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Astrophysical plasmas can have parameters vastly different from the more studied laboratory and space plasmas. In particular, the magnetic fields can be the dominant component of the plasma, with energy-density exceeding the particle…
A novel radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) regime of heavy ion beams from laser-irradiated ultrathin foils is proposed by self-consistently taking into account the ionization dynamics. In this regime, the laser intensity is required to…
Numerous reports have been made of features, either in emission or absorption, in the 10 - 1000 keV spectra of some gamma-ray bursts. Originally interpreted in the context of Galactic neutron star models as cyclotron line emission and $e^+…
The extreme physical conditions of Gamma Ray Bursts can constitute a useful observational laboratory to test theories of gravity where very high curvature regimes are involved. Here we propose a sort of curvature engine capable, in…
In this Letter we report on the experimental generation of high energy (10 GeV), ultra-short (fs-duration), ultra-high current (0.1 MA), petawatt peak power electron beams in a particle accelerator. These extreme beams enable the…
With the emergence in the next few years of a new breed of high power laser facilities, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how interacting with intense laser pulses affects the bulk properties of a relativistic electron…
Relativistic jets of plasma are a key ingredient of many types of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Today we know that AGNs are powered by the accretion of inter stellar material into the gravitational field of a Super Massive Black Hole and…
We measure the emission of energetic electrons from the interaction between ultrashort laser pulses and a solid density plasma in the relativistic regime. We detect an electron beam that only appears with few-cycle pulses (< 10 fs) and…
We examine the impact of several factors on electron acceleration by a laser pulse and the resulting electron energy gain. Specifically, we consider the role played by: 1) static longitudinal electric field; 2) static transverse electric…
In this paper we look at the ultimate limits of a photon propulsion rocket. The maximum velocity for a photon propulsion rocket is just below the speed of light and is a function of the reduced Compton wavelength of the heaviest subatomic…
A brief summary of some highlights in the study of high energy astrophysical sources over the past decade is presented. It is argued that the great progress that has been made derives largely from the application of new technology to…
The scattered field formalism is combined to the particle-in-cell method to model relativistic laser-plasma dynamics in complex field configurations. Despite the strong nonlinearity of the interactions, we demonstrate the validity of this…
Water has been identified as a critical resource both to sustain human-life but also for use in propulsion, attitude-control, power, thermal and radiation pro-tection systems. Water may be obtained off-world through In-Situ Resource…
To maximize the charge of a high-energy electron beam accelerated by an ultra-intense laser pulse propagating in a subcritical plasma, the pulse length should be longer than both the plasma wavelength and the laser pulse width, which is…
Ultracold atom-based electron sources have recently been proposed as an alternative to the conventional photo-injectors or thermionic electron guns widely used in modern particle accelerators. The advantages of ultracold atom-based electron…
Compared with conventional accelerators, laser plasma accelerators can generate high energy ions at a greatly reduced scale, due to their TV/m acceleration gradient. A compact laser plasma accelerator (CLAPA) has been built at the Institute…
Plasma accelerators can sustain very high acceleration gradients. They are promising candidates for future generations of particle accelerators for several scientific, medical and technological applications. Current plasma based…
It has been recently shown that especially engineered light beams have the remarkable ability to propagate along curved trajectories in vacuum. Current methods for generating accelerating beams use phase modulators and lenses leading to…
Low-intensity light beams carrying Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM), commonly known as vortex beams, have garnered significant attention due to promising applications in areas ranging from optical trapping to communication. In recent years,…
Laser-plasma accelerators present a promising alternative to conventional accelerators. To fully exploit the extreme amplitudes of the plasma fields and produce high-quality beams, precise control over electron injection into the…