Supervisors: Maxence Thévenet (DESY) & Simon Hooker (University of Oxford)
DESY, with more than 2900 employees at its two locations in Hamburg and Zeuthen, is one of the world's leading research centres. Its research focuses on decoding the structure and function of matter, from the smallest particles of the universe to the building blocks of life. In this way, DESY contributes to solving the major questions and urgent challenges facing science, society and industry.
Plasma accelerators are poised to trigger a revolution in accelerator science. DESY is committed to exploiting the full potential of this cutting-edge technology developing state-of-the-art plasma accelerators for a range of demanding research applications: from compact FEL drivers to energy-efficient synchrotron injectors; from linac energy boosters to plasma-based colliders. DESY also develops the plasma accelerator technology for a wide range of medical and industrial applications. Experimental facilities include the state-of-the-art laser driver KALDERA, the advanced beam-driven facility FLASHForward, and a host of ancillary research and development laboratories. The theory and simulation team of the plasma acceleration group at DESY develops and harnesses simulation tools to help understand experiments, propose novel concepts and investigate new mechanisms, key ingredients for plasma-based acceleration research.
In a plasma accelerator, a high-energy laser pulse or particle beam propagates in a plasma and drives a plasma wave, where extreme electric field can trap (inject) electrons from the plasma and accelerate them to high (GeV) energies in less than a meter. Precise tailoring of the plasma profile has a considerable impact on the performance of the plasma accelerator in terms of energy efficiency, stability and durability. Our plasma acceleration group is developing several plasma source technologies, supported by a unique simulation tool developed in-house. After filling a cell or capillary with gas, the plasma can be created with an electrical discharge or through laser ionization, resulting in different plasma dynamics and opportunities to e.g. control the laser pulse or inject a high-quality electron beam. In this context, the student will improve our simulation tool, develop a new laser-based method for plasma shaping built on HOFI channels towards higher quality beams and support experimental efforts.
Expected Results
- Enable different species (He, Li) and mixes in hydrodynamic simulation framework HYQUP
- Simulate hydrodynamic expansion required for polarized plasma target
- Enable realistic simulations of channel-forming laser including plasma refraction
- Investigate high-charge electron injection through numerical simulations
Planned secondments
- 4 months at James Cook University (year 1): get familiar with basic plasma hydrodynamics
- 1 month at the Oxford University and LO (year 1): investigate novel plasma shaping schemes
- 2 months at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (year 2): work with an experimental program
Temporal evolution of a HOFI channel waveguide after laser ioniza,on of hydrogen, showing the electron density (blue) and the guided laser mode