Plasma based wakefield acceleration using a 46MeV multibunched electron beam

In the multibunch plasma wakefield acceleration scheme a series of electron microbunches are fed into a high density plasma and resonantly excite a wakefield that can accelerate the beam electrons. Here we present some recent experimental results conducted at Brookhaven's Accelerator test Facility (ATF) where $\sim $90 microbunches at 46MeV created through the IFEL effect with a 10.6$\mu $m CO$_{2}$ laser interact with a high density 10$^{19}$cm$^{-3}$ 12mm long plasma. Some further PIC simulations provide insight into the physics of the interaction.