Electron Parametric Instabilities of Ultraintense Short Laser Pulses Propagating in Plasmas

Journal Article · Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1997 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.2132· OSTI ID:475712

Quesnel, B; Mora, P; Adam, J; Guerin, S; Heron, A; Laval, G ^[1]

---

1. Centre de Physique Theorique (UPR 14 du CNRS), Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex (France)

A general dispersion relation is given for electron parametric instabilities of an ultraintense circularly polarized wave propagating in a plasma. It is valid for any plasma density and wave intensity and corresponds to a generalization of the Raman, relativistic modulational, relativistic filamentation, and two-plasmons instabilities. Its numerical resolution shows different zones of instability in the wave vector space. At high intensities, the zones extend and merge, with growth rates equal to a fraction of the wave frequency. At close-to-critical density and high intensity the instability leads to strong harmonic emission. Particle-in-cell simulations confirm the analytical results. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 475712
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 78, Issue 11; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1997
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION
COLD PLASMA
LASERS
INSTABILITY
WAVE PROPAGATION
DISPERSION RELATIONS
POLARIZATION
PULSES
RAMAN EFFECT
EMISSION
SIMULATION
PLASMA DENSITY
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS OF MOTION