Laser-assisted nuclear photoeffect reexamined

TL;DR

This paper recalculates the laser-assisted nuclear photoeffect cross section considering Coulomb effects, compares different approximations, and investigates polarization effects at specific photon energies.

Contribution

It provides a gauge-invariant recalculation of the nuclear photoeffect cross section including Coulomb interactions and compares multiple approximation methods.

Findings

Coulomb effects significantly influence the cross section.

Plane wave and Coulomb-Volkov approximations yield comparable results.

Polarization states affect the laser-assisted partial cross sections.

Abstract

The S-matrix element and the cross section of the laser-assisted nuclear photoeffect are recalculated in a gauge invariant manner taking into account the effect of the Coulomb field of the remainder nucleus. The \gamma-photon energy dependence of the laser free cross section obtained in the plane wave and long-wavelength Coulomb-Volkov approximations are compared. Numerically the laser-assisted partial cross sections with laser photon energy 2 keV and some different polarization states of \gamma-photon of energy 3 MeV are investigated.