173 / 2025-03-17 14:56:28

Longitudinal radiation-reaction trapping of electrons in laser-plasma interactions

radiation reaction,radiation reaction trapping,laser-plasma interactions

In laser-plasma interactions, we have discovered a novel mechanism for the longitudinal radiation-reaction trapping of electrons. This radiation-reaction trapping arises from a dynamic balance between the radiation-reaction enhanced backward electrostatic force and the radiation-reaction modulated forward v×B force. By theoretically deriving the Landau-Lifshitz equation in the presence of both electrostatic and laser fields, we confirmed the existence of this trapping and approximately calculated the dynamical quantities of the trapped electrons [1].  We conducted 2D PIC simulations incorporating the LL equation, which revealed the presence of the trapping. The trapped electrons in the simulations showed that their dynamical quantities align with our theoretical calculations, thereby validating the physical mechanism of the trapping. Finally, we discussed the laser intensity required for this mechanism to occur.