On the energy spectrum evolution of electrons undergoing radiation cooling

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the energy spectrum of electrons evolves during radiation cooling, considering quantum effects on radiation friction, especially in laser wakefield acceleration scenarios.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum-modified model for radiation friction and analyzes its impact on the electron energy spectrum during cooling.

Findings

Quantum effects cause spectral broadening of electron energy distribution.

Mean electron energy decreases due to radiation losses.

Energy spectrum shape changes significantly during cooling.

Abstract

Radiative cooling of electron beams interacting with counter-propagating electromagnetic waves is analyzed, taking into account the quantum modification of the radiation friction force. Central attention is paid to the evolution of the energy spectrum of electrons accelerated by the laser wake field acceleration mechanism. As an electron beam loses energy to radiation, the mean energy decreases and the form of the energy distribution also changes due to quantum-mechanical spectral broadening.