Probing the transition from classical to quantum radiation reaction in relativistic plasma

Abstract

We study the transition from classical radiation reaction, described by the Landau-Lifshitz model, to the quantum mechanical regime. The plasma is subject to a circularly polarized field where the self-consistent plasma current is the source of the electromagnetic field through Ampere's law. The radiation reaction implies wave energy loss, frequency up-conversion, and a modified distribution function. Increasing the value of the quantum $\chi$-parameter, the quantum results gradually differ from the classical ones. Moreover, the deviation between models also depends on the plasma parameters, including density and temperature. We discuss the implications of our findings.