ACCELERATION OF CHARGED-PARTICLES IN PLASMA

Studies of the basic methods of collective acceleration, specifically, the acceleration of charged particles by space-charge waves and unneu tralized beams of charged particles in plasmas, are briefly reviewed. At present, the following methods of the acceleration by space-charge waves are undergoing intensive development: the plasma beat-wave accel erator, the laser wake-field accelerator, and the plasma wake-field ac celerator, in which the accelerating plasma wave is excited by a train of relativistic electron bunches. The most important problems and the results obtained are discussed.