Signatures of High-Intensity Compton Scattering

Understand

We review known and discuss new signatures of high-intensity Compton scattering assuming a scenario where a high-power laser is brought into collision with an electron beam.

• At high intensities one expects to see a substantial red-shift of the usual kinematic Compton edge of the photon spectrum caused by the large, intensity dependent, effective mass of the electrons within the laser beam.
• Emission rates acquire their global maximum at this edge while neighbouring smaller peaks signal higher harmonics.
• In addition, we find that the notion of the centre-of-mass frame for a given harmonic becomes intensity dependent.