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arXiv · 1806.11352

Intrinsic Stabilization of the Drive Beam in Plasma Wakefield Accelerators

A. Martinez de la Ossa·T. J. Mehrling·J. Osterhoff
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Abstract

The hose instability of the drive beam constitutes a major challenge for the stable operation of plasma wakefield accelerators (PWFAs). In this work, we show that drive beams with a transverse size comparable to the plasma blowout radius generate a wake with a varying focusing along the beam, which leads to a rapid detuning of the slice-betatron oscillations and suppresses the instability. This intrinsic stabilization principle provides an applicable and effective method for the suppression of the hosing of the drive beam and allows for a stable acceleration process.

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A. Martinez de la Ossa, T. J. Mehrling, J. Osterhoff. 2018-06-29. Intrinsic Stabilization of the Drive Beam in Plasma Wakefield Accelerators. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.121.064803

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