Excitation of plasma waves by two laser beams and the detection of the excited waves by light scattering

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5564556

Amini, B

This study discusses excitation of electron plasma waves in a hot, fully ionized and well diagnosed plasma and the detection of the excited electrostatic waves by light scattering. Two counter-propagating CO/sub 2/ laser beams are used for the excitation; and a third beam, from a ruby laser, is used for the detection by Thomson scattering. In the absence of the pump beams, a plasma satellite is seen in the Thomson-scattered light; the Bohm-Gross frequency is therefore measured directly. With the pump beams and when the Bohm-Gross frequency matches the difference frequency between the two pumps, the enhancement of the scattered light by orders of magnitude indicates the strong coupling of the laser with the plasma. The quantitative values measured by this experiment are: the growth time and absolute amplitude of the plasma wave, and an estimation of the frequency mismatch. The measured values of these fundamental quantities indicate very strong coupling of the laser with the plasma; and consequently optical mixing is suitable, among other applications, for heating plasmas. New applications of this wave mixing, which include fine scale diagnostics and studies of filamentation, were developed during this experiment.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Los Angeles (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5564556
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700102 -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Diagnostics
700108* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Wave Phenomena
DETECTION
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITATION
HEATING
INELASTIC SCATTERING
LASER-RADIATION HEATING
PLASMA
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA WAVES
SCATTERING
THOMSON SCATTERING