Abstract

A continuous spectrum of electromagnetic radiation is produced when electrons traverse a dispersive medium at speeds exceeding the speed of light in the medium. This phenomenon is the well-known Cerenkov effect and has been studied extensively.¹ On the other hand, a discrete spectrum is produced when electrons traveling in vacuum encounter intense laser light.² Although these are two unrelated phenomena, Schneider and Spitzer³ claimed that they act synergistically to produce stimulated electromagnetic shock radiation (SESR) when relativistic electrons encounter coherent polarized electromagnetic waves in a weakly dispersive medium. The radiation was said to be narrowband, tunable, and the Intensity highly enhanced over Cerenkov as the electron speed crosses the Cerenkov threshold. Other theoretical work⁴ did not agree with these conclusions.

© 1982 Optical Society of America