Particle-assisted wakefield electron acceleration devices

1. A particle-assisted wakefield electron acceleration device comprising:

an accelerator chamber comprising a gas cell and having a length of from 0.5 centimeters (cm) to 500 cm;

the accelerator chamber including a low density gas and a particle therein;

wherein the accelerator chamber is configured to receive a pulse, the pulse being configured to:

ionize at least a portion of the low density gas, thereby generating a plasma wave comprising electrons in the accelerator chamber, said plasma wave being a wakefield; and

ionize at least a portion of the particle, thereby generating free electrons;

wherein at least a portion of the electrons from the plasma and at least a portion of the free electrons are injected into the wakefield, said portion of the electrons from the plasma and said portion of the free electrons being the injected electrons; and

wherein the injected electrons are accelerated by the wakefield:

to an energy of 10 GeV or more;

to an energy that is greater than the energy generated in the absence of the particle by 400% or more; or

a combination thereof.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the accelerator chamber has a length of from 0.5 cm to 250 cm.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the gas cell has a volume of from 0.05 cm 3 to 50,000 cm 3 .

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the particle comprises a metallic particle.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the metallic particle comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo, Pd, Ag, Pt, Au, and combinations thereof.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the particle has an average particle size of from 1 nanometer (nm) to 100 micrometers (μm).

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the particle has a substantially spherical shape.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the particle is a single particle.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the particle is a plurality of particles.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the low density gas comprises helium.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a particle injector configured to inject the particle into the accelerator chamber.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a particle source configured to provide the particle.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein particle comprises a metallic particle and the device further comprises an ablation laser configured to ablate a metal target, thereby generating the metallic particle.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pulse comprises a laser pulse.

15. The device of claim 14 , further comprises a laser source configured to generate the laser pulse.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pulse has a defocusing length that is greater than the length of the accelerator chamber.