Relativistic interaction of a high intensity photon beam with a plasma: a possible GRB emission mechanism

Abstract

A long duration photon beam can induce macroscopic coherent effects on a plasma by single photon electron scattering if the probability of the interaction approaches 1 in a volume of unit surface and length equal to the plasma typical wavelength, and the induced electron oscillations become relativistic in few plasma cycles. A fraction of the plasma electrons is accelerated through the Wakefield mechanism by the cavities created by the photon-electron interactions and radiates through boosted betraton emission in the same cavities. The resulting emission in this framework is very similar to the typical GRB radiation. Several comparisons with GRB light curves and spectral-energy correlations will be presented.