Fundamental Physics During Violent Accelerations

When a powerful laser beam is focussed on a free electron the acceleration of the latter is so violent that the interaction is nonlinear. We review the prospects for experimental studies of nonlinear electrodynamics of a single electron, with emphasis on the most accessible effect, non-linear Thomson scattering. We also speculate on the possibility of laboratory studies of a novel effect related to the Hawking radiation of a black hole. 0094-243X/85/1300023-3253.00 Copyright 1985 American Institute of Physics Downloaded 22 Aug 2009 to 128.112.85.160. Redistribution subject to AIP license or copyright; see http://proceedings.aip.org/proceedings/cpcr.jsp