Simulations of electron injection into plasma wake fields by colliding laser pulses using XOOPIC

First time, self-consistent particle-in-cell simulations of electron injection into a plasma wake field by colliding laser pulses are presented. This method for injecting electrons in a laser wake field has been proposed recently by Esarey et al. (1997). An intense pump pulse generates a fast wake field. Forward going and backward going injection pulses collide at some distance behind the pump pulse generating a slow ponderomotive beat wave which can be used to inject plasma electrons into the fast wake field for acceleration to high energies. We have modified XOOPIC to run numerical simulations of the colliding pulses scheme. We have analyzed the influence of plasma and pulse parameters, so that we are able to study electron injection as it varies with amplitude, wavelength, and phases of the pulses. We will present preliminary results