Reaching the high laser intensity by a radiating electron

TL;DR

This paper investigates how electrons can reach the center of high-intensity laser pulses and emit Cherenkov radiation, using theoretical models and particle-in-cell simulations to explore quantum radiation reaction effects.

Contribution

It provides new conditions on initial electron energy necessary for reaching the laser center and emitting Cherenkov photons in ultra-intense laser fields.

Findings

Electron energy at laser center is crucial for testing quantum electrodynamics effects.

Conditions for electron initial energy to reach the laser center are established.

Analysis includes quantum radiation reaction and multi-photon processes.

Abstract

Interaction of an electron with the counter-propagating electromagnetic wave is studied theoretically and with the particle-in-cell simulations in the regime of quantum radiation reaction. We find the electron energy in the center of the laser pulse, as it is a key factor for testing the non-linear quantum electrodynamics vacuum properties in the laser-electron collision in the regime of multi-photon Compton scattering and vacuum Cherenkov radiation. With multiparametric analysis we provide the conditions on electron initial energy for reaching the center of the laser pulse and emitting Cherenkov photons.