Laser Acceleration of Particles with the Plasma Vector-Soliton

The closed, energy conserving system of electromagnetic-plasma equations describing the classical beat wave accelerator are shown to lead to an intrinsic lim it on the acceleration efficiency due to the pump depletion effect producing an intense trail of plasma waves. We propose and analyze with theory and simulations a wakeless accelerating structure composed of a nonlinear vector soliton. The solitary wave speed u of the vector soliton can be greater than the group velocity of the electromagnetic pulse as determined by the laser intensity a0 = e E0/m co0 c through the soliton dispersion relation. Combining the triple soliton structure with a weak plasma density depression of radius (c/cop) (co0/a>p) ,/2, we compute an accelerating structure with Ep ^ me cop c/e moving at the speed of light and limited in length only by the conditions set by beam loading or plasma nonuniformities.