X-ray Radiation and Electron Injection from Beam Envelope Oscillations in Plasma Wakefield Accelerator Experiments at Facet

Plasma wakefield accelerator experiments at FACET at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have shown a correlation between ionization-injected electrons and the betatron x-ray yield. Emittance spoiling foils were inserted into the beam and the x-ray yield, excess charge, and beam energy loss was measured. The excess charge and x-ray yield are attributed to the beam envelope oscillations where at the minima, the field of the beam is strong enough to create secondary ionization, and at the electron oscillation maxima, the beam electrons spontaneously radiate x-rays. Large amplitude beam oscillations are expected to yield more x-rays and create more excess charge, but the results show beam head erosion strongly limits the wakefield excitation.