D. G. Green

Transverse Spreading of Electrons in High-Intensity Laser Fields

We show that for collisions of electrons with a high-intensity laser, discrete photon emissions introduce a transverse beam spread that is distinct from that due to classical (or beam shape) effects. Via numerical simulations, we show that this quantum induced transverse momentum gain of the electron is manifest in collisions with a realistic laser pulse of intensity within reach of current technology, and we propose it as a measurable signature of strong-field quantum electrodynamics.

Positron scattering and annihilation on noble-gas atoms

Positron scattering and annihilation on noble-gas atoms is studiedabinitio using many-body theory methods for positron energies below the positronium formation threshold. We show that in this energy range, the many-body theory yields accurate numerical results and provides a near-complete understanding of the positron-noble-gas atom system. It accounts for positron-atom and electron-positron correlations, including the polarization of the atom by the positron and the nonperturbative effect of virtual positronium formation. These correlations have a large influence on the scattering dynamics and result in a strong enhancement of the annihilation rates compared to the independent-particle mean-field description. Computed elastic scattering cross sections are found to be in good agreement with recent experimental results and Kohn variational and convergent close-coupling calculations. The calculated values of the annihilation rate parameter Zeff (effective number of electrons participating in annihilation) rise steeply along the sequence of noble-gas atoms due to the increasing strength of the correlation effects, and agree well with experimental data.

Positron scattering and annihilation in hydrogenlike ions

evaluating nonlocal corrections to the annihilation vertex and the exact positron self-energy. The numerical calculation of the many-body theory diagrams is performed using B-spline basis sets. To elucidate the role of the positron-ion repulsion, the annihilation rate is also estimated analytically in the Coulomb-Born approximation. It isfoundthattheenergydependenceandmagnitudeof Zeff aregovernedbytheGamowfactorthatcharacterizesthe suppressionofthepositronwavefunctionneartheion.ForalloftheH-likeions,thecorrelationenhancementofthe annihilationrateisfoundtobepredominantlyduetocorrectionstotheannihilationvertex,whilethecorrectionsto the positron wave function play only a minor role. Results of the calculations for s-, p-, and d-wave incident positrons of energies up to the positronium-formation threshold are presented. Where comparison is possible, our values are in excellent agreement with the results obtained using other, e.g., variational, methods. The annihilation-vertex enhancement factors obtained in the present calculations are found to scale approximately as

SIMLA: Simulating particle dynamics in intense laser and other electromagnetic fields via classical and quantum electrodynamics☆

Abstract We present the Fortran program SIMLA, which is designed for the study of charged particle dynamics in laser and other background fields. The dynamics can be determined classically via the Lorentz force and Landau–Lifshitz equations or, alternatively, via the simulation of photon emission events determined by strong-field quantum-electrodynamics amplitudes and implemented using Monte-Carlo routines. Multiple background fields can be included in the simulation and, where applicable, the propagation direction, field type (plane wave, focussed paraxial, constant crossed, or constant magnetic), and time envelope of each can be independently specified. Program summary Program title: SIMLA Catalogue identifier: AEWD_v1_0 Program summary URL: http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEWD_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen’s University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 4536 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 38351 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Fortran. Computer: Home and office-spec desktop and laptop machines, networked or stand alone. Operating system: Linux, Mac OS, Windows, with Fortran compiler. Matlab required to exploit full post-processing features. RAM: Varies greatly depending on calculation to be performed. Supplementary material: A SIMLA manual with tutorial type examples is available. Classification: 15. Nature of problem: Calculation of dynamics and emission spectra of charged particles in multiple (intense) laser and other background fields, including effects of classical and quantum radiation reaction. Solution method: Solution of the Landau–Lifshitz equation (or simply Lorentz equation for weak fields), or alternatively, via the simulation of photon emission events determined by strong-field quantum-electrodynamics amplitudes and implemented using Monte-Carlo type routines. Restrictions: As a single particle code, the parameters are restricted to a regime in which pair production does not occur. The program will abort with an explicit error message if such a parameter regime does occur in a given simulation. Additional comments: Classical spectra calculated separately in independent Matlab program ‘spectrum.m’. Manual included with tutorial style examples Running time: Varies greatly depending on calculation requested, from seconds to hours.

Approach to chaos in ultracold atomic and molecular physics: Statistics of near-threshold bound states for Li+CaH and Li+CaF

We calculate near-threshold bound states and Feshbach resonance positions for atom–rigid-rotor models of the highly anisotropic systems Li+CaH and Li+CaF. We perform statistical analysis on the resonance positions to compare with the predictions of random matrix theory. For Li+CaH with total angular momentum J=0 we find fully chaotic behavior in both the nearest-neighbor spacing distribution and the level number variance. However, for J>0 we find different behavior due to the presence of a nearly conserved quantum number. Li+CaF (J=0) also shows apparently reduced levels of chaotic behavior despite its stronger effective coupling. This may indicate the development of another good quantum number relating to a bending motion of the complex. However, continuously varying the rotational constant over a wide range shows unexpected structure in the degree of chaotic behavior, including a dramatic reduction around the rotational constant of CaF. This demonstrates the complexity of the relationship between coupling and chaotic behavior.

Probing positron cooling in noble gases via annihilation gamma spectra

γ spectra for positron annihilation in noble-gas atoms are calculated using many-body theory for positron momenta up to the positronium-formation threshold. These data are used, together with time-evolving positron-momentum distributions determined in the preceding Letter [Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 203403 (2017)PRLTAO0031-9007], to calculate the time-varying γ spectra produced during positron cooling in noble gases. The γ spectra and their S[over ¯] and W[over ¯] shape parameters are shown to be sensitive probes of the time evolution of the positron momentum distribution and thus provide a means of studying positron cooling that is complementary to positron lifetime spectroscopy.

Quantum chaos in ultracold collisions between Yb(

We calculate and analyze Feshbach resonance spectra for ultracold Yb(1S0)+Yb(3P2) collisions as a function of an interatomic potential scaling factor λ and external magnetic field. We show that, at zero field, the resonances are distributed randomly in λ, but that signatures of quantum chaos emerge as a field is applied. The random zero-field distribution arises from superposition of structured spectra associated with individual total angular momenta. In addition, we show that the resonances with respect to magnetic field in the experimentally accessible range of 400 to 2000 G are chaotically distributed, with strong level repulsion that is characteristic of quantum chaos.

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Calculations of gamma spectra for positron annihilation for a selection of molecules, including methane and its fluoro-substitutes, ethane, propane, butane and benzene are presented. The contribution to the -spectra from individual molecular orbitals is obtained from electron momentum distributions calculated using the density functional theory (DFT) based B3LYP/TZVP model. For positrons thermalised to room temperature, the calculation, in its simplest form, effectively treats the positron as a plane wave and gives positron annihilation  spectra linewidths that are broader (30–40%) than experiment, although the main chemical trends are reproduced. The main physical reason for this is the neglect of positron repulsion from the nuclei. We show that this effect can be incorporated through momentum-dependent correction factors, determined from positron-atom calculations, e.g., many-body perturbation theory. Inclusion of these factors in the calculation gives linewidths that are in improved agreement with experiment.

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Positron cooling and annihilation in room temperature noble gases is simulated using accurate scattering and annihilation cross sections calculated with many-body theory, enabling the first simultaneous probing of the energy dependence of the scattering and annihilation cross sections. A strikingly small fraction of positrons is shown to survive to thermalization: ∼0.1 in He, ∼0 in Ne, ∼0.15 in Ar, ∼0.05 in Kr, and ∼0.01 in Xe. For Xe, the time-varying annihilation rate Z[over ¯]_{eff}(τ) is shown to be highly sensitive to the depletion of the momentum distribution due to annihilation, conclusively explaining the long-standing discrepancy between gas-cell and trap-based measurements. Overall, the use of the accurate atomic data gives Z[over ¯]_{eff}(τ) in close agreement with experiment for all noble gases except Ne, the experiment for which is proffered to have suffered from incomplete knowledge of the fraction of positrons surviving to thermalization and/or the presence of impurities.

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Gamma spectra for positron annihilation on molecules are calculated based on molecular electron momentum densities and using an atomic adjustment factor that accounts for the positron. Results for H2 agree well with experiment. Analysis of methane and larger alkanes and their substitutes is underway.