Multiple scattering effect on angular distribution and polarization of radiation by relativistic electrons in a thin crystal

Abstract

The multiple scattering of ultra relativistic electrons in an amorphous matter leads to the suppression of the soft part of radiation spectrum (the Landau-Pomeranchuk-Migdal effect), and also can change essentially the angular distribution of the emitted photons. A similar effect must take place in a crystal for the coherent radiation of relativistic electron. The results of the theoretical investigation of angular distributions and polarization of radiation by a relativistic electron passing through a thin (in comparison with a coherence length) crystal at a small angle to the crystal axis are presented. The electron trajectories in crystal were simulated using the binary collision model which takes into account both coherent and incoherent effects at scattering. The angular distribution of radiation and polarization were calculated as a sum of radiation from each electron. It is shown that there are nontrivial angular distributions of the emitted photons and their polarization that are connected to the superposition of the coherent scattering of electrons by atomic rows ("doughnut scattering" effect) and the suppression of radiation (similar to the Landau-Pomeranchuk-Migdal effect in an amorphous matter). It is also shown that circular polarization of radiation in the considered case is identically zero.