A muon source based on plasma accelerators

TL;DR

This paper proposes a compact, plasma-based electron-gamma collider to generate GeV-class muons, with potential applications in muon radiography, supported by Monte Carlo simulations of muon flux, spectra, and brilliance.

Contribution

It introduces a novel plasma accelerator-based design for a compact muon source, analyzing muon production via electron-gamma collisions with detailed simulations.

Findings

Feasible muon flux and spectra from plasma-based collider

Potential for a compact, triggerable muon source

Implications for muon radiography applications

Abstract

The conceptual design of a compact source of GeV-class muons is presented, based on a plasma based electron-gamma collider. Evaluations of muon flux, spectra and brilliance are presented, carried out with ad-hoc montecarlo simulations of the electron-gamma collisions. These are analyzed in the context of a large spread of the invariant mass in the e-gamma interaction, due to the typical characteristics of plasma self-injected GeV electron beams, carrying large bunch charges with huge energy spread. The availability of a compact point-like muon source, triggerable at nsec level, may open a completely new scenario in the muon radiography application field.