HIGH-GRADIENT ACCELERATION OF ELECTRONS IN A PLASMA-LOADED WIGGLER

The interaction of an electron beam with a transverse electromagnetic field and a Langmuir wave in a plasma loaded wiggler is described by a system of self-consistent nonlinear equations. We demonstrate numeric ally and analytically that both beam-plasma and free-electron laser in stabilities take place under suitable resonance conditions. As a conse quence, the system is able to generate high-amplitude Langmuir waves w ith phase velocities larger than the speed of light, which give rise t o high gradient and high energy acceleration of the electron beam.