A single-laser scheme for observation of linear Breit-Wheeler electron-positron pair creation

• We show that a single laser pulse, traveling through a dense plasma, produces a population of MeV photons of sufficient density to generate a large number of electron-positron pairs via the linear Breit-Wheeler process. While it may be expected that the photons are emitted predominantly in the forward direction, parallel to the laser propagation, we find that a longitudinal plasma electric field drives the emission of photons in the backwards direction. This enables the collision of oppositely directed, MeV-level photons necessary to overcome the mass threshold for the linear Breit-Wheeler process. Our calculations predict the production of 10(7) electron-positron pairs, per shot, by a laser with peak intensity of just 3 x 10(22) W cm(-2). By using only a single laser pulse, the scheme sidesteps the practical difficulties associated with the multiple-laser schemes previously investigated.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

linear Breit-Wheeler process

high-intensity laser

laser-plasma

interaction

particle-in-cell simulation

intensity

Physics

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)