The energy frontier of particle physics is several trillion electron volts, but colliders capable of reaching this regime (such as the Large Hadron Collider and the International Linear Collider) are costly and time-consuming to build; it is therefore important to explore new methods of accelerating particles to high energies. Plasma-based accelerators are particularly attractive because they are capable of producing accelerating fields that are orders of magnitude larger than those used in conventional colliders. In these accelerators, a drive beam (either laser or particle) produces a plasma wave (wakefield) that accelerates charged particles. The ultimate utility of plasma accelerators will depend on sustaining ultrahigh accelerating fields over a substantial length to achieve a significant energy gain. Here we show that an energy gain of more than 42 GeV is achieved in a plasma wakefield accelerator of 85 cm length, driven by a 42 GeV electron beam at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). The results are in excellent agreement with the predictions of three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Most of the beam electrons lose energy to the plasma wave, but some electrons in the back of the same beam pulse are accelerated with a field of approximately 52 GV m(-1). This effectively doubles their energy, producing the energy gain of the 3-km-long SLAC accelerator in less than a metre for a small fraction of the electrons in the injected bunch. This is an important step towards demonstrating the viability of plasma accelerators for high-energy physics applications.

We present a theory for nonlinear, multidimensional plasma waves with phase velocities near the speed of light. It is appropriate for describing plasma waves excited when all electrons are expelled out from a finite region by either the space charge of a short electron beam or the radiation pressure of a short intense laser. It works very well for the first bucket before phase mixing occurs. We separate the plasma response into a cavity or blowout region void of all electrons and a sheath of electrons just beyond the cavity. This simple model permits the derivation of a single equation for the boundary of the cavity. It works particularly well for narrow electron bunches and for short lasers with spot sizes matched to the radius of the cavity. It is also used to describe the structure of both the accelerating and focusing fields in the wake.

A nonlinear kinetic theory for multidimensional plasma wave wakes with phase velocities near the speed of light is presented. This theory is appropriate for describing plasma wakes excited in the so-called blowout regime by either electron beams or laser pulses where the plasma electrons move predominantly in the transverse direction. The theory assumes that all electrons within a blowout radius are completely expelled. These radially expelled electrons form a narrow sheath just beyond the blowout radius which is surrounded by a region which responds weakly (linearly). This assumption is reasonable when the spot size of the electron beam and laser are substantially less than the blowout radius. By using this theory one can predict the wakefield amplitudes and blowout radius in terms of the electron beam or laser beam parameters, as well as predict the nonlinear modifications to the wake’s wavelength and wave form. For the laser case, the laser spot size must also be properly matched in order for a narrow sheath to form. The requirements for forming a spherical wave form, i.e., “bubble,” are also discussed. The theory is also used to show when linear fluid theory breaks down and how this leads to a saturation of the logarithmic divergence in the linear Green’s function.

Over the years, the field of bioprinting has attracted attention for its highly automated 16 fabrication system that enables the precise patterning of living cells and biomaterials at pre-17 defined positions for enhanced cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions. Notably, vat polymerization 18 (VP)-based bioprinting is an emerging bioprinting technique for various tissue engineering 19 applications due to its high fabrication accuracy. Particularly, different photo-initiators (PIs) are 20 utilized during the bioprinting process to facilitate the crosslinking mechanism for fabrication of 21 high-resolution complex tissue constructs. The advancements in VP-based printing have led to a 22 paradigm shift in fabrication of tissue constructs from cell-seeding of tissue scaffolds (non-23 biocompatible fabrication process) to direct bioprinting of cell-laden tissue constructs 24 (biocompatible fabrication process). This paper, presenting a first-time comprehensive review of 25 the VP-based bioprinting process, provides an in-depth analysis and comparison of the various 26 biocompatible PIs and highlights the important considerations and bioprinting requirements. This 27 review paper reports a detailed analysis of its printing process and the influence of light-based 28 curing modality and PIs on living cells. Lastly, this review also highlights the significance of VP-29 based bioprinting, the regulatory challenges and presents future directions to transform the VP-30 Page 1 of 47 AUTHOR SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPT -BF-102156.R2based printing technology into imperative tools in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative 31 medicine. The readers will be informed on the current limitations and achievements of the VP-32 based bioprinting techniques. Notably, the readers will realize the importance and value of 33 highly-automated platforms for tissue engineering applications and be able to develop objective 34 viewpoints towards this field.

No abstract

No abstract

The onset of trapping of electrons born inside a highly relativistic, 3D beam-driven plasma wake is investigated. Trapping occurs in the transition regions of a Li plasma confined by He gas. Li plasma electrons support the wake, and higher ionization potential He atoms are ionized as the beam is focused by Li ions and can be trapped. As the wake amplitude is increased, the onset of trapping is observed. Some electrons gain up to 7.6 GeV in a 30.5 cm plasma. The experimentally inferred trapping threshold is at a wake amplitude of 36 GV=m, in good agreement with an analytical model and PIC simulations.

The validity and usefulness of linear wakefield theory for electron and positron bunches is investigated. Starting from the well-known Green's function for a cold-fluid plasma, engineering formulas for the maximum accelerating field for azimuthally symmetric bi-Gaussian beams of the form n b = n b e −r 2 /2 r 2 e −z 2 /2 z 2 are derived. It is also found that for fixed beam parameters the optimum wake is obtained for k p z =2 1/2 , for k p r ഛ 1. The validity and usefulness of linear-fluid theory is studied using fully nonlinear particle-in-cell simulations. It is found that linear theory can be useful beyond the nominal range of validity for narrow bunches. The limits of usefulness differ significantly between electron and positron bunches. For electron bunches, scaling laws are found for three limits for optimal plasma density ͑k p z =2 1/2 ͒, characterized by the normalized spot size k p r and the normalized charge per unit length of the beam, ⌳ ϵ͑n b / n p ͒k p 2 r 2. These are ϵ eE / mc p = 1.3͑n b / n p ͒ for k p r Ͼ 1 and n b / n p Ͻ 1, = 1.3 ⌳ ln͑1/k p r ͒, for ͑⌳ /10͒ 1/2 Ͻ k p r Ͻ 1 and ⌳Ͻ1, and = 1.3 ⌳ ln͓͑10/ ⌳͔ 1/2 ͒, for k p r Ͻ ͑⌳ /10͒ 1/2 and ⌳Ͻ1. Linear theory breaks down for n b / n p Х 10. On the other hand, for positron drivers linear-fluid theory breaks down for n b / n p ജ 1 independent of spot size.