Simple Scalings for Various Regimes of Electron Acceleration in Surface Plasma Waves

TL;DR

This paper explores different regimes of electron acceleration by surface plasma waves, deriving simple scalings that show how surface wave energy can efficiently produce high-energy, relativistic electrons with potential applications as pulsed electron sources.

Contribution

It introduces simple scaling laws for electron acceleration in various regimes of surface plasma waves, including relativistic effects, highlighting the electromagnetic regime as most effective.

Findings

Efficient conversion of surface wave energy into electron kinetic energy.

Electrons can reach relativistic velocities exceeding the wave phase velocity.

The electromagnetic regime yields the highest electron energies.

Abstract

Different electron acceleration regimes in the evanescent field of a surface plasma wave are studied by considering the interaction of a test electron with the high-frequency electromagnetic field of a surface wave. The non-relativistic and relativistic limits are investigated. Simple scalings are found demonstrating the possibility to achieve an efficient conversion of the surface wave field energy into electron kinetic energy. This mechanism of electron acceleration can provide a high-frequency pulsed source of relativistic electrons with a well defined energy. In the relativistic limit, the most energetic electrons are obtained in the so-called electromagnetic regime for surface waves. In this regime the particles are accelerated to velocities larger than the wave phase velocity, mainly in the direction parallel to the plasma-vacuum interface.