RADIATION FROM CERENKOV WAKES IN A MAGNETIZED PLASMA

The Cerenkov wake excited by a particle beam or a short laser pulse in a perpendicularly magnetized plasma is analyzed. The wake couples to electromagnetic radiation of approximate frequency w(p) at the plasma/ vacuum boundary. The radiation amplitude is w(c)/w(p) times the amplit ude of the wake excited in the plasma (for a sharp boundary). Particle -in-cell simulations verify the scaling laws. Since plasma wakes as hi gh as a few GeV/m are produced in current experiments, the potential f or a high-power (i.e., GW) coherent microwave to THz radiation source exists.