GeV acceleration in tapered plasma channels

To achieve multi GeV electron energies in the laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA) it is necessary to propagate an intense laser pulse long distances in a plasma without disruption. A three-dimensional envelope equation for the laser field is derived that includes nonparaxial effects, wakefields, and relativistic nonlinearities. In the broad beam, short pulse limit the nonlinear terms in the wave equation that lead to Raman and modulation instabilities cancel. Long pulses (several plasma wavelengths) experience substantial modification due to these instabilities. The short pulse LWFA, although having smaller accelerating fields, can provide acceleration for longer distances in a plasma channel. By allowing the plasma density to increase along the propagation path electron dephasing can be deferred, increasing the energy gain. A simulation example of a GeV channel guided LWFA accelerator is presented. Simulations also show that multi-GeV energies can be achieved by optimally tapering the plasma channel. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.