Radiation rebound and quantum splash in electron-laser collisions

oleh: Z. Gong, R. H. Hu, J. Q. Yu, Y. R. Shou, A. V. Arefiev, X. Q. Yan

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: American Physical Society 2019-09-01

Deskripsi

The radiation reaction (RR) is expected to play a critical role in light-matter interactions at extreme intensity. Utilizing the theoretical analyses and three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations, we demonstrate that electron reflection, induced by the RR in a head-on collision with an intense laser pulse, can provide pronounced signatures to discern the classical and quantum RR. In the classical regime, there is a precipitous threshold of laser intensity to achieve the whole electron bunch rebound. However, this threshold becomes a gradual transition in the quantum regime, where the electron bunch is quasi-isotropically scattered by the laser pulse and this process resembles a water splash. Leveraged on the derived dependence of classical radiation rebound on the parameters of laser pulses and electron bunches, a practical detecting method is proposed to distinguish the quantum discrete recoil and classical continuous RR force.