Particle acceleration by electromagnetic waves.
We consider the symmetry in the interaction of photons and electrons, which has led to a common description of electron and photon accelerations; effects such as photon Landau damping arise naturally from such a treatment. Intense electromagnetic waves can act as a photon mirror to charged particles. The subsequent acceleration is equivalent to the photon pulse accelerating electrons. During the interaction or reflection process, the charged particle can emit bursts of radiation similar to the radiation emitted from the particles during wave breaking of plasma waves.
Bingham
R
R
Space Science and Technology Department, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon, UK. r.bingham@rl.ac.uk