Mitigation of the onset of hosing in the linear regime through plasma frequency detuning

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method to mitigate the hosing instability in plasma accelerators by detuning plasma frequency, effectively damping centroid oscillations early in the linear regime.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to control hosing growth via plasma frequency detuning and develops a new theoretical model for early hosing evolution.

Findings

Hosing growth rate depends on centroid perturbation wavelength.

Detuning plasma response can damp hosing instability.

New theoretical model describes early hosing dynamics.

Abstract

The hosing instability poses a feasibility risk for plasma-based accelerator concepts. We show that the growth rate for beam hosing in the linear regime (which is relevant for concepts that use a long driver) is a function of the centroid perturbation wavelength. We demonstrate how this property can be used to damp centroid oscillations by detuning the plasma response sufficiently early in the development of the instability. We also develop a new theoretical model for the early evolution of hosing. These findings have implications for the general control of an instability's growth rate.