Nonlinear Thomson scattering of an ultrashort laser pulse

• Published in: Journal of experimental and theoretical physics 2011-10, Vol.113 (4), p.545-552
• Main Authors: Golovinski, P. A., Mikhin, E. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: APPROXIMATIONS; ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS; Atoms; CHARGED PARTICLES; Classical and Quantum Gravitation; Electric waves; Electromagnetic radiation; Electromagnetic waves; Electromagnetism; ELECTRONS; Elementary Particles; EMISSION SPECTRA; EQUATIONS OF MOTION; EV RANGE; EXACT SOLUTIONS; HARD X RADIATION; LASER RADIATION; Molecules; NONLINEAR PROBLEMS; NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; Nuclear radiation; Optics; Particle and Nuclear Physics; PHOTON-ELECTRON COLLISIONS; PHOTONS; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; PULSES; Quantum Field Theory; Relativity Theory; Solid State Physics; THOMSON SCATTERING
• ISSN: 1063-7761; 1090-6509
• DOI: 10.1134/S1063776111100025

The nonlinear scattering of an ultrashort laser pulse by free electrons is considered. The pulse is described in the “Mexican hat” wavelet basis. The equation of motion for a charged particle in the field of a plane electromagnetic wave has an exact solution allowing, together with the instant spectrum approximation, the calculation of the intensity of nonlinear Thomson scattering for a high-intensity laser pulse. The spectral distribution of scattered radiation for the entire pulse duration is found by integrating with respect to time. The maximum of the emission spectrum of a free electron calculated in 10 19 –10 21 W/cm 2 fields lies in the UV spectral region between 3 and 12 eV. A part of the continuous spectrum achieves high photon energies. One percent of the scattered energy for the field intensity 10 20 W/cm 2 is concentrated in the range ħ ω > 2.7 × 10 2 eV, for a field intensity of 10 21 W/cm 2 in the range ħ Ω > 7.9 × 10 2 eV, and for an intensity of 10 22 W/cm 2 in the range ħ Ω > 2.45 × 10 5 eV. These results allow us to estimate nonlinear scattering as a source of hard X-rays.