the parameter space are investigated. In particular, the decay of the 125 GeV Higgs into light scalars and/or pseudoscalars and the decay of the heavy Higgs into charginos and neutralinos, provide distinctive signatures of the model. Moreover, the sfermion decays usually proceed through heavier neutralinos rather than directly into the LSP, as the couplings to the singlino are suppressed. We also show that direct detection searches are complementary to collider ones, and that a future ton-scale detector could completely probe the region of parameter space with a LSP mass around 65 GeV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Path to AWAKE: Evolution of the concept

This report describes the conceptual steps in reaching the design of the AWAKE experiment currently under construction at CERN. We start with an introduction to plasma wakefield acceleration and the motivation for using proton drivers. We then describe the self-modulation instability --- a key to an early realization of the concept. This is then followed by the historical development of the experimental design, where the critical issues that arose and their solutions are described. We conclude with the design of the experiment as it is being realized at CERN and some words on the future outlook. A summary of the AWAKE design and construction status as presented in this conference is given in [1].

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2015

Limits on dark matter proton scattering from neutrino telescopes using micrOMEGAs

Limits on dark matter spin dependent elastic scattering cross section on protons derived from IceCube data are obtained for different dark matter annihilation channels using micrOMEGAs. The uncertainty on the derived limits, estimated by using different neutrino spectra, can reach a factor two. For all dark matter annihilation channels except for quarks, the limits on the spin dependent cross section are more stringent than those obtained in direct detection experiments. The new functions that allow to derive those limits are described.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Voronoi Particle Merging Algorithm for PIC Codes

We present a new particle-merging algorithm for the particle-in-cell method. Based on the concept of the Voronoi diagram, the algorithm partitions the phase space into smaller subsets, which consist of only particles that are in close proximity in the phase space to each other. We show the performance of our algorithm in the case of the two-stream instability and the magnetic shower.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2015

Probing U(1) extensions of the MSSM at the LHC Run I and in dark matter searches

The U(1) extended supersymmetric standard model (UMSSM) can accommodate a Higgs boson at 125 GeV without relying on large corrections from the top/stop sector. After imposing LHC results on the Higgs sector, on B-physics and on new particle searches as well as dark matter constraints, we show that this model offers two viable dark matter candidates, the right-handed (RH) sneutrino or the neutralino. Limits on supersymmetric partners from LHC simplified model searches are imposed using SModelS and allow for light squarks and gluinos. Moreover the upper limit on the relic abundance often favours scenarios with long-lived particles. Searches for a Z' at the LHC remain the most unambiguous probes of this model. Interestingly, the D-term contributions to the sfermion masses allow to explain the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon in specific corners of the parameter space with light smuons or left-handed (LH) sneutrinos. We finally emphasize the interplay between direct searches for dark matter and LHC simplified model searches.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Towards manipulating relativistic laser pulses with 3D printed materials

Efficient coupling of intense laser pulses to solid-density matter is critical to many applications including ion acceleration for cancer therapy. At relativistic intensities, the focus has been mainly on investigating various laser beams irradiating initially flat interfaces with little or no control over the interaction. Here, we propose a novel approach that leverages recent advancements in 3D direct laser writing (DLW) of materials and high contrast lasers to manipulate the laser-matter interactions on the micro-scales. We demonstrate, via simulations, that usable intensities >10^23Wcm^(-2) could be achieved with current tabletop lasers coupled to 3D printed plasma lenses. We show that these plasma optical elements act not only as a lens to focus laser light, but also as an electromagnetic guide for secondary particle beams. These results open new paths to engineering light-matter interactions at ultra-relativistic intensities.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2015

Microengineering laser plasma interactions at relativistic intensities

We report on the first successful proof-of-principle experiment to manipulate laser-matter interactions on the microscale using highly ordered Si microwire arrays. The interaction of a high contrast short pulse laser with a flat target via periodic Si microwires yields a substantial enhancement in both total and cut-off energies of the produced electron beam. The self generated electric and magnetic fields behave as an electromagnetic lens that confines and guides electrons between the microwires as they acquire relativistic energies via direct laser acceleration (DLA).

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2014

micrOMEGAs4.1: two dark matter candidates

micrOMEGAs is a code to compute dark matter observables in generic extensions of the standard model. This version of micrOMEGAs includes a generalization of the Boltzmann equations to take into account the possibility of two dark matter candidates. The modification of the relic density calculation to include interactions between the two DM sectors as well as semi-annihilation is presented. Both DM signals in direct and indirect detection are computed as well. An extension of the standard model with two scalar doublets and a singlet is used as an example.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Field-reversed bubble in deep plasma channels for high quality electron acceleration

We study hollow plasma channels with smooth boundaries for laser-driven electron acceleration in the bubble regime. Contrary to the uniform plasma case, the laser forms no optical shock and no etching at the front. This increases the effective bubble phase velocity and energy gain. The longitudinal field has a plateau that allows for mono-energetic acceleration. We observe as low as 10^{-3} r.m.s. relative witness beam energy uncertainty in each cross-section and 0.3% total energy spread. By varying plasma density profile inside a deep channel, the bubble fields can be adjusted to balance the laser depletion and dephasing lengths. Bubble scaling laws for the deep channel are derived. Ultra-short pancake-like laser pulses lead to the highest energies of accelerated electrons per Joule of laser pulse energy.

physics.plasm-ph↗