Stochasticity of particle orbits in a collective particle accelerator

A detailed investigation of the behavior of particle orbits in the simultaneous presence of three large amplitude waves such as those encountered in the collective particle accelerator experiment at the Naval Research Laboratory is undertaken. Stochasticity arising out of the resonance overlap of the waves can influence the particle dynamics significantly and thereby affect the outcome of the experimental results. Choice of initial phase and energy for successful operation is identified and discussed