Polarization phenomena of electrons and photons. II

Polarized Ultrashort Brilliant Multi-GeV γ Rays via Single-Shot Laser-Electron Interaction

Generation of circularly polarized (CP) and linearly polarized (LP) γ rays via the single-shot interaction of an ultraintense laser pulse with a spin-polarized counterpropagating ultrarelativistic electron beam has been investigated in nonlinear Compton scattering in the quantum radiation-dominated regime. For the process simulation, a Monte Carlo method is developed which employs the electron-spin-resolved probabilities for polarized photon emissions. We show efficient ways for the transfer of the electron polarization to the high-energy photon polarization. In particular, multi-GeV CP (LP) γ rays with polarization of up to about 95% can be generated by a longitudinally (transversely) spin-polarized electron beam, with a photon flux meeting the requirements of recent proposals for the vacuum birefringence measurement in ultrastrong laser fields. Such high-energy, high-brilliance, high-polarization γ rays are also beneficial for other applications in high-energy physics, and laboratory astrophysics.

A Monte Carlo study of high-energy photon transport in matter: application for multiple scattering investigation in Compton spectroscopy

The first results of multiple scattering simulations of polarized high-energy X-rays for Compton experiments using a new Monte Carlo program, MUSCAT, are presented. The program is developed to follow the restrictions of real experimental geometries. The new simulation algorithm uses not only well known photon splitting and interaction forcing methods but it is also upgraded with the new propagation separation method and highly vectorized. In this paper, a detailed description of the new simulation algorithm is given. The code is verified by comparison with the previous experimental and simulation results by the ESRF group and new restricted geometry experiments carried out at SPring-8.

Testing Planck-scale gravity with accelerators

Quantum or torsion gravity models predict unusual properties of space-time at very short distances. In particular, near the Planck length, around 10(-35)  m, empty space may behave as a crystal, singly or doubly refractive. However, this hypothesis remains uncheckable for any direct measurement, since the smallest distance accessible in experiment is about 10(-19)  m at the LHC. Here I propose a laboratory test to measure the space refractivity and birefringence induced by gravity. A sensitivity from 10(-31)  m down to the Planck length could be reached at existent GeV and future TeV energy lepton accelerators using laser Compton scattering. There are already experimental hints for gravity signature at distances approaching the Planck length by 5-7 orders of magnitude, derived from SLC and HERA data.