Relativistic Flying Mirror Gamma Ray Source

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K05639
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Plasma science
• Research Institution: National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: KOGA James 国立研究開発法人量子科学技術研究開発機構, 関西光科学研究所 光量子科学研究部, 上席研究員(定常) (70370393)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): Esirkepov Timur 国立研究開発法人量子科学技術研究開発機構, 関西光科学研究所 光量子科学研究部, 上席研究員(定常) (10370363)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: plasma / mirror / relativisitic

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Bats use ultrasound to determine their position. Because their emitters (nose) and receivers (ears) are both moving, they experience the double Doppler effect. Einstein predicted this can occur with light reflected from a mirror moving near light speed. Lasers propagating in plasma have been shown to generate breaking plasma waves (relativistic mirrors) which reflect, compress, and upshift laser light where the laser pulse reflecting off the relativistic mirror had low intensity to not significantly perturb the mirror. We showed via numerical simulations that even strong laser pulses can reflect off relativistic mirrors and generate much shorter wavelength light.

Free Research Field

laser plasma interaction

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

Relativistic mirrors reflecting high intensity laser pulses can generate ultrashort high-intensity short wavelength light. This has applications for imaging of ultra-short phenomena. This upshifted laser light could be used to generate electron-positron pairs from vacuum.