Fully QED/relativistic theory of light pressure on free electrons by isotropic radiation

TL;DR

This paper develops a relativistic QED framework to analyze light pressure on free electrons caused by isotropic radiation, predicting electron thermalization rates across lab and natural energy ranges, with implications for nuclear fusion.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive QED-based theory for light pressure on electrons, integrating Klein-Nishina scattering and relativistic Fokker-Planck equations, to predict thermalization behaviors in various conditions.

Findings

Predicts transition from classical to QED thermalization regimes.

Shows large electron acceleration in the Compton domain.

Indicates strong damping of plasma oscillations near fusion temperatures.

Abstract

A relativistic/QED theory of light pressure on electrons by an isotropic, in particular blackbody radiation predicts thermalization rates of free electrons over entire span of energies available in the lab and the nature. The calculations based on the QED Klein-Nishina theory of electron-photon scattering and relativistic Fokker-Planck equation, show that the transition from classical (Thompson) to QED (Compton) thermalization determined by the product of electron energy and radiation temperature, is reachable under conditions for controlled nuclear fusion, and predicts large acceleration of electron thermalization in the Compton domain and strong damping of plasma oscillations at the temperatures near plasma nuclear fusion.