Nonlinear Thomson scattering from relativistic laser plasma interaction

As an electron oscillates in an intense laser field, it acquires a highly nonlinear motion and emits X-ray radiation by nonlinear Thomson scattering. In this paper we present a numerical and experimental analysis of this radiation. We show that this radiative process becomes dominant at relativistic laser intensities (a0>1), for which the laser light scatters off MeV electrons accelerated in the plasma.