A nonlinear plasma retroreflector for single pulse Compton backscattering

Abstract

Compton scattered x-rays can be generated using a configuration consisting of a single ultrashort laser pulse and a shaped gas target. Upon ionization the gas target serves as a plasma mirror that reflects the incident pulse providing a counter-propagating electromagnetic wiggler. While plasma mirrors are often conceived as linear Fresnel reflectors, we demonstrate that for high-intensity, ultrashort laser pulses the reflection results from two distinct nonlinear mechanisms. At lower densities, the reflection arises from the emission of an electromagnetic pulse during the saturation of the absolute Raman instability at the quarter critical surface. At higher densities the reflection of the pulse from the critical surface sets up a density fluctuation that acts as a Bragg-like reflector. These mechanisms, occurring in a non-perturbative regime of laser-plasma interactions, are examined numerically in order to characterize the Compton scattered radiation.