Grant: Subatomic Physics Envelope - Project

This proposal seeks funding for Canada to make an important contribution to the Advanced Wakefield Experiment (AWAKE), one of the leading global projects in the field of plasma wakefield acceleration (PWFA) research. In the past decade acceleration schemes by induced wakefield in plasmas have demonstrated gradients in excess of GV/m, more than 3 orders of magnitude higher than existing radio frequency technology, and hold promise of more compact and affordable future accelerators for particle physics, X-ray science, and medical applications. Unique among PWFA projects and first of its kind is the AWAKE experiment driven by 400 GeV proton beam from the CERN SPS synchrotron. The potential of single-stage energy transfer by proton, and its advantage over multi-stage electron driven alternatives, are compelling. In the meantime achieving synchronism with the plasma wave at a mm length scale by the long proton bunch is a challenge. A major focus of the experiment is thus to demonstrate a novel mechanism, proton bunch longitudinal self-modulation inside the plasma, critical to the success of this concept. First protons to the experiment are expected early in 2016. As Canada's leading laboratory in particle and nuclear physics, material science and nuclear medicine, and its center for accelerator science, TRIUMF has unique qualifications and a mandate in exploring transformational technologies for future accelerators. A first step is taken by joining the AWAKE collaboration with solid scientific merit and proven credentials. TRIUMF contributes novel beam diagnostics for AWAKE, whose success depends on well-defined and controllable relations among proton, electron and laser beams in space and in time, imposing tight requirements on resolution, accuracy and sensitivity of beam diagnostics. TRIUMF proposes to develop and construct high sensitivity Faraday Cups for electron beam charge measurements, and beam position monitors (BPMs), including single bunch electronics, for position measurements. As opportunities arise TRIUMF contributes to other aspects of the AWAKE experiment, such as the rubidium plasma source. TRIUMF plans to participate in the execution and analysis of PWFA experiments. The field is still in its inception stage and ripe for new ideas and methods, an ideal environment for training advanced graduate students. In this proposal we request funding for activities of 2 graduate students. TRIUMF was recently accepted as a full member of the AWAKE collaboration. Timely funding of the current proposal will secure a firm presence of TRIUMF, and Canadian Science at large, in this vital area of research for fundamental and applied physics of tomorrow.