Magnetic control of particle-injection in plasma based accelerators

TL;DR

This paper explores how external magnetic fields can be used to control electron injection and beam properties in plasma wakefield accelerators, offering a new method to optimize accelerator performance.

Contribution

It introduces an analytical and simulation-based study demonstrating magnetic control of electron injection in plasma accelerators, a novel approach for beam manipulation.

Findings

Magnetic fields lower the injection threshold.

Magnetic control influences beam charge and energy.

The mechanism is feasible with current magnetic field technology.

Abstract

The use of an external transverse magnetic field to trigger and to control electron self-injection in laser- and particle-beam driven wakefield accelerators is examined analytically and through full-scale particle-in-cell simulations. A magnetic field can relax the injection threshold and can be used to control main output beam features such as charge, energy, and transverse dynamics in the ion channel associated with the plasma blowout. It is shown that this mechanism could be studied using state-of-the-art magnetic fields in next generation plasma accelerator experiments.