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Identification of optimal conditions for betatron x-ray generation in subcritical density plasma

Abdughupur. Ablimit, L. Q. Han*, X. Y. Zhao, C. OuYang, H. Wen†, and J. Q. Yu‡

  • Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of High-Energy Scale Physics and Applications, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China

  • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • †Contact author: hwen@hnu.edu.cn
  • ‡Contact author: jinqing.yu@hnu.edu.cn
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Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams 29, 013401 – Published 13 January, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/gnck-rndz

Abstract

Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) has enabled generation of high-energy electron beams and radiation sources, which are of great importance in high-energy density physics. However, identifying the optimal laser-plasma parameters—particularly variations in laser pulse duration and focal spot size—is crucial for producing not only high-charge, high-energy electron beams but also high-brightness, high-flux betatron radiation. In this study, we investigated the optimum laser parameters for generating high-charge electron beams and betatron radiation in subcritical density plasmas (SCDP). Three-dimensional particle-in-cell (3D-PIC) simulations show that a 550 TW laser pulse can generate electron beams with charges of several tens of nanocoulombs (nC) and energies up to 500 MeV. Furthermore, these electron beams produce high-brightness x-ray radiation, achieving a peak brightness of 1.6×1022  photons/(s mm2 mrad2 0.1% BW) at 10 keV, with a total photon number reaching 4×1012 (energy >1 keV).

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Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams 29, 013401– Published 13 January, 2026
  • Received 23 May 2025
  • Accepted 18 November 2025
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