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High-density positron beam generation via Breit–Wheeler and trident processes using ultra-intense lasers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 January 2025

S. Chintalwad ,
S. Morris  and
B. Ramakrishna Open the ORCID record for B. Ramakrishna [Opens in a new window]
S. Chintalwad
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy 502284, India
S. Morris
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
B. Ramakrishna*
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy 502284, India
*
†Email address for correspondence: [email protected]
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Abstract

Using two counter-propagating ultra-intense laser interactions with a solid target, we conducted a study on the generation of electron-positron pairs via the multi-photon Breit–Wheeler (BW) process and trident process. These processes were simulated using the particle-in-cell (PIC) code EPOCH. Our proposed scheme involves irradiating two targets with two counter-propagating lasers. High-energy photons are produced when hot electrons collide with the reflected laser pulse at the target's front, leading to electron and positron pair production. In the single-target scenario, electron bunches are extracted from the target by the p-polarized laser electromagnetic field and accelerated by the laser ponderomotive force before colliding with the counter-propagating laser. However, using two targets enhances pair creation compared with the single-target set-up. We observed that in two-target configurations, the increased number of high-energy gamma-rays contributes to higher-energy electron–positron generation. Additionally, the generation of hot electrons is also more pronounced in this scheme. Consequently, the laser demonstrates higher efficiency in generating gamma photons and positrons in the dual-target set-up, which is beneficial for investigating high-energy pair production and gamma-ray emission. The generated positrons exhibit a density of the order of $10^{27}\,\text {m}^{-3}$ and can be accelerated to energies of 1.5 GeV. The involvement of hot electrons in the target is crucial for generating high-energy photons and positrons. The maximum pair yield reaches $8 \times 10^9$ for the BW process and $10^8$ for the trident process. Notably, the total laser energy conversion efficiencies to electrons, $\gamma$-rays and positrons show improvement in the dual-target configuration. Specifically, the laser energy absorbed by positrons increases from 11.62 % in Case A to 13.12 % in Case B. These enhancements in conversion efficiency and electron/positron density have significant practical implications in experimental set-ups. In both the BW and trident processes, the two-target set-up dominates, highlighting its effectiveness. We also compared the strengths of both approaches, suggesting that these simple models of implementing two targets can be used in experiments as well.

Keywords

plasma simulationintense particle beamsquantum plasma
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 91 , Issue 1 , February 2025 , E14
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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