Quasi-monoenergetic positron beam generation from ultra-intense laser-matter interactions

Abstract

In ultra-intense laser-matter interactions in which the radiation reaction effect plays an important role, γ-rays are effectively generated that are intense, collimated, and of short duration. These γ-rays propagate through the target, which results in the electron-positron pair creation caused by the interaction of the γ-rays with the nuclear electric fields. The positron beam thus generated has several unique features; it is quasi-monoenergetic in nature with a peak energy of hundreds of MeV, well collimated, and of ultra-short duration. Based on the numerical simulations, the dependences of the number and monochromaticity of the positrons on the laser and target parameters are explored, which leads to the proposal of a new type of the laser-driven positron source.