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1. Parametric dependence of hot electron relaxation timescales on electron-electron and electron-phonon interaction strengths

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-020-00442-x  

   Wilson, Richard B.; Coh, Sinisa (December 2020, Communications Physics)

   null (Ed.)

   Abstract Understanding how photoexcited electron dynamics depend on electron-electron (e-e) and electron-phonon (e-p) interaction strengths is important for many fields, e.g. ultrafast magnetism, photocatalysis, plasmonics, and others. Here, we report simple expressions that capture the interplay of e-e and e-p interactions on electron distribution relaxation times. We observe a dependence of the dynamics on e-e and e-p interaction strengths that is universal to most metals and is also counterintuitive. While only e-p interactions reduce the total energy stored by excited electrons, the time for energy to leave the electronic subsystem also depends on e-e interaction strengths because e-e interactions increase the number of electrons emitting phonons. The effect of e-e interactions on energy-relaxation is largest in metals with strong e-p interactions. Finally, the time high energy electron states remain occupied depends only on the strength of e-e interactions, even if e-p scattering rates are much greater than e-e scattering rates. 

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2. Electron-electron interactions and high-order harmonics in solids

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.106.235124  

   Alam, Didarul; Ud Din, Naseem; Chini, Michael; Turkowski, Volodymyr (December 2022, Physical Review B)
3. Electron-only reconnection and associated electron heating and acceleration in PHASMA

   https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0082633  

   Shi, Peiyun; Srivastav, Prabhakar; Barbhuiya, M. Hasan; Cassak, Paul A.; Scime, Earl E.; Swisdak, M.; Beatty, Cuyler; Gilbert, Tyler; John, Regis; Lazo, Matthew; et al (March 2022, Physics of Plasmas)

   Using incoherent Thomson scattering, electron heating and acceleration at the electron velocity distribution function (EVDF) level are investigated during electron-only reconnection in the PHAse Space MApping (PHASMA) facility. Reconnection arises during the merger of two kink-free flux ropes. Both push and pull type reconnection occur in a single discharge. Electron heating is localized around the separatrix, and the electron temperature increases continuously along the separatrix with distance from the X-line. The local measured gain in enthalpy flux is up to 70% of the incoming Poynting flux. Notably, non-Maxwellian EVDFs comprised of a warm bulk population and a cold beam are directly measured during the electron-only reconnection. The electron beam velocity is comparable to, and scales with, electron Alfvén speed, revealing the signature of electron acceleration caused by electron-only reconnection. The observation of oppositely directed electron beams on either side of the X-point provides “smoking-gun” evidence of the occurrence of electron-only reconnection in PHASMA. 2D particle-in-cell simulations agree well with the laboratory measurements. The measured conversion of Poynting flux into electron enthalpy is consistent with recent observations of electron-only reconnection in the magnetosheath [Phan et al., Nature 557, 202 (2018)] at similar dimensionless parameters as in the experiments. The laboratory measurements go beyond the magnetosheath observations by directly resolving the electron temperature gain. 

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4. Distinguishing attosecond electron–electron scattering and screening in transition metals

   https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1706466114  

   Chen, Cong; Tao, Zhensheng; Carr, Adra; Matyba, Piotr; Szilvási, Tibor; Emmerich, Sebastian; Piecuch, Martin; Keller, Mark; Zusin, Dmitriy; Eich, Steffen; et al (July 2017, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
5. Electron ionization via dark matter-electron scattering and the Migdal effect

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.101.076014  

   Baxter, Daniel; Kahn, Yonatan; Krnjaic, Gordan (April 2020, Physical Review D)