1 kHz laser accelerated electron beam feasible for radiotherapy uses: A PIC–Monte Carlo based study

Abstract Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) offers a promising compact solution for the production of high and very high energy electron (VHEE) beams, which have an ultrashort pulse duration with a high instantaneous dose rate and small source size. These unique properties are of radiobiological as well as clinical interest. In this paper we focus on the potential application of high repetition rate LWFA electron beams for radiobiology and radiotherapy. On the basis of particle-in-cell (PIC) and Monte Carlo simulations we propose that, using a commercially available 1 kHz laser system one can generate electron beams with 35.7 MeV mean energy and 3 pC electron bunch charge at 1 kHz repetition rate to deliver a dose rate of 18 Gy/min, which could be extremely useful for real radiotherapy applications. Thanks to the high repetition rate, dose delivery can be performed with high precision making this system a potential alternative to conventional clinical electron accelerators.