Electromagnetic radiation from a laser wakefield accelerator

TL;DR

This paper calculates electromagnetic radiation from a laser wakefield accelerator, revealing how coherent infrared and incoherent X-ray emissions encode details of electron bunch properties and acceleration dynamics.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical calculation of both coherent and incoherent radiation from laser wakefield accelerators using Lienard-Wiechert potentials, highlighting their diagnostic potential.

Findings

Coherent radiation is in the infrared range and reveals bunch properties.

Incoherent radiation extends to X-ray frequencies with broad peaks.

Radiation features encode details of the acceleration process.

Abstract

Coherent and incoherent electromagnetic radiation emitted from a laser wakefield accelerator is calculated based on Lienard-Wiechert potentials. It is found that at wavelengths longer than the bunch length, the radiation is coherent. The coherent radiation, which typically lies in the infrared range, shows features that reveal details of the acceleration process and properties of the electron bunch, such as its duration, charge, energy, and offset with respect to the wakefield axis. The incoherent range of the spectrum, which extends to the X-ray frequency range, consists of rather broad peaks, which are caused by the acceleration.