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First steps on plasma beam prebuncher for free electron lasers through more suitable relativistic reference-frame-based particle-in-cell tools

Driss Oumbarek Espinos1,*, Alexei Zhidkov2,3,†, Alexandre Rondepierre2,3, Masafumi Tawada1, and Mika Masuzawa1

  • 1KEK, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan
  • 2Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN), Osaka University, 8-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, 565-0871 Osaka, Japan
  • 3Laser Accelerator R&D, Innovative Light Sources Division, RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1, Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5148 Osaka, Japan

  • *Contact author: doumbare@post.kek.jp
  • †Present address: National Research Nuclear University MEPhl, 115409, Kashirskoe av., 31, Moscow, Russia.
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Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams 28, 060702 – Published 27 June, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/21b2-2gv5

Abstract

Particle-in-cell simulations are widely used in most fields of physics to investigate known and new phenomena which cannot be directly observed or measured yet. However, the computational and time resources needed for PICs make them impractical when high resolution and long time/distance simulations are required. In this work, we present a new PIC simulation code that takes advantage of the use of a relativistic reference frame and consequent time dilation and length contraction. These properties make a simulation capable of long (meter length) and high resolution simulations without the need for supercomputers. This new code is a step forward with regard to the previous tries enabling complex multiple body situations without additional filtering and smoothing of fields and currents. The usefulness of the relativistic frame PIC code is displayed by simulating electron beam bunching obtained in long undulator propagation and also the potential as a beam ”buncher” of 10 s of cm long low-density plasmas.

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Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams 28, 060702– Published 27 June, 2025
  • Received 1 October 2024
  • Accepted 8 May 2025
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