• N.A. Kirby, I. Blumenfeld, M.J. Hogan, R. Siemann, D.R. Walz
  SLAC, Menlo Park, California
• A.W. Davidson, C. Huang
  UCLA, Los Angeles, California

The effect of ion motion and the need for practical positron propagation in a plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA) have incited interest in hollow plasma channels. These channels are typically assumed to be cylindrically symmetric; however, a different geometry might be easier to achieve. The introduction of an obstruction into the outlet of a high Mach number gas jet can produce two parallel slabs of gas separated by a density depression. Here, there is a detailed simulation study of the density depression created in such a system. This investigation reveals that the density depression is insufficient at the desired plasma density. However, insights from the simulations suggest another avenue for the creation of the hollow slab geometry.