A method and apparatus for processing a particle shower using a laser-driven plasma is provided. The method comprises interacting a particle shower with a processing laser-driven plasma stage, the particle shower comprising at least one particle species, wherein the laser is a high-energy, ultra-short pulse laser. In some embodiments, the method comprises accelerating, decelerating, trapping, or collimating the at least one particle species in the processing laser-drive plasma stage. Particularly, the embodiments enable generating high energy particle beams that were only possible using accelerators spanning several hundred meters, in a space of a few meters.

A medical system for providing radiotherapy is disclosed. The system comprises a particle accelerator configured to produce a radiation beam and irradiate at least a part of a subject with the radiation beam. The particle accelerator comprises a plasma zone comprising or configured to receive a plasma, and at least one beam source configured to provide an excitation beam along an axis through the plasma zone. The medical system is configured to provide a plurality of charged particles in the plasma in a region that propagates through the plasma zone behind the excitation beam such that the plurality of charged particles are accelerated to produce a radiation beam comprising the plurality of charged particles with a broadband energy distribution, wherein: at least part or all of the energy distribution of the radiation beam is substantially exponential or power-law; the radiation beam delivers 75% or more of a dose of the charged particles at and below 2 g/cm.sup.2; and/or the energy beam has an energy or energy distribution in the range from 10 eV to 10 MeV.

Particle therapy systems and methods for treating patients are provided. In one implementation, a particle therapy system may include an interaction chamber for containing a target and an electromagnetic radiation source configured to generate a pulsed electromagnetic radiation beam of at least about 100 terawatts and at a repetition rate of at least about 20 Hz. The particle therapy system may further include optics configured to direct the pulsed electromagnetic radiation beam along a path towards a target in the interaction chamber. The particle therapy system may further include an actuator configured to cause relative movement between the target and the electromagnetic radiation beam at a speed associated with the repetition rate of the electromagnetic radiation source, to thereby vary a location of interaction of the pulsed electromagnetic radiation beam on a surface of the target and thereby cause a resultant emission from the target of at least about 3×10.sup.6 charged particles per pulse.

A system is provided for accelerating charged particles and producing high energy photons. The system includes a nanostructure comprising at least one tube having a hollow core channel surrounded by a wall of a nanomaterial, e.g., comprising wall electrons and ions. The nanostructure is configured to interact with a beam of charged particle having a quasi-solid beam density, e.g., greater than 10.sup.18 cm.sup.−3. The beam of charged particles gains energy or momentum at an average acceleration gradient, e.g., greater than 1 TeraVolt (TeV) per meter along a longitudinal direction, and undergoes focusing in a transverse direction to increase the density of the beam of the charged particles, e.g. by at least an order of magnitude.

A system is provided for accelerating charged particles and producing high energy photons. The system includes a nanostructure comprising at least one tube having a hollow core channel surrounded by a wall of a nanomaterial, e.g., comprising wall electrons and ions. The nanostructure is configured to interact with a beam of charged particle having a quasi-solid beam density, e.g., greater than 10.sup.18 cm.sup.−3. The beam of charged particles gains energy or momentum at an average acceleration gradient, e.g., greater than 1 TeraVolt (TeV) per meter along a longitudinal direction, and undergoes focusing in a transverse direction to increase the density of the beam of the charged particles, e.g. by at least an order of magnitude.

An electromagnetically-propelled vehicle includes a charged-particle accelerator and a magnetic-field generator. Charged particles are accelerated to a velocity v and are directed through the magnetic field B generated by the magnetic-field generator. The interaction between the accelerated charged particles and the magnetic field generates a force between the particles and the magnetic-field generator that may be used to propel or levitate the vehicle.

An electromagnetically-propelled vehicle includes a charged-particle accelerator and a magnetic-field generator. Charged particles are accelerated to a velocity v and are directed through the magnetic field B generated by the magnetic-field generator. The interaction between the accelerated charged particles and the magnetic field generates a force between the particles and the magnetic-field generator that may be used to propel or levitate the vehicle.

A laser-plasma-based acceleration system includes a focusing element and a laser pulse emission directing a laser beam to the focusing element to such that laser pulses transform into a focused beam and a chamber defining a nozzle having a throat and an exit orifice, emitting a critical density range gas jet from the exit orifice for laser wavelengths ranging from ultraviolet to the mid-infrared. the critical density range gas jet intersects the focused beam at an angle and in proximity to the exit orifice of the nozzle to define a point of intersection between the focused beam and the critical density range gas jet. In intersection with the critical density range gas jet, the pulsed focused beam drives a laser plasma wakefield relativistic electron beam. A corresponding method of laser-plasma-based acceleration is also described. The critical density range may include 2×10.sup.20 cm.sup.−3 to 5×10.sup.21 cm.sup.−3.

A plasma processing system. The system may include a vacuum chamber including an electron emission region and a processing region, in which plasma is produced and a substrate is loaded, the electron emission region having a first pressure and the processing region being maintained to a pressure higher than the first pressure, a thermal electron emission unit provided in the electron emission region and used to emit a thermal electron, a grid electrode grounded and used to selectively provide an electron emitted from the thermal electron emission unit to the processing region, a substrate holder provided in a lower region of the vacuum chamber and in the processing region, the substrate holder being used to load the substrate thereon, and an RF power source configured to apply an RF power to the substrate holder and to produce the plasma.

For the delivery of high precision radiation treatment, the accuracy with which a target is irradiated at individual gantry, collimator and patient couch orientation is traditionally verified in 2D. With the QA device described herein, the coverage of the gantry is uniquely measured in 3D. The method of the present invention, combining with the collimator and patient couch measurements, allows the reconstruction of the target coverage in full 3D, which was not possible before. In addition, the method of the present invention can be applied to decompose the traditional quality assurance measurements of combined gantry, collimator and patient couch orientations with standard devices. Such an application provides a comprehensive description of the irradiation accuracy.