Experimental Signatures of the Quantum Nature of Radiation Reaction in the Field of an Ultraintense Laser
Abstract
The description of the dynamics of an electron in an external electromagnetic field of arbitrary intensity is one of the most fundamental outstanding problems in electrodynamics. Remarkably, to date, there is no unanimously accepted theoretical solution for ultrahigh intensities and little or no experimental data. The basic challenge is the inclusion of the self-interaction of the electron with the field emitted by the electron itself—the so-called radiation reaction force. We report here on the experimental evidence of strong radiation reaction, in an all-optical experiment, during the propagation of highly relativistic electrons (maximum energy exceeding 2 GeV) through the field of an ultraintense laser (peak intensity of 4 × 1020 W / cm2). In their own rest frame, the highest-energy electrons experience an electric field as high as one quarter of the critical field of quantum electrodynamics and are seen to lose up to 30% of their kinetic energy during the propagation through the laser field. The experimental data show signatures of quantum effects in the electron dynamics in the external laser field, potentially showing departures from the constant cross field approximation.
- Authors:
- more »
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1459053
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1499096
- Grant/Contract Number:
- NA0002372
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review. X
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Physical Review. X Journal Volume: 8 Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 2160-3308
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
Citation Formats
Poder, K., Tamburini, M., Sarri, G., Di Piazza, A., Kuschel, S., Baird, C. D., Behm, K., Bohlen, S., Cole, J. M., Corvan, D. J., Duff, M., Gerstmayr, E., Keitel, C. H., Krushelnick, K., Mangles, S. P. D., McKenna, P., Murphy, C. D., Najmudin, Z., Ridgers, C. P., Samarin, G. M., Symes, D. R., Thomas, A. G. R., Warwick, J., and Zepf, M. Experimental Signatures of the Quantum Nature of Radiation Reaction in the Field of an Ultraintense Laser. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevX.8.031004.
Poder, K., Tamburini, M., Sarri, G., Di Piazza, A., Kuschel, S., Baird, C. D., Behm, K., Bohlen, S., Cole, J. M., Corvan, D. J., Duff, M., Gerstmayr, E., Keitel, C. H., Krushelnick, K., Mangles, S. P. D., McKenna, P., Murphy, C. D., Najmudin, Z., Ridgers, C. P., Samarin, G. M., Symes, D. R., Thomas, A. G. R., Warwick, J., & Zepf, M. Experimental Signatures of the Quantum Nature of Radiation Reaction in the Field of an Ultraintense Laser. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.8.031004
Poder, K., Tamburini, M., Sarri, G., Di Piazza, A., Kuschel, S., Baird, C. D., Behm, K., Bohlen, S., Cole, J. M., Corvan, D. J., Duff, M., Gerstmayr, E., Keitel, C. H., Krushelnick, K., Mangles, S. P. D., McKenna, P., Murphy, C. D., Najmudin, Z., Ridgers, C. P., Samarin, G. M., Symes, D. R., Thomas, A. G. R., Warwick, J., and Zepf, M. Thu .
"Experimental Signatures of the Quantum Nature of Radiation Reaction in the Field of an Ultraintense Laser". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.8.031004.
@article{osti_1459053,
title = {Experimental Signatures of the Quantum Nature of Radiation Reaction in the Field of an Ultraintense Laser},
author = {Poder, K. and Tamburini, M. and Sarri, G. and Di Piazza, A. and Kuschel, S. and Baird, C. D. and Behm, K. and Bohlen, S. and Cole, J. M. and Corvan, D. J. and Duff, M. and Gerstmayr, E. and Keitel, C. H. and Krushelnick, K. and Mangles, S. P. D. and McKenna, P. and Murphy, C. D. and Najmudin, Z. and Ridgers, C. P. and Samarin, G. M. and Symes, D. R. and Thomas, A. G. R. and Warwick, J. and Zepf, M.},
abstractNote = {The description of the dynamics of an electron in an external electromagnetic field of arbitrary intensity is one of the most fundamental outstanding problems in electrodynamics. Remarkably, to date, there is no unanimously accepted theoretical solution for ultrahigh intensities and little or no experimental data. The basic challenge is the inclusion of the self-interaction of the electron with the field emitted by the electron itself—the so-called radiation reaction force. We report here on the experimental evidence of strong radiation reaction, in an all-optical experiment, during the propagation of highly relativistic electrons (maximum energy exceeding 2 GeV) through the field of an ultraintense laser (peak intensity of 4 × 1020 W / cm2). In their own rest frame, the highest-energy electrons experience an electric field as high as one quarter of the critical field of quantum electrodynamics and are seen to lose up to 30% of their kinetic energy during the propagation through the laser field. The experimental data show signatures of quantum effects in the electron dynamics in the external laser field, potentially showing departures from the constant cross field approximation.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevX.8.031004},
journal = {Physical Review. X},
number = 3,
volume = 8,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jul 05 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Thu Jul 05 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.8.031004
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