Dr Mark Wiggins

Publications

The role of the gas/plasma plume and self-focusing in a gas-filled capillary discharge waveguide for high-power laser-plasma applications

Ciocarlan Cristian, Wiggins Mark, Islam Mohammad, Ersfeld Bernhard, Abu-Azoum Salima Saleh, Wilson Robbie, Aniculaesei Constantin, Welsh Gregor H, Vieux Gregory, Jaroszynski Dino

Physics of Plasmas Vol 20 (2013)

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4822333

Straight and linearly tapered capillaries produced by femtosecond laser micromachining

Wiggins Mark, Reijnders M P, Abu-Azoum Salima Saleh, Hart Kerri, Vieux Gregory, Welsh Gregor H, Issac Riju, Yang Xue, Jones David, Jaroszynski Dino

Journal of Plasma Physics Vol 78, pp. 355-361 (2012)

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022377812000062

Linearly tapered discharge capillary waveguides as a medium for a laser plasma wakefield accelerator

Abu-Azoum Salima Saleh, Wiggins Mark, Ersfeld B, Hart K, Vieux G, Yang X, Welsh G H, Issac R C, Reijnders M P, Jones D R, Jaroszynski Dino A

Applied Physics Letters Vol 100 (2012)

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3674309

A tuneable ultra-compact high-power, ultra-short pulsed, bright gamma-ray source based on bremsstrahlung radiation from laser-plasma accelerated electrons

Cipiccia Silvia, Wiggins Mark, Shanks Richard, Islam Mohammad, Vieux Gregory, Issac Riju, Brunetti Enrico, Ersfeld Bernhard, Welsh Gregor H, Anania Maria Pia, Maneuski Dzmitry, Lemos Nuno R C, Bendoyro Rodolfo, Rajeev Pattathil P, Foster P, Bourgeois Nicola, Ibbotson T, Walker P A, Shea Val O, Dias João M, Jaroszynski Dino

Journal of Applied Physics Vol 111 (2012)

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3693537

Note: femtosecond laser micromachining of straight and linearly tapered capillary discharge waveguides

Wiggins Mark, Reijnders Merijn, Abu-Azoum Salima Saleh, Hart Kerri, Welsh Gregor H, Issac Riju, Jones David, Jaroszynski Dino

Review of Scientific Instruments Vol 82 (2011)

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3640410

Gamma-rays from harmonically resonant betatron oscillations in a plasma wake

Cipiccia Silvia, Islam Mohammad, Ersfeld Bernhard, Shanks Richard, Brunetti Enrico, Vieux Gregory, Yang Xue, Issac Riju, Wiggins Samuel, Welsh Gregor, Anania Maria Pia, Maneuski Dzmitry, Montgomery Rachel, Smith Gary, Hoek Matthias, Hamilton David J, Lemos Nuno R C, Symes Dan, Rajeev Pattathil P, Shea Val O, Dias João M, Jaroszynski Dino A

Nature Physics Vol 7, pp. 867-871 (2011)

https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys2090

More publications

Research Interests

I am the General Manager for SCAPA - the Scottish Centre for the Application of Plasma-based Accelerators - which means I oversee research that deals with laser-based accelerators and associated radiation sources. The accelerators entail focusing high-power femtosecond laser pulses onto gas/plasma/solid targets for extremely compact acceleration of electron/proton/ion beams to high energy. Very bright X-ray and gamma-ray pulses are also generated. Techniques to optimise and tailor the output characteristics are investigated as well as the basic physical processes themselves. Paramount to SCAPA of course is application development of these particle and radiation sources for the scientific, industrial and medical communities.

Professional Activities

Research Integrity and Culture Week 2024

Participant

21/2/2024

SCAPA Governing Board meeting (Event)

Member

21/2/2024

HPL science christmas community meeting

Participant

18/12/2023

SCAPA Management Executive Committee Meeting (Event)

Chair

16/11/2023

Department of Physics Open Evening

Participant

15/11/2023

University Open Day - Department of Physics student recruiting

Participant

7/10/2023

More professional activities

Projects

Lab in a bubble

Jaroszynski, Dino (Principal Investigator) Boyd, Marie (Co-investigator) Brunetti, Enrico (Co-investigator) Ersfeld, Bernhard (Co-investigator) Hidding, Bernhard (Co-investigator) McKenna, Paul (Co-investigator) Noble, Adam (Co-investigator) Sheng, Zheng-Ming (Co-investigator) Vieux, Gregory (Co-investigator) Welsh, Gregor H. (Co-investigator) Wiggins, Mark (Co-investigator)

"The lab in a bubble project is a timely investigation of the interaction of charged particles with radiation inside and in the vicinity of relativistic plasma bubbles created by intense ultra-short laser pulses propagating in plasma. It builds on recent studies carried out by the ALPHA-X team of coherent X-ray radiation from the laser-plasma wakefield accelerator and high field effects where radiation reaction becomes important. The experimental programme will be carried out using high power lasers and investigate new areas of physics where single-particle and collective radiation reaction and quantum effects become important, and where non-linear coupling and instabilities between beams, laser, plasma and induced fields develop, which result in radiation and particle beams with unique properties. Laser-plasma interactions are central to all problems studied and understanding their complex and often highly non-linear interactions gives a way of controlling the bubble and beams therein. To investigate the rich range of physical processes, advanced theoretical and experimental methods will be applied and advantage will be taken of know-how and techniques developed by the teams. New analytical and numerical methods will be developed to enable planning and interpreting results from experiments. Advanced experimental methods and diagnostics will be developed to probe the bubble and characterise the beams and radiation. An important objective will be to apply the radiation and beams in selected proof-of-concept applications to the benefit of society.
The project is involves a large group of Collaborators and Partners, who will contribute to both theoretical and experimental work. The diverse programme is managed through a synergistic approach where there is strong linkage between work-packages, and both theoretical and experiential methodologies are applied bilaterally: experiments are informed by theory at planning and data interpretation stages, and theory is steered by the outcome of experimental studies, which results in a virtuous circle that advances understanding of the physics inside and outside the lab in a bubble. We also expect to make major advances in high field physics and the development of a new generation of compact coherent X-ray sources."

01-Jan-2016 - 31-Jan-2021

Critical Mass: Collective radiation-beam-plasma interactions at high intensities

Jaroszynski, Dino (Principal Investigator) Bingham, Robert (Co-investigator) Boyd, Marie (Co-investigator) Ledingham, Kenneth (Co-investigator) McKenna, Paul (Co-investigator) Wiggins, Mark (Co-investigator)

This proposal describes a programme of research on single-particle and collective radiation-beam-plasma interactions at high field intensities, production of high-brightness particle beams with femtosecond to attosecond duration, new sources of coherent and incoherent radiation that are both compact and inexpensive, new methods of accelerating particles which could make them widely available and, by extending their parameter range, stimulate new application areas. An important adjunct to the proposal will be a programme to apply the sources to demonstrate their usefulness and also provide a way to involve industry and other end-users. The project builds on previous experiments and theoretical investigations of the Advanced Laser Plasma High-energy Accelerators towards X-rays (ALPHA-X) project, which has demonstrated controlled acceleration in a laser-plasma wakefield accelerator (LWFA), initial applications of beams from the LWFA and demonstrations of gamma ray production due to resonant betatron motion in the LWFA. The programme will have broad relevance, through developing an understanding of the highly nonlinear and collective physics of radiation-matter interactions, to fields ranging from astrophysics, fusion and nuclear physics, to the interaction of radiation with biological matter. It will also touch on several basic problems in physics, such as radiation reaction in plasma media and the development of coherence in nonlinear coupled systems.

19-Jan-2012 - 18-Jan-2016

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