Self-controlled channeling of relativistic electron flux and associated nuclear processes induced by a powerful polarized laser pulse acting on a crystal

The formation, motion characteristics and potential applications of a superdense flux of fast electrons generated in a crystal under the direct action of a polarized, powerful laser pulse applied to the crystal surface are investigated. It is demonstrated that under specific orientations of the laser pulse, multiple planar channeling of these electrons occurs in opposite transverse directions. The energy of these electrons reaches relativistic values. For the first time, the significant decelerating effect of the alternating magnetic field generated by the modulated electron beam—formed and controlled by the intense laser—on the acceleration process has been taken into account. A method for completely suppressing this braking effect is proposed. The possible results of interactions of periodically directed channeling electrons with the nuclei and atoms of a "frozen" crystal lattice are listed and considered, including such well known phenomena as nuclear excitation, the creation of population inversions in the internal X-ray states of atoms, the inverse beta decay of nuclei inside the crystal, as well as potential modeling of the formation of neutron stars during gravitational collapse.