/Plasma_Phys._Control._Fusion_59_014040

Electron-positron cascades in multiple-laser optical traps

Primary LanguageMathematicaGNU General Public License v3.0GPL-3.0

Electron-positron cascades in multiple-laser optical traps

Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 59 (2017), Plasma_Phys._Control._Fusion_59_014040 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0741-3335/59/1/014040

Authors of paper: Marija Vranic, Thomas Grismayer, Ricardo A Fonseca and Luis O Silva, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 59 014040 (2017)

Abstract: We present an analytical and numerical study of multiple-laser QED cascades induced with linearly polarised laser pulses. We analyse different polarisation orientations and propose a configuration that maximises cascade multiplicity and favours laser absorption. We generalise the analytical estimate for the cascade growth rate previously calculated in the field of two colliding linearly polarised laser pulses and account for multiple laser interaction. The estimate is verified by a comprehensive numerical study of four-laser QED cascades across a range of different laser intensities with QED PIC module of OSIRIS. We show that by using four linearly polarised 30 fs laser pulses, one can convert more than 50% of the total energy to gamma-rays at laser intensity $I \sim 10^{24}$ W cm${}^{−2}$. In this configuration, the laser conversion efficiency is higher compared with the case with two colliding lasers.

Notebook by: Óscar Amaro