Thomson scattering in plasmas: Theory generalization for ultrashort laser pulse effects

Abstract

The standard approach to calculate the Thomson scattering probability is reconsidered for the case of ultrashort incident laser pulses (USLPs). We established a new model for the interaction of USLP with plasmas that is based on Fermi's equivalent photon conception to calculate the spectral-angular differential Thomson scattering probability. The simulations demonstrate that the scattering probability for USLP is a non-monotonic function of pulse duration in contrast to the standard long-pulse model showing linear dependence. An analytical approach is developed to study the nonlinear behavior of the scattering probability as a function of pulse duration and other parameters.