Nonlinear effects in Compton scattering at photon colliders

Abstract

The backward Compton scattering is a basic process at future higher energy photon colliders. To obtain a high probability of e->gamma conversion the density of laser photons in the conversion region should be so high that simultaneous interaction of one electron with several laser photons is possible (nonlinear Compton effect). In this paper a detailed consideration of energy spectra, helicities of final photons and electrons in nonlinear backward Compton scattering of circularly polarized laser photons is given. Distributions of gamma-gamma luminosities with total helicities 0 and 2 are investigated. Very high intensity of laser wave leads to broadening of the energy (luminosity) spectra and shift to lower energies (invariant masses). Beside complicated exact formulae, approximate formulae for energy spectrum and polarization of backscattered photons are given for relatively small nonlinear parameter xi^2 (first order correction). All this is necessary for optimization of the conversion region at photon colliders and study of physics processes where a sharp edge of the luminosity spectrum and monochromaticity of collisions are important.