Anomalous pinch in electron-electron beam collision

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that in ultrarelativistic electron-electron or positron-positron collisions, an anomalous pinch effect occurs due to collective motion and strong-field QED, leading to increased density and magnetic fields.

Contribution

The study introduces a theoretical model and simulation evidence showing how SF-QED effects cause an anomalous pinch in beam collisions, enhancing luminosity and magnetic fields.

Findings

Anomalous pinch occurs in ultrarelativistic beam collisions.

Electron-positron pair creation screens self-fields and inverts Lorentz force.

Density and magnetic fields increase by several orders of magnitude.

Abstract

We show that an anomalous pinch can occur in ultrarelativistic electron-electron or positron-positron beam interaction, caused by the combined interplay of collective beam motion (disruption) and strong-field quantum electrodynamics (SF-QED). The locally created electron-positron pairs, from SF-QED effects, screen the self-fields of the beams and can invert the polarity of the Lorentz force resulting in a pinch of the beams. A theoretical model predicts the pinch condition and is confirmed by first-principles 3-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. This anomalous pinch enhances density compression, increases the collision luminosity, and amplifies the local magnetic fields and the quantum parameter of the beam particles by several orders of magnitude.