Nonlinear plasma dynamics in the plasma wake-field accelerator

Abstract

Excitation of nonlinear plasma oscillations by an intense ultrarelativistic electron beam is considered. It is shown, by analytical solutions of the one-dimensional relativistic fluid equations, that under certain conditions on the relative electron beam and plasma densities extremely large longitudinal electric fields can be generated in the beam’s wake. This scheme is a nonlinear version of the plasma wakefield accelerator, and is predicted to have advantages over the linear regime.