Wakefield Excitation in Magnetized Quantum Plasma

Abstract

A study of the wakefield excitation in a magnetized quantum plasma is presented. The high-density plasma has been magnetized through a magnetic field applied in the longitudinal direction. Using a recently developed quantum hydrodynamic model and a perturbative technique, taking into account the quantum effects of Fermi pressure and Bohm potential, electric and magnetic wakefields were obtained for the Gaussian profile of the electromagnetic pulse. Electrons are trapped in the wakefields and accelerated to extremely high energies. It is observed that the quantum effects significantly affect the wakefield excitation. Quantum dispersive effects tend to reduce the acceleration gradient, whereas the external magnetic field helps with self-focusing and also contributes to acceleration. The axial and radial forces acting on a test electron have been calculated.