Modelling gamma-ray photon emission and pair production in high-intensity laser-matter interactions

JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS

卷:260

Article

Ridgers, C. P.^1,2  Kirk, J. G.³  Duclous, R.⁴  Blackburn, T. G.¹  Brady, C. S.⁵  Bennett, K.⁵  Arber, T. D.⁵  Bell, A. R.^1,2 

[1] Univ Oxford, Clarendon Lab, Oxford OX1 3PU, England

[2] STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab, Cent Laser Facil, Didcot OX11 0QX, Oxon, England

[3] Max Planck Inst Kernphys, D-69029 Heidelberg, Germany

[4] DAM DIF, Commissariata lEnergie Atom, F-91297 Arpajon, France

[5] Univ Warwick, Ctr Fus Space & Astrophys, Coventry CV4 7AL, W Midlands, England

关键词: Lasers;    Plasmas;    Quantum electrodynamics;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jcp.2013.12.007

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

In high-intensity (>10(21) W cm(-2)) laser-matter interactions gamma-ray photon emission by the electrons can strongly affect the electron's dynamics and copious numbers of electron-positron pairs can be produced by the emitted photons. We show how these processes can be included in simulations by coupling a Monte Carlo algorithm describing the emission to a particle-in-cell code. The Monte Carlo algorithm includes quantum corrections to the photon emission, which we show must be included if the pair production rate is to be correctly determined. The accuracy, convergence and energy conservation properties of the Monte Carlo algorithm are analysed in simple test problems. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free