X-Ray Source

The Scottish Centre for the Application of Plasma-based Accelerators (SCAPA) develops compact, high-brightness X-ray and gamma-ray sources driven by intense laser pulses. By combining laser wakefield acceleration with advanced radiation-generation techniques, these sources offer exciting opportunities for scientific research and future applications.

Laser wakefield acceleration uses an intense, ultrashort laser pulse to drive a plasma wave that accelerates electrons to hundreds of megaelectronvolts over just a few millimetres to centimetres. These relativistic electron beams can generate high-energy photons through several radiation mechanisms.

Betatron radiation is produced when accelerated electrons oscillate transversely within the plasma wakefield, generating ultrashort X-ray pulses. Alternatively, bremsstrahlung is generated when energetic electrons interact with a material target, producing a broad spectrum of high-energy X-rays and gamma rays. Magnetic undulators provide another route to generating radiation from relativistic electron beams.

These laser-driven sources have potential applications in high-resolution X-ray imaging, computed tomography, ultrafast studies of matter, X-ray diffraction and dense-object radiography. Their ultrashort pulse durations are particularly valuable for investigating rapidly evolving processes, while their compact size offers opportunities for developing more accessible radiation-source technologies.

At SCAPA, research focuses on improving the performance, stability and control of laser-driven radiation sources and exploring their applications in collaboration with academic and industrial partners.

The nominal X-ray and gamma-ray beam parameters at SCAPA are summarised below.

Below shows a Betatron X-Ray image from the LWFA on the A3 Beam Line.