Prof Roman Walczak

Abstract:

To drive a laser-plasma wakefield, high peak-power laser pulses are required. For useful accelerator applications, it is also necessary to have driving lasers with high efficiency, repetition rates, and average power. The coherent combination of Ytterbium-doped fibre laser amplifiers is a promising potential solution, and previous work has demonstrated the successful combination of near-identical ultrafast fibre lasers. We report here the combination of significantly mismatched Ytterbium-doped photonic crystal fibre amplifiers with a combined efficiency of 96%, while the locked power output remained stable for 6 hours. The combined output of the system had a total gain of 12 dB, with no detrimental effect on the compressed pulse width observed.

Abstract:

The exclusive deep inelastic electroproduction of ψ(2S) and J/ψ(1S) at an ep centre-of-mass energy of 317 GeV has been studied with the ZEUS detector at HERA in the kinematic range 2 < Q2 < 80 GeV2, 30 <W< 210 GeV and |t| < 1 GeV2, where Q2 is the photon virtuality, W is the photon–proton centre-of-mass energy and t is the squared four-momentum transfer at the proton vertex. The data for 2 < Q2 < 5 GeV2 were taken in the HERA I running period and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 114 pb−1. The data for 5 < Q2 < 80 GeV2 are from both HERA I and HERA II periods and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 468 pb−1. The decay modes analysed were μ+μ− and J/ψ(1S)π+π− for the ψ(2S) and μ+μ− for the J/ψ(1S). The cross-section ratio σψ(2S)/σJ/ψ(1S) has been measured as a function of Q2, W and t. The results are compared to predictions of QCD-inspired models of exclusive vector-meson production.

Abstract:

In multi-pulse laser wakefield acceleration (MP-LWFA) a plasma wave is driven by a train of low-energy laser pulses separated by the plasma period, an approach which offers a route to driving plasma accelerators with high efficiency and at high pulse repetition rates using emerging technologies such as fibre and thin-disk lasers. Whilst these laser technologies are in development, proof-of-principle tests of MP-LWFA require a pulse train to be generated from a single, high-energy ultrafast pulse. Here we demonstrate the generation of trains of up to 7 pulses with pulse separations in the range 150–170 fs from single 40 fs pulses produced by a Ti:sapphire laser.

Abstract:

In multi-pulse laser wakefield acceleration (MP-LWFA) a plasma wave is driven by a train of low-energy laser pulses separated by the plasma period, an approach which offers a route to driving plasma accelerators with high efficiency and at high pulse repetition rates using emerging technologies such as fibre and thin-disk lasers. Whilst these laser technologies are in development, proof-of-principle tests of MP-LWFA require a pulse train to be generated from a single, high-energy ultrafast pulse. Here we demonstrate the generation of trains of up to 7 pulses with pulse separations in the range 150–170 fs from single 40 fs pulses produced by a Ti:sapphire laser.

Abstract:

Production of exclusive dijets in diffractive deep inelastic e±p scattering has been measured with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 372 pb-1. The measurement was performed for γ∗–p centre-of-mass energies in the range 9025GeV2. Energy flows around the jet axis are presented. The cross section is presented as a function of β and ϕ, where β=x/xIP, x is the Bjorken variable and xIP is the proton fractional longitudinal momentum loss. The angle ϕ is defined by the γ∗–dijet plane and the γ∗–e± plane in the rest frame of the diffractive final state. The ϕ cross section is measured in bins of β. The results are compared to predictions from models based on different assumptions about the nature of the diffractive exchange.