Transverse electron resonance accelerator

Transverse (to the velocity, v, of the particles to be accelerated) electron oscillations are generated in high (e.g. solid) density plasmas by either an electromagnetic wave or by the field of charged particles traveling parallel to v. The generating field oscillates with frequency ω = ω/sub p/, where ω/sub p/ is the plasma frequency. The plasma is confined to a sequence of microstructures with typical dimensions of d approx. = 2πc/ω/sub p/, allowing the generating fields to penetrate. Since ω/sub p/ is now high, the time scales, T, are correspondingly reduced. The microstructures are allowed to explode after t = T, until then they are confined by ion inertia. As a result of resonance, the electric field, E, inside the microstructures can exceed the generating field E/sub L/. The generating force is proportional to E/sub L/ (as opposed to E/sub L/2). Phase matching of particles is possible by appropriate spacing of the microstructures or by a gas medium. The generating beam travels outside the plasma, filamentation is not a problem. The mechanism is relatively insensitive to the exact shape and position of the microstructures. This device contains features of various earlier proposed acceleration mechanisms and may be considered as the limiting case of several of those for small d, T and high E