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Title: Signatures of quantum radiation reaction in laser-electron-beam collisions

Abstract

Electron dynamics in the collision of an electron beam with a high-intensity focused ultrashort laser pulse are investigated using three-dimensional QED particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, and the results are compared with those calculated by classical Landau and Lifshitz PIC simulations. Significant differences are observed from the angular dependence of the electron energy distribution patterns for the two different approaches, because photon emission is no longer well approximated by a continuous process in the quantum radiation-dominated regime. The stochastic nature of photon emission results in strong signatures of quantum radiation-reaction effects under certain conditions. We show that the laser spot size and duration greatly influence these signatures due to the competition of QED effects and the ponderomotive force, which is well described in the classical approximation. The clearest signatures of quantum radiation reaction are found in the limit of large laser spots and few cycle pulse durations.

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Helmholtz Institute Jena, Fröbelstieg 3, 07743 Jena (Germany)
  2. State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, and Key Lab of High Energy Density Physics Simulation, CAPT, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22493756
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 22; Journal Issue: 9; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; COLLISIONS; ELECTRON BEAMS; ENERGY SPECTRA; KINETICS; LASER RADIATION; PHOTON EMISSION; PONDEROMOTIVE FORCE; PULSES; QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS; STOCHASTIC PROCESSES; THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS

Citation Formats

Wang, H. Y., Yan, X. Q., Zepf, M., E-mail: m.zepf@uni-jena.de, and School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN. Signatures of quantum radiation reaction in laser-electron-beam collisions. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4929851.
Wang, H. Y., Yan, X. Q., Zepf, M., E-mail: m.zepf@uni-jena.de, & School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN. Signatures of quantum radiation reaction in laser-electron-beam collisions. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4929851
Wang, H. Y., Yan, X. Q., Zepf, M., E-mail: m.zepf@uni-jena.de, and School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN. 2015. "Signatures of quantum radiation reaction in laser-electron-beam collisions". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4929851.
@article{osti_22493756,
title = {Signatures of quantum radiation reaction in laser-electron-beam collisions},
author = {Wang, H. Y. and Yan, X. Q. and Zepf, M., E-mail: m.zepf@uni-jena.de and School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN},
abstractNote = {Electron dynamics in the collision of an electron beam with a high-intensity focused ultrashort laser pulse are investigated using three-dimensional QED particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, and the results are compared with those calculated by classical Landau and Lifshitz PIC simulations. Significant differences are observed from the angular dependence of the electron energy distribution patterns for the two different approaches, because photon emission is no longer well approximated by a continuous process in the quantum radiation-dominated regime. The stochastic nature of photon emission results in strong signatures of quantum radiation-reaction effects under certain conditions. We show that the laser spot size and duration greatly influence these signatures due to the competition of QED effects and the ponderomotive force, which is well described in the classical approximation. The clearest signatures of quantum radiation reaction are found in the limit of large laser spots and few cycle pulse durations.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4929851},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22493756}, journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
issn = {1070-664X},
number = 9,
volume = 22,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}