Measurement of the particle number density in a pulsed flow gas cell with a second-harmonic interferometer

F. Brandi, P. Marsili, F. Giammanco, F. Sylla, L. A. Gizzi

Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1079 (1), 012006, 2018.

Abstract

A high-sensitivity high-speed second-harmonic interferometer is used to monitor the particle
number density inside a pulsed flow gas cell designed for laser wakefield acceleration. The
interferometer can precisely follow the particle density temporal evolution therefore offering a
practical way to control in real-time the target density during laser-plasma interaction. The
presented results are relevant for the evaluation of density diagnostic tools for flow gas cells used as laser-plasma acceleration stages.