Nonlinear Thomson scattering of a tightly focused relativistically intense laser pulse by an ensemble of particles

Abstract

Abstract We report a study of the process of nonlinear Thomson scattering (NTS) of a tightly focused relativistically intense laser pulse by an ensemble of electrons simulating the result of ionisation of an ultrathin nanofoil. The description of all six components of a laser pulse is based on the Stratton – Chu integrals describing radiation focused by an off-axis parabolic mirror into a spot down to the diffraction limit, which is of practical interest for modern experiments with extreme-intensity lasers, including diagnostics of their parameters. The interaction of a laser pulse with electrons is simulated by the test-particle method, and the resulting trajectories are used to calculate the characteristics of secondary electromagnetic radiation. The effect of the laser-pulse focal spot diameter in the range λ – 6λ on the angular distributions of the radiated energy and NTS spectra, as well as of a laser-beam peak intensity of 1021 – 1022 W cm−2 on the spectral width of the secondary radiation is studied in relation to the experimentally implemented focusing scheme using the example of a laser pulse with an initial homogeneous spatial distribution and a duration of ∼25 fs.