title: Strong-field QED and collisional effects in electron beam-plasma interaction
creator: Sampath, Archana
subject: ddc-500
subject: 500 Natural sciences and mathematics
subject: ddc-520
subject: 520 Astronomy and allied sciences
subject: ddc-530
subject: 530 Physics
description: Intense high-energy particle beams are used in fundamental sciences, material sciences, relativistic laboratory astrophysics, and in the industry. Traditionally, dense collimated multi-GeV photon and electron-positron beams are generated via bremsstrahlung and Bethe-Heitler (BH) electron-positron pair creation, respectively. Recent research has focused on strong-field QED processes for greatly enhancing the flux and intensity of the generated beams. To determine the relative role of collisional and strong-field QED processes, we implemented bremsstrahlung and BH pair production processes in the particle-in-cell code Smilei. Using simulations, we show that a high-current ultrarelativistic electron beam interacting with a submicrometer-thick conducting foils can undergo strong self-focusing accompanied by efficient emission of gamma-ray photons. We study the effect of varying electron beam shape, radius and length on the final radiated energy. We show that the self-generated fields can be strong enough that emission occurs in the strong-field QED regime, where a single emitted photon can carry away a significant fraction of the emitting electron energy. We demonstrate that, after beam collision with multiple foils, femtosecond collimated electron and photon beams with particle number density exceeding that of a solid are obtained. This study is timely as it enables laserless strong-field QED investigations with a single high-current electron beam, particularly relevant for the upcoming FACET II facility.
date: 2020
type: Dissertation
type: info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
identifier: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserverhttps://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/29242/1/Thesis_Archana_Sampath_02.10.2020.pdf
identifier: DOI:10.11588/heidok.00029242
identifier: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-292426
identifier:   Sampath, Archana  (2020) Strong-field QED and collisional effects in electron beam-plasma interaction.  [Dissertation]     
relation: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/29242/
rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights: http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/help/license_urhg.html
language: eng