The effect of the electron’s spin magnetic moment on quantum radiation in strong electromagnetic fields
Ultra-intense laser pulses can create sufficiently strong fields to probe quantum electrodynamics effects in a novel regime. By colliding a 60 GeV electron bunch with a laser pulse focussed to the maximum achievable intensity of 10 ^23 W cm ^−2 , we can reach fields much stronger than the critical S...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | New Journal of Physics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ade46b |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Ultra-intense laser pulses can create sufficiently strong fields to probe quantum electrodynamics effects in a novel regime. By colliding a 60 GeV electron bunch with a laser pulse focussed to the maximum achievable intensity of 10 ^23 W cm ^−2 , we can reach fields much stronger than the critical Schwinger field in the electron rest frame. When the ratio of these fields $\chi_\mathrm{e}\gg1$ we find that the hard ( $ \gt\!\!\!25$ GeV) radiation from the electron has a substantial contribution from spin-light. 33% more photons are produced above this energy due to spin-light, the radiation resulting from the acceleration of the electron’s intrinsic magnetic moment. This increase in high-energy photons results in 14% more positrons produced with energy above 25 GeV. Furthermore, the enhanced photon production due to spin-light results in a 46% increase in the electron recoil radiation reaction. These observable signatures provide a potential route to observing spin-light in the strongly quantum regime ( $\chi_\mathrm{e}\gg1$ ) for the first time. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1367-2630 |