Sensitivity of synchrotron radiation to the superthermal electron population in mildly relativistic plasma

TL;DR

This paper investigates how superthermal electrons influence synchrotron radiation in mildly relativistic plasma, revealing that high-energy tail electrons significantly affect power loss and can be manipulated to reduce radiation in plasma applications.

Contribution

It demonstrates the disproportionate impact of superthermal electrons on synchrotron power loss and introduces a method to reduce radiation by redistributing high-energy electrons.

Findings

High-energy electrons dominate power loss at ~100 keV.

Redistributing electrons above a cutoff reduces synchrotron emission.

Novel radiation transport effects in non-equilibrium plasma are identified.

Abstract

Synchrotron radiation has markedly different behavior in $\sim 10~\textrm{keV}$ and in $\sim 100~\textrm{keV}$ plasma. We show that high-energy electrons which occupy the tail of velocity distribution function have disproportionate impact on power loss of $\sim 100~\textrm{keV}$ plasma. If electrons with energy more than a cutoff energy are redistributed while keeping the Maxwellian distribution function below cutoff energy intact, both emission and absorption of synchrotron radiation act to decrease the lost power. These novel radiation transport effects in non-equilibrium plasma suggest large utility in the deconfinement of high-energy electrons to reduce synchrotron radiation in applications where the radiation is deleterious.