F Peano et al 2009 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 51 024006 doi:10.1088/0741-3335/51/2/024006
F Peano1, J Vieira1, R Mulas2, G Coppa2, R Bingham3 and L O Silva1
Show affiliationsA scheme for fast, compact and controllable acceleration of heavy particles in vacuum has been recently proposed (Peano F et al 2008 New J. Phys. 10 033028), wherein two counterpropagating laser beams with variable frequencies drive a beat-wave structure with variable phase velocity, leading to particle trapping and acceleration. The technique allows for fine control over the energy distribution and the total charge of the accelerated beam to be obtained via tuning of the frequency variation. Here, the theoretical bases of the acceleration scheme are described, and the possibility of applications to ultrafast muon acceleration and to the prompt extraction of cold-muon beams is discussed.
Accelerators, beams and electromagnetism
Issue 2 (February 2009)
Received 23 May 2008, in final form 23 June 2008
Published 7 January 2009
F Peano et al 2009 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 51 024006
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