No Arabic abstract
Ultra-intense lasers are expected to produce, in near future, relativistic electron-positron plasma droplets. Considering the local photon production rate in complete leading order in quantum electrodynamics (QED), we point out that these droplets are interesting sources of gamma ray flashes
The expansion dynamics of hot electron-positron-photon plasma droplets is dealt with within relativistic hydrodynamics. Such droplets, envisaged to be created in future experiments by irradiating thin foils with counter-propagating ultra-intense laser beams, are sources of flashes of gamma radiation. Warm electron-positron plasma droplets may be identified and characterized by a broadened 511 keV line.
Creation of electrons and positrons from light alone is a basic prediction of quantum electrodynamics, but yet to be observed. Here we show that it is possible to create ${>}10^8$ positrons by dual laser irradiation of a structured plasma target, at intensities of $2 times 10^{22} mathrm{W}mathrm{cm}^{-2}$. In contrast to previous work, the pair creation is primarily driven by the linear Breit-Wheeler process ($gammagamma to e^+ e^-$), not the nonlinear process assumed to be dominant at high intensity, because of the high density of $gamma$ rays emitted inside the target. The favorable scaling with laser intensity of the linear process prompts reconsideration of its neglect in simulation studies, but also permits positron jet formation at intensities that are already experimentally feasible. Simulations show that the positrons, confined by a quasistatic plasma magnetic field, may be accelerated by the lasers to energies $> 200$ MeV.
The generation of relativistic attosecond electron bunches is observed in three-dimensional, relativistic particle-in-cell simulations of the interaction of intense laser light with droplets. The electron bunches are emitted under certain angles which depend on the ratios of droplet radius to wavelength and plasma frequency to laser frequency. The mechanism behind the multi-MeV attosecond electron bunch generation is investigated using Mie theory. It is shown that the angular distribution and the high electron energies are due to a parameter-sensitive, time-dependent local field enhancement at the droplet surface.
Plasma-based accelerators sustain accelerating gradients which are several orders greater than obtained in conventional accelerators. Focusing of electron and positron beams by wakefield, excited in plasma, in electron-positron collider is very important. The focusing mechanism in the plasma, in which all electron bunches of a sequence are focused identically, has been proposed by authors earlier. The mechanism of focusing of a sequence of relativistic positron bunches in plasma, in which all positron bunches of sequence are focused identically and uniformly, has been investigated in this paper by numerical simulation by 2.5D code LCODE. We numerically simulate the self-consistent radial dynamics of lengthy positron bunches in homogeneous plasma. In simulation we use the hydrodynamic description of plasma. In other words, the plasma is considered to be cold electron liquid, and positron bunches are aggregate of macroparticles. Positron bunches are considered to be homogeneous cylinders in the longitudinal direction. Positrons in bunches are distributed in radial direction according to Gaussian distribution. It is shown that in this case only first bunch is in the finite longitudinal electrical wakefield notequal to zero. Other bunches are in zero longitudinal electrical wakefield Ez=0. Between bunches of this sequence longitudinal electrical wakefield and radial force are not zero. The focusing radial force in regions, occupied by bunches, is constant along each bunch Fr=const. Between bunches the radial force is inhomogeneous. All positron bunches of sequence are focused identically and uniformly.
High-energy-density electron-positron pair plasma production and its dynamics in a thin foil illuminated by two counter-propagating laser pulses are investigated through multi-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. We compare the production of electron-positron pairs and gamma-photons via quantum electrodynamics processes in the relativistic transparent and opaque regimes, and find that the target transparency can significantly enhance the electron-positron pair production due to the formation of stable standing wave (SW). An optimum foil density of 200 - 280 n_c (n_c is the laser critical density) is found for enhancing electron-positron pair production when laser intensity reaches a few 10e23 W/cm2. At such foil density, laser energy conversion to electron-positron pairs is approximately four times higher than at foil density of 710n_c, whereas laser energy conversion to gamma-photons keeps almost the same. Consequently, high dense electron-positron plasma with a maximum intensity above 10e20 W/cm2 is produced. Modulation dynamics of created pair plasmas is further observed when target foil becomes transparent. It is shown that stable SWs formed directly by two counter-propagating lasers, not only trap the created electron-positron pairs to their nodes, but also modulate periodically average energy and phase-space and angular distributions of trapped particles. However, similar trapping and modulation effects become obscure in the opaque regime due to the absence of stable SW field.