Acceleration of electrons by a laser pulse in a tube

In this paper we consider a scheme for laser driven electron acceleration in which a short intense laser pulse travels along a hollow tube, ionizing and heating the walls as it goes. Hot electrons expanding off the walls produce a large negative potential behind the pulse and the resulting potential gradient along the tube can be used to accelerate electrons. Computer simulations of this process suggest that accelerating fields in excess of 10 GeV/m can be reached with currently available technology and that accelerated electron bunches are well-focused on the axis of the tube. It is suggested that this scheme may have advantages over beat wave and wake field schemes, in terms of the controllability of the speed and phasing of the accelerating potential. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S1070-664X(00)05107-7].