Gamma-ray vortices from nonlinear inverse Thomson scattering of circularly polarized light
Abstract
Inverse Thomson scattering is a well-known radiation process that produces high-energy photons both in nature and in the laboratory. Nonlinear inverse Thomson scattering occurring inside an intense light field is a process which generates higher harmonic photons. In this paper, we theoretically show that the higher harmonic gamma-ray produced by nonlinear inverse Thomson scattering of circularly polarized light is a gamma-ray vortex, which means that it possesses a helical wave front and carries orbital angular momentum. Our work explains a recent experimental result regarding nonlinear inverse Thomson scattering that clearly shows an annular intensity distribution as a remarkable feature of a vortex beam. Our work implies that gamma-ray vortices should be produced in various situations in astrophysics in which high-energy electrons and intense circularly polarized light fields coexist. Nonlinear inverse Thomson scattering is a promising radiation process for realizing a gamma-ray vortex source based on currently available laser and accelerator technologies, which would be an indispensable tool for exploring gamma-ray vortex science.
- Publication:
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Scientific Reports
- Pub Date:
- July 2017
- DOI:
- 10.1038/s41598-017-05187-2
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1608.04894
- Bibcode:
- 2017NatSR...7.5018T
- Keywords:
-
- Physics - Accelerator Physics;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena;
- Physics - Optics
- E-Print:
- Sci. Rep. 7, 5018 (2017)