Statistical simulation of multiple Compton backscattering process

Abstract

A number of laboratories are currently developing monochromatic sources of X-rays and gamma quanta based on the Compton backscattering (CBS) of laser photons by relativistic electrons. Modern technologies are capable of providing a concentration of electrons and photons in the interaction point such that each primary electron can emit several hard photons. In contrast to the well-known nonlinear CBS process, in which an initial electron “absorbs” a few laser photons and emits a single hard one, the above-mentioned process can be called a multiple CBS process and is characterized by a mean number of emitted photons. The present paper is devoted to simulating the parameters of a beam of back scattered quanta based on the Monte Carlo technique. It is shown that, even in the case of strong collimation of a resulting photon beam, the radiation monochromaticity may deteriorate because of the contribution coming from the multiple photon emission, which is something that must be considered while designing new CBS sources.