Abstract

Laser intensity in the relativistic regime, i.e. >10¹⁸ W/cm² for near-IR light,¹ has opened new frontiers in physics. At this intensity, electrons acquire quiver energy greater than, 0.5 MeV, corresponding to the mass-energy of the electron. Their relativistic behavior is dominated by a mass increase and a large ponderomotive force (v × B) where v is the quiver velocity of the electrons and B the light magnetic field. The laser-matter interaction in this regime is characterized by the generation of high-energy photons (x-rays and γ-rays) and energetic electrons and ion.

© 2001 Optical Society of America