skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Polaritonic pulse and coherent X- and gamma rays from Compton (Thomson) backscattering

Abstract

The formation of polariton wave-packets created by high-intensity laser beams focused in plasmas is analyzed, and the velocity, energy, size, structure, stability, and electron content of such polaritonic pulses are characterized. It is shown that polaritonic pulses may transport trapped electrons with appreciable energies, provided the medium behaves as a rarefied classical plasma. The relativistic electron energy is related to the polariton group velocity, which is close to the velocity of light in this case. The plasma pulse is polarized, and the electron number in the pulse is estimated as being proportional to the square root of the laser intensity and the 3/2-power of the pulse size. It is shown that Compton (Thomson) backscattering by such polaritonic pulses of electrons may produce coherent X- and gamma rays, as a consequence of the quasirigidity of the electrons inside the polaritonic pulses and their relatively large number. The classical results of the Compton scattering are re-examined in this context, the energy of the scattered photons and their cross-section are analyzed, especially for backscattering, the great enhancement of the scattered flux of X- or gamma rays due to the coherence effect is highlighted and numerical estimates are given for some typical situations.

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Department of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Atomic Physics, P.O. Box MG-35, Magurele-Bucharest MG-6 (Romania)
  2. Laboratory of Plasma Physics, Institute of Lasers, Plasma and Radiation, P.O. Box MG-35, Magurele-Bucharest MG-6 (Romania)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21538007
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 109; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3530599; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS; BACKSCATTERING; BEAMS; COMPTON EFFECT; CROSS SECTIONS; GAMMA RADIATION; LIGHT TRANSMISSION; PHOTONS; RELATIVISTIC PLASMA; RELATIVISTIC RANGE; STABILITY; TRAPPED ELECTRONS; VELOCITY; WAVE PACKETS; X RADIATION; X-RAY SOURCES; BASIC INTERACTIONS; BOSONS; ELASTIC SCATTERING; ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; ELECTRONS; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; ENERGY RANGE; FERMIONS; INTERACTIONS; IONIZING RADIATIONS; LEPTONS; MASSLESS PARTICLES; PLASMA; RADIATION SOURCES; RADIATIONS; SCATTERING; TRANSMISSION

Citation Formats

Apostol, M, and Ganciu, M. Polaritonic pulse and coherent X- and gamma rays from Compton (Thomson) backscattering. United States: N. p., 2011. Web. doi:10.1063/1.3530599.
Apostol, M, & Ganciu, M. Polaritonic pulse and coherent X- and gamma rays from Compton (Thomson) backscattering. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3530599
Apostol, M, and Ganciu, M. 2011. "Polaritonic pulse and coherent X- and gamma rays from Compton (Thomson) backscattering". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3530599.
@article{osti_21538007,
title = {Polaritonic pulse and coherent X- and gamma rays from Compton (Thomson) backscattering},
author = {Apostol, M and Ganciu, M},
abstractNote = {The formation of polariton wave-packets created by high-intensity laser beams focused in plasmas is analyzed, and the velocity, energy, size, structure, stability, and electron content of such polaritonic pulses are characterized. It is shown that polaritonic pulses may transport trapped electrons with appreciable energies, provided the medium behaves as a rarefied classical plasma. The relativistic electron energy is related to the polariton group velocity, which is close to the velocity of light in this case. The plasma pulse is polarized, and the electron number in the pulse is estimated as being proportional to the square root of the laser intensity and the 3/2-power of the pulse size. It is shown that Compton (Thomson) backscattering by such polaritonic pulses of electrons may produce coherent X- and gamma rays, as a consequence of the quasirigidity of the electrons inside the polaritonic pulses and their relatively large number. The classical results of the Compton scattering are re-examined in this context, the energy of the scattered photons and their cross-section are analyzed, especially for backscattering, the great enhancement of the scattered flux of X- or gamma rays due to the coherence effect is highlighted and numerical estimates are given for some typical situations.},
doi = {10.1063/1.3530599},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21538007}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
issn = {0021-8979},
number = 1,
volume = 109,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2011},
month = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2011}
}