Transverse-Wake Wave Breaking

Journal Article · Sun Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.4205· OSTI ID:509078

Bulanov, S V; Pegoraro, F ^[1]; Pukhov, A M ^[2]; Bulanov, S V; Sakharov, A S ^[3]

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1. Dipartimento di Fisica Teorica, Universita di Torino, Torino (Italy)
2. Max-Planck-Institute for Quantum Optics, Garching bei Munchen (Germany)
3. General Physics Institute Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russia)

A finite-width laser pulse of high intensity propagating in an underdense plasma excites a transversely inhomogeneous, finite amplitude wakefield. This wake wave undergoes a transverse wave breaking due to the increase of the wake front curvature, followed by the self-intersection of electron trajectories. Transverse break occurs at much lower wave amplitudes than the conventional one-dimensional wave break. The resulting structures have generic forms that can be described by modified curves parallel to a parabola. Simulations with the particle-in-cell electromagnetic relativistic code VLPL2D show such structures appearing. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 509078
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 22 Vol. 78; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CHARGED PARTICLES
LASER RADIATION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLASMA SIMULATION
PLASMA WAVES
WAKEFIELD ACCELERATORS
WAVELENGTHS