Traveling-wave Thomson scattering for electron-beam spectroscopy

Abstract

We propose a method to use traveling-wave Thomson scattering for spatiotemporally-resolved electron spectroscopy. This can enable ultrafast time-resolved measurements of the dynamics of relativistic electrons in the presence of extremely intense light fields, either in vacuum or in plasma, such as in laser wakefield accelerators. We demonstrate, with test-particle simulation and analysis, the capability of this technique for measurements of various high field phenomena: radiation reaction of electrons due to scattering, dephasing of a laser wakefield accelerator, and acceleration of electrons in multiple buckets by a laser wakefield.