arXiv subjects

Viktoriia Zakharova

Publications and source records attributed to Viktoriia Zakharova.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Strong-field focusing of high-energy particles in beam-multifoil collisions

Extreme beams of charged particles and photons, reaching ultrahigh densities or producing intense gamma-ray bursts, are central to accelerator physics, laboratory astrophysics, and strong-field quantum electrodynamics research. Yet their generation is hindered by conventional focusing methods at multi-GeV energies that rely on massive magnetic assemblies, limiting compactness and attainable density. Here we report the first experimental observation of a fundamentally new focusing mechanism, in which a high-energy charged-particle beam is focused by its own magnetic field reflected from a stack of thin metallic foils via near-field coherent-transition-radiation. The experiment, performed at SLAC's FACET-II facility, reveals strong, cumulative focusing across a broad range of beam configurations, enabled by the delivered 10 GeV, 1 nC, 10 Hz electron beam. The measurements closely agree with predictions from an analytical model and particle-in-cell simulations. These results demonstrate that multifoil focusing is a remarkably straightforward, self-aligned approach to the generation of ultrahigh density beams, opening a path to explore unprecedented regimes of beam-matter interaction and high-energy radiation.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2024

Correlations between X-rays, Visible Light and Drive-Beam Energy Loss Observed in Plasma Wakefield Acceleration Experiments at FACET-II

This study documents several correlations observed during the first run of the plasma wakefield acceleration experiment E300 conducted at FACET-II, using a single drive electron bunch. The established correlations include those between the measured maximum energy loss of the drive electron beam and the integrated betatron x-ray signal, the calculated total beam energy deposited in the plasma and the integrated x-ray signal, among three visible light emission measuring cameras, and between the visible plasma light and x-ray signal. The integrated x-ray signal correlates almost linearly with both the maximum energy loss of the drive beam and the energy deposited into the plasma, demonstrating its usability as a measure of energy transfer from the drive beam to the plasma. Visible plasma light is found to be a useful indicator of the presence of wake at three locations that overall are two meters apart. Despite the complex dynamics and vastly different timescales, the x-ray radiation from the drive bunch and visible light emission from the plasma may prove to be effective non-invasive diagnostics for monitoring the energy transfer from the beam to the plasma in future high-repetition-rate experiments.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2022

High average gradient in a laser-gated multistage plasma wakefield accelerator

Plasma wakefield accelerators driven by particle beams are capable of providing accelerating gradient several orders of magnitude higher than currently used radio-frequency technology, which could reduce the length of particle accelerators, with drastic influence on the development of future colliders at TeV energies and the minimization of x-ray free-electron lasers. Since inter-plasma components and distances are among the biggest contributors to the total accelerator length, the design of staged plasma accelerators is one of the most important outstanding questions in order to render this technology instrumental. Here, we present a novel concept to optimize inter-plasma distances in a staged beam-driven plasma accelerator by drive-beam coupling in the temporal domain and gating the accelerator via a femtosecond ionization laser.

physics.acc-ph↗