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Radiotherapy with very high energy electrons has been investigated for a couple of decades as an effective approach to improve dose distribution compared to conventional photon-based radiotherapy, with the recent intriguing potential of high dose-rate irradiation. Its practical application to treatment has been hindered by the lack of hospital-scale accelerators. High-gradient laser-plasma accelerators (LPA) have been proposed as a possible platform, but no experiments so far have explored the feasibility of a clinical use of this concept. We show the results of an experimental study aimed at assessing dose deposition for deep seated tumours using advanced irradiation schemes with an existing LPA source. Measurements show control of localized dose deposition and modulation, suitable to target a volume at depths in the range from 5 to 10 cm with mm resolution. The dose delivered to the target was up to 1.6 Gy, delivered with few hundreds of shots, limited by secondary components of the LPA accelerator. Measurements suggest that therapeutic doses within localized volumes can already be obtained with existing LPA technology, calling for dedicated pre-clinical studies.

Laser-driven electron accelerators are capable of producing high-energy electron bunches in shorter distances than conventional radiofrequency accelerators. To date, our knowledge of the radiobiological effects in cells exposed to electrons using a laser-plasma accelerator is still very limited. In this study, we compared the dose-response curves for micronucleus (MN) frequency and telomere length in peripheral blood lymphocytes exposed to laser-driven electron pulse and X-ray radiations. Additionally, we evaluated the effects on cell survival of in vitro tumor cells after exposure to laser-driven electron pulse compared to electron beams produced by a conventional radiofrequency accelerator used for intraoperative radiation therapy. Blood samples from two different donors were exposed to six radiation doses ranging from 0 to 2 Gy. Relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for micronucleus induction was calculated from the alpha coefficients for electrons compared to X rays (RBE = alpha laser/alpha X rays). Cell viability was monitored in the OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer cell line using trypan blue exclusion assay at day 3, 5 and 7 postirradiation (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 Gy). The RBE values obtained by comparing the alpha values were 1.3 and 1.2 for the two donors. Mean telomere length was also found to be reduced in a significant dose-dependent manner after irradiation with both electrons and X rays in both donors studied. Our findings showed a radiobiological response as mirrored by the induction of micronuclei and shortening of telomere as well as by the reduction of cell survival in blood samples and cancer cells exposed in vitro to laser-generated electron bunches. Additional studies are needed to improve preclinical validation of the radiobiological characteristics and efficacy of laser-driven electron accelerators in the future.

Flat silicon samples were irradiated with 40 fs, 800nm laser pulses at an intensity at the best focus of 2.1018 Wcm-2, in the presence of a pre-plasma on the sample surface. X-ray emission in the spectral range from 2 to 30 keV was detected inside and outside the plane of incidence, while varying pre-plasma scale length, laser intensity, and polarization. The simultaneous detection of 2ω and 3ω/2 emission allowed the contributions to the X-ray yield to be identified as originating from laser interaction with either the near-critical density (nc) region or with the nc/4 region. In the presence of a moderate pre-plasma, our measurements reveal that, provided the pre-plasma reaches a scale-length of a few laser wavelengths, X-ray emission is dominated by the contribution from the interaction with the under dense plasma, where electron plasma waves can grow, via laser stimulated instabilities, and, in turn, accelerate free electrons to high energies. This mechanism leads also to a clear anisotropy in the angular distribution of the X-ray emission. Our findings can lead to an enhancement of the conversion efficiency of ultra short laser pulses into X-rays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 250-TW laser system (FLAME - Frascati laser for acceleration and multidisciplinary experiments) is now in its commissioning phase in a new laboratory at LNF-INFN in the framework of the PLASMONX (Plasma acceleration and monochromatic X-ray generation) project. The laser will deliver<25 fs duration pulses with an energy up to 6 J, at a 10 Hz repetition rate. An ad hoc target area has also been designed and is currently being set up, allowing the first test experiments of electron laser wakefield acceleration to be carried out over the next few months in a safe, radiation-protected environment. An overview of the main features of the laser system and target area is given, along with a survey of the design and set-up of the self-injection test experiment, which is expected to reach the production of sub-GeV electron bunches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chirped pulse amplification (CPA) technique has opened new perspectives in the radiation-matter interaction studies using ultra-short laser pulses at ultra-relativistic intensities. In particular the original idea, proposed by Tajima and Dawson, of accelerating electrons by the huge electric fields of plasma waves which develop in the wake of a laser pulse propagating in a plasma, become feasible. Some laboratories all over the world have produced by such a technique collimated electron busts of hundreds of MeV along acceleration lengths of a few hundreds of microns. In other experiments, using thin solid targets, intense bursts of energetic protons have been at the same time detected. The proton acceleration mechanism is essentially based on the Coulomb force appearing at the thin solid target surface as a consequence of the previous escape of the energetic electrons from the target. In the paper some experimental results will be presented as well as the opportunities the INFN PLASMONX project will offer in this research field at LNF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major tasks for the progress of laser acceleration of electrons in plasmas is the guiding of focused pulses along path lengths much larger than the depth of focus. We have tested experimentally the production of hollow plasmas in gas to be used as guiding medium. We induced optical breakdown in Helium with a nanosecond laser pulse similar to the Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) pedestal of a powerful ultrashort laser pulse. The plasma produced in this way was carefully characterized by high resolution interferometry. Plasma channels several millimeters in length whose density, depth and width match the requirements for an efficient guiding have been obtained. Channels with a variety of parameters can be created according to the well-known dynamics of the plasmas produced by optical breakdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new era of laser based plasma accelerators is emerging following the commissioning of many high power laser facilities around the world. Extremely short (tens of fs) laser pulses with energy of multi-joules level are available at these newly built facilities. Here we describe the new 220TW FLAME facility. In particular we discuss the laser system general layout, the main measurements on the laser pulse parameters, the underground target area. Finally we give an overview of the first results of the Self-Injection Test Experiment (SITE), obtained at a low laser energy. This initial low laser energy experimental campaign was necessary for the validation of the radio-protection shielding (Esposito, 2011 [1]) we discuss here. With respect to our preliminary configuration, with a pulse duration of 30fs and a focusing optic of F/15, we discuss here the minimum laser energy requirements for electron acceleration and the forward transmitted optical radiation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]