A significant part of our R&D focuses on novel acceleration techniques. This includes dielectric laser and carbon nanotube (CNT)-based "micro"-accelerators, as well as laser and particle-driven plasma wakefield accelerators. These schemes show immense promise for innovation of affordable and more compact accelerator. We have successfully proposed enhanced structures for ultra-compact dielectric laser accelerators and novel CNT-based structures.
An alternative approach to reaching very high accelerating gradients is to generate a plasma wake by a high energy proton beam as demonstrated successfully by the groundbreaking AWAKE experiment at CERN. As scientific project manager of AWAKE-UK, Professor Welsch has a key role in planning the UK's contribution to the experiment and is leading work on cutting edge beam diagnostics R&D and plasma simulations.
We are also developing diagnostics for laser and beam-driven plasma-accelerated beams within EuPRAXIA. This is a new distributed facility that was admitted to the ESFRI roadmap of key European research infrastructures. Our research helps overcome the significant challenges that high gradient accelerators pose.
Professor Welsch coordinates the pan-European EuPRAXIA Doctoral Network.
Image: AWAKE Beamline (Credit: CERN)
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