On the universality of nonthermal electron acceleration due to quasi-turbulent wakefields

Abstract

Nonthermal acceleration of relativistic electrons in a wakefield induced by large amplitude light waves is discussed. It is considered that large amplitude light waves are excited as the precursor waves in the upstream of relativistic perpendicular shocks in the universe, and that the wakefield is excited by the light ponderomotive force. Thus, the wakefield acceleration is possible in the astrophysical circumstances. We model such shock environments in a laboratory plasma by substituting an intense laser pulse for the large amplitude light waves. By performing 2-D particle-in-cell simulations, we discuss the properties of the wakefield acceleration in various laser and plasma conditions. With the relativistic intensities of the laser pulses, the electrons are nonthermally accelerated by the wakefield. When the pulse length and the spot size are comparable to the electron inertial scale, the energy distribution functions of the electrons can be monoenergetic. On the other hand, when the pulse spatial scales are much larger than the electron inertial scale, which occurs in the case of the shock precursor light waves, the distribution functions are universally represented by power law spectra with an index of 2, independent of the laser intensity, the plasma density, and the laser pulse size.