Rate for Laser-Induced Nuclear Dipole Absorption

TL;DR

This paper derives a rate formula for nuclear dipole excitation by high-energy laser pulses, showing its dependence on laser and nuclear parameters, useful for optimizing laser-nucleus interaction experiments.

Contribution

It provides a new explicit expression for the excitation rate that accounts for laser and nuclear parameters, valid for both stationary and short pulses.

Findings

Rate $R$ scales with $( ext{photon energy})^3$

Rate $R$ is proportional to the number of photons $N$

Expression applicable for short and long laser pulses

Abstract

Using the Brink-Axel hypothesis we derive the rate $R$ for nuclear dipole excitation by a laser pulse carrying $N \gg 1$ photons with average energy $\hbar \omega_0 \approx 5$ MeV. As expected $R \propto (\hbar \omega_0)^3$. The rate is also proportional to the aperure $\alpha$ of the laser pulse. Perhaps less expected is the fact that $R \propto N$, irrespective of the degree of coherence of the laser pulse. The expression for $R$, derived for a nearly stationary laser pulse, is valid also for short times and can, thus, be used in simulations via rate equations of multiple nuclear dipole excitations by a single pulse. The explicit dependence of $R$ on the parameters of the laser pulse and on nuclear parameters given in the paper should help to optimize experiments on laser-nucleus reactions.