Non-perturbative aspects of particle acceleration in non-linear electrodynamics

TL;DR

This paper explores how electrons can be accelerated in non-linear electrodynamics, deriving maximum energies in plasma waves and demonstrating strong acceleration via Born-Infeld electromagnetic waves, highlighting novel non-perturbative effects.

Contribution

It provides the first derivation of maximum electron energy in non-linear plasma waves and shows electron surfing acceleration in Born-Infeld theory, a specific non-linear electrodynamics model.

Findings

Maximum electron energy in non-linear density waves derived

Electrons can be strongly accelerated by Born-Infeld electromagnetic waves

Results applicable to a broad class of non-linear modifications of Maxwell's equations

Abstract

We undertake an investigation of particle acceleration in the context of non-linear electrodynamics. We deduce the maximum energy that an electron can gain in a non-linear density wave in a magnetised plasma, and we show that an electron can `surf' a sufficiently intense Born-Infeld electromagnetic plane wave and be strongly accelerated by the wave. The first result is valid for a large class of physically reasonable modifications of the linear Maxwell equations, whilst the second result exploits the special mathematical structure of Born-Infeld theory.