CERN's AWAKE Experiment Advances Plasma Wakefield Acceleration for High-Energy Physics

CERN's AWAKE experiment is pioneering plasma wakefield acceleration, employing a proton beam to generate wakefields for electron acceleration. This innovative method offers a revolutionary alternative to conventional acceleration technologies, which are limited by breakdown risks at higher gradients. AWAKE uses a proton beam from the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) to drive wakefields in a plasma source, accelerating an electron beam. The experiment's initial phase demonstrated the feasibility of this approach, achieving electron acceleration to 2 GeV over 10 meters. The current phase, AWAKE Run 2, aims to reach energies between 4 and 10 GeV while maintaining beam quality. Future goals include scaling the plasma source to achieve over 10 GeV acceleration and proposing particle physics experiments using high-energy electron beams. Potential applications include investigating dark photons, exploring strong field quantum electrodynamics, and developing a Higgs factory. The technology may also benefit fixed-target experiments and free electron lasers.