Instability and dynamics of two nonlinearly coupled intense laser beams in a quantum plasma

Journal Article · Tue Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 2013 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4774064· OSTI ID:22113372

Yunliang, Wang ^[1]; Shukla, P. K. ^[1]; Eliasson, B. ^[1]

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1. International Centre for Advanced Studies in Physical Sciences and Institute for Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Ruhr University Bochum, D-44780 Bochum (Germany)

We consider nonlinear interactions between two relativistically strong laser beams and a quantum plasma composed of degenerate electron fluids and immobile ions. The collective behavior of degenerate electrons is modeled by quantum hydrodynamic equations composed of the electron continuity, quantum electron momentum (QEM) equation, as well as the Poisson and Maxwell equations. The QEM equation accounts the quantum statistical electron pressure, the quantum electron recoil due to electron tunneling through the quantum Bohm potential, electron-exchange, and electron-correlation effects caused by electron spin, and relativistic ponderomotive forces (RPFs) of two circularly polarized electromagnetic (CPEM) beams. The dynamics of the latter are governed by nonlinear wave equations that include nonlinear currents arising from the relativistic electron mass increase in the CPEM wave fields, as well as from the beating of the electron quiver velocity and electron density variations reinforced by the RPFs of the two CPEM waves. Furthermore, nonlinear electron density variations associated with the driven (by the RPFs) quantum electron plasma oscillations obey a coupled nonlinear Schroedinger and Poisson equations. The nonlinearly coupled equations for our purposes are then used to obtain a general dispersion relation (GDR) for studying the parametric instabilities and the localization of CPEM wave packets in a quantum plasma. Numerical analyses of the GDR reveal that the growth rate of a fastest growing parametrically unstable mode is in agreement with the result that has been deduced from numerical simulations of the governing nonlinear equations. Explicit numerical results for two-dimensional (2D) localized CPEM wave packets at nanoscales are also presented. Possible applications of our investigation to intense laser-solid density compressed plasma experiments are highlighted.

• OSTI ID: 22113372
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 20; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DISPERSION RELATIONS
ELECTRON CORRELATION
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRON EXCHANGE
LASER RADIATION
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
PARAMETRIC INSTABILITIES
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA WAVES
POISSON EQUATION
POLARIZABILITY
PONDEROMOTIVE FORCE
QUANTUM PLASMA
RELATIVISTIC PLASMA
SCHROEDINGER EQUATION
TUNNEL EFFECT
WAVE PACKETS