# 17th Advanced Accelerator Concepts Workshop

31 July 2016 to 5 August 2016
Gaylord Hotel and Conference Center
US/Eastern timezone

## Enhanced multi-MeV photon emission by a laser-driven electron beam in a self-generated magnetic field

4 Aug 2016, 11:00
15m
Woodrow Wilson B (Gaylord Hotel)

### Woodrow Wilson B

#### Gaylord Hotel

Oral Working Group 7

### Speaker

Dr. Alexey Arefiev (University of Texas)

### Abstract

We demonstrate using simulations that a high conversion efficiency source of collimated multi-MeV photons can be achieved with an all-optical single beam setup at an intensity of $5\times10^{22}$ W/cm$^2$ that is within reach of existing laser facilities. In this regime, a MT-level magnetic field, driven in a significantly overdense plasma, couples three key aspects of laser-plasma interactions: relativistic transparency, direct laser acceleration, and synchrotron photon emission.

### Summary

We use numerical simulations to demonstrate that a source of collimated multi-MeV photons with high conversion efficiency can be achieved using an all-optical single beam setup at an intensity of $5\times10^{22}$ W/cm$^2$ [1] that is already within reach of existing laser facilities. In the studied setup, an unprecedented quasistatic magnetic field (0.4 MT) is driven in a significantly overdense plasma, coupling three key aspects of laser-plasma interactions at high intensities: relativistic transparency, direct laser acceleration, and synchrotron photon emission. The quasistatic magnetic field enhances the photon emission process, which has a profound impact on electron dynamics via radiation reaction and yields tens of TW of directed MeV photons for a PW-class laser.

This research was supported by AFOSR Contract No. FA9550-14-1-0045, U.S. DOE-NNSA Cooperative Agreement No. DE-NA0002008, and U.S. DOE Agreement No. DE-FG02-04ER54742. Simulations were performed using the EPOCH code (developed under UK EPSRC Grants No. EP/G054940/1, No. EP/G055165/ 1, and No. EP/G056803/1) using HPC resources provided by the TACC at the University of Texas.

[1] D. J. Stark, T. Toncian, and A. Arefiev, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 185003 (2016).

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### Primary author

Dr. Alexey Arefiev (University of Texas)

### Co-authors

Dr. David Stark (Los Alamos National Laboratory) Dr. Toma Toncian (CHEDS, University of Texas at Austin)

### Presentation Materials

 Slides
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