Plasma accelerators

This lecture covers the theory and applications of plasma accelerators, focusing on the generation of high accelerating fields using plasma wakes. Topics include the limitations of traditional accelerators, the theory of plasma wakes, wakefield acceleration, and the challenges and advancements in plasma accelerator physics. The lecture also discusses the experimental results of energy doubling and the self-modulation of proton beams. It concludes with a discussion on the potential of plasma accelerators in high gradient schemes and the challenges in achieving high beam quality.