E-157: A Plasma Wakefield Acceleration Experiment

The E-157 plasma wakefield experiment addresses issues relevant to a meter long plasma accelerator module. In particular, a 1.4 m long plasma source has been developed for the experiment. The transverse dynamics of the beam in the plasma is studied: multiple betatron oscillations of the beam envelope, flipping of the beam tail, stability against the hose instability, emission of synchrotron radiation by the beam in the plasma. The bending of the 28.5 GeV beam at the plasma/vapor interface is observed for the first time. The longitudinal dynamics of the beam, i.e. the energy loss and gain by the electrons in the wake, is strongly affected by the oscillation of the beam tail.