Relativistic solitary-wave solutions of the beat-wave equations

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Phys. Fluids; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.866859· OSTI ID:5578204

McKinstrie, C J

In the beat-wave accelerator (Phys. Rev. Lett. 43, 267 (1979)), a large-amplitude Langmuir wave is produced by the beating of two laser beams whose frequencies differ by approximately the plasma frequency. The relativistic equations governing this three-wave interaction are shown to admit two types of solitary-wave solutions. Temporal solitary waves propagate at speeds greater than the speed of light and carry no information. Spatial solitary waves propagate at speeds less than the speed of light and do carry information. Analytic expressions are obtained for the envelopes of these waves and for the relationship between their speed and maximum amplitude. For the limit in which the propagation speed of the solitary wave is equal to the speed of light, there is no distinction between a temporal solitary wave and a spatial solitary wave. However, it can be shown that the solitary wave is unstable in this limit. The potential of the spatial solitary waves for particle acceleration (Phys. Rev. Lett. 57, 1421 (1986)) is studied. Although the spatial solitary waves are capable of accelerating particles to high energy, for typical beat-wave parameters the laser--plasma coupling efficiency is too low for this scheme to be practical.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5578204
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 31:2; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700108* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Wave Phenomena
ACCELERATORS
AMPLITUDES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY RANGE
LASER RADIATION
MULTI-PHOTON PROCESSES
PLASMA
PLASMA WAVES
QUASI PARTICLES
RADIATIONS
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