Measuring signatures in photon angular spectra to distinguish nonlinear Compton scattering models
The collision of a high-energy electron beam with a laser pulse may be used to study radiation reaction and nonlinear Compton scattering among many other processes in strong-field quantum electrodynamics. Predictions from simulation and theory for these interactions rely on a number of approximations and assumptions that have not been experimentally tested. Here, experimentally measurable signatures are identified that might be able to distinguish between radiation reaction models, i.e., classical or quantum, or between the local constant field and local monochromatic approximations used to calculate the properties of the nonlinear Compton process. These signatures are considered through Monte Carlo simulations of various experimental conditions that are relevant to today's laser facilities. Potential detection schemes for measuring the signatures are proposed. We find that single-photon counting of keV photons to resolve harmonics and scintillator-based detection of MeV photons may allow us to validate nonlinear Compton scattering models and radiation reaction models respectively. This will require electron beams with divergence angles less than 2 mrad and less than $20%$ energy spread.
Authors
- Tom Blackburn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3681-356X)
- S. V. Bulanov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8305-0289)
- S. P. D. Mangles (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2443-4201)
- Christopher Arran (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8644-8118)
- S. S. Bulanov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9861-9391)
- D. Seipt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3695-0051)
- C. P. Ridgers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4078-0887)
- Brandon K. Russell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0011-2419)
- Gabriele Maria Grittani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4394-854X)
- Alexander G. R. Thomas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3206-8512)
- Qian Qian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6955-769X)
Institutions
- Helmholtz Institute Jena (DE)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US)
- GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research (DE)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Extreme Light Infrastructure Beamlines (CZ)
- Kansai Institute for Photon Science (JP)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- University of York (GB)
- University of Gothenburg (SE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical review. A/Physical review, A
- Published
- 2024-12-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.110.062822
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Laser-Plasma Interactions and Diagnostics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.98
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Grantová Agentura České Republiky
- Office of Science
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- Fusion Energy Sciences
- High Energy Physics