Electron beam characterization and first experimental results for the laser wake field accelerator for radiation to electronics effects applications

A new source of relativistic electrons based on laser wakefield acceleration has been recently built and commissioned at ELI-Beamlines user facility. This platform is proposed for the experimental study of radiation to electronics effects for components and devices dimensioned to laboratory and low Earth orbit applications, such as picosatellite class spacecrafts, e.g. CubeSat. The device is configured to represent energy range of relativistic electrons trapped in the Van Allen radiation belts, 0.1 – 10 MeV, and to study the effects of ultra-high dose rates radiation. The developed instrument includes a permanent magnet dipole electron beam spectrometer with luminescent screen for on-line beam parameters monitoring and vacuum to air interface. The electron beam acceleration experiment for up to 10 MeV energies have been performed using a nitrogen gas target. The generated electron beam has been used for the electronic device irradiation experiments. The profile of the beam, energy and dose imparted per laser pulse have been measured to evaluate efficiency of the device. The beam characterization technique has designed using the FLUKA Monte Carlo code. KE spectrometer is calibrated with conventional LINAC source of electrons.