Polarimetry of Short-Pulse Gamma Rays Produced through Inverse Compton Scattering of Circularly Polarized Laser Beams

We have developed a polarimetry of ultrashort pulse γ rays based on the fact that γ rays penetrating in the forward direction through a magnetized iron carry information on the helicity of the original γ rays. Polarized, short-pulse γ rays of (1.1±0.2)×10⁶/bunch with a time duration of 31 ps and a maximum energy of 55.9 MeV were produced via Compton scattering of a circularly polarized laser beam of 532 nm off an electron beam of 1.28 GeV. The first demonstration of asymmetry measurements of short-pulse γ rays was conducted using longitudinally magnetized iron of 15 cm length. It is found that the γ-ray intensity is in good agreement with the simulated value of 1.0×10⁶. Varying the degree of laser polarization, the asymmetry for 100% laser polarization was derived to be (1.29±0.12)%, which is also consistent with the expected value of 1.3%.