Resonant photon scattering in the presence of external fields and its applications for the Gamma Factory

Abstract

This theoretical study explores resonant elastic photon scattering in the presence of external electric and magnetic fields, motivated by potential applications in storage ring experiments, such as the Gamma Factory project at CERN. In this framework, resonant scattering involves head-on collisions of relativistic ion beams and counter-propagating laser photons, leading to a strong enhancement of the external field strength due to the Lorentz transformation between ion rest and laboratory frame. Calculations for He-like Ca ions reveal a notable impact of the external fields on the scattering rate as well as the angular distribution and polarization of emitted photons. This opens interesting avenues for diverse applications for the Gamma Factory project, such as as resonance condition tuning, beam cooling, and polarization control.