Laser-Plasma Accelerators: Riding the Wave to the Next Generation X-Ray Light Sources

Particle accelerators have been revolutionizing discoveries in science, medicine, industry and national security for over a century. An estimated 30,000 particle accelerators are currently active around the world. In these machines, electromagnetic fields accelerate charged particles, such as electrons, protons, ions or positrons to velocities nearing the speed of light. Although their scientific appeal will remain evident for many decades, one limitation of the current generation of particle accelerators is their tremendous size, typically a mile long, and cost, which often limits access to the broader scientific community. Acceleration of electrons in plasmas, in particular in laser-driven plasmas, has been drawing considerable attention over the past decade. These laser wakefield accelerators promise to dramatically reduces the size of accelerators and revolutionize applications in medicine, industry, and basic sciences. [6/2018] [Show ID: 33429]

Donate to UCTV to support informative & inspiring programming:

More videos from: Lawrence Livermore National Lab Science on Saturday

Explore More Science & Technology on UCTV
Science and technology continue to change our lives. University of California scientists are tackling the important questions like climate change, evolution, oceanography, neuroscience and the potential of stem cells.

UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California -- teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.

0:00 Introduction
2:22 Particle accelerators are big machines
3:10 What are particle accelerators used for?
5:01 Particle accelerators use charged particles
8:21 X-rays are light
10:30 Examples of X-ray images
17:54 Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity
20:26 Synchrotrons and X-ray free electron lasers
21:40 A femtosecond is to a minute what a minute is to the age of the universe (14 billion years)
23:28 By using lasers and plasmas to do laser wakefield acceleration
24:08 What is a laser?
28:26 In a plasma, ions are much heavier than electrons and move around faster
29:19 Electron plasma wave
30:56 Trapped electrons surf on the plasma wave to gain energy
31:20 Just like surfing, laser wakefield acceleration requires good synchronization
33:20 Lasers we use at LLNL for laser wakefield acceleration
37:10 X-rays for radiography
37:42 Radiography of biological objects with X-rays from laser wakefield accelerators
38:15 X-rays for absorption spectroscopy
38:56 X-rays for diffraction
39:18 Pump-probe experiments
43:34 The ultra high intensity lasers world map
45:05 Laser plasma accelerators will revolutionize these fields

[turukwung]

Love finding 💎 in-the-rough posts...wow!! This should be viral! Amazing!

[og]

For to see and search smaler paricles ( smaler then porton) it crush each other and explode protons then new and smaler particules appear like quarks right?

[Mrodriguez]

So cool. Thanks for putting this together :) !

[mustavogaia]

She is amazing - a devilish laughter and a evil plan apart from being a good Bond villain.

[marinadimosthenous]

Could we acclerate hydride negative ions (instead of electrons) that are injected into these plasma structures...I am trying to make a spallation neutron source...

[lumionkinetic]

Are WakeField accelerators currently being contemplated as drivers for accelerator assisted nuclear reactors ?

[rigilkentaurus]

Other than electrons, can Laser Wakefield acceleration used yo accelerate protons?

[nickrozzi]

I understand that woman have equality and are just as smart as men but do we really have to make them the head of every single thing