Photon acceleration as a scattering process. (20th March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mendonça, J T; Bingham, R
• Is Part Of: Plasma physics and controlled fusion. Volume 57:Number 4(2015:Apr.)
• Publication Date: 2015-03-20
• Subjects: photon acceleration -- scattering -- laser wakefields -- plasma bubbles; Plasma (Ionized gases) -- Periodicals; Controlled fusion -- Periodicals; 530.44
• DOI: 10.1088/0741-3335/57/4/044011
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0741-3335

Abstract

Abstract: The concept of photon acceleration is revisited. It is shown here than it can be described as an inelastic scattering process. This new approach is applied to the study of relativistic plasma bubbles or wakefields, as those created by an intense laser pulse or by a particle beam moving in a background plasma. Scattering of an incident probe photon beam by a relativistic plasma density perturbation is considered. The angular dependence of frequency and intensity of the scattered signal are discussed in detail. The case of relativistic electron beams propagating in vacuum is also considered for comparison. Such a scattering process could be used as a diagnostic of the space-time structures created by laser driven bubbles and wakefields, for particle acceleration studies.