Dynamics of space-charge waves in the laser beat-wave accelerator. Memorandum report

Technical Report · Wed Jan 30 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5755736

Tang, C M; Sprangle, P; Sudan, R N

The excitation of plasma waves by two laser beams, whose frequency difference is approximately the plasma frequency, is analyzed. This nonlinear analysis is fully relativistic in the axial and transverse directions and includes mismatching of the laser beat frequency to the plasma frequency, time-dependent laser amplitudes, and an applied transverse magnetic field (surfatron configuration). The analytical results for the large-amplitude plasma waves includes an axial constant of motion, accelerating electric field, and its phase velocity. The analytical results in the weak laser power limit are in good agreement with numerical results obtained from the complete equations. The imposed transverse magnetic field is found to increase the effective plasma frequency, but has little effect on the plasma dynamics.

• Research Organization: Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5755736
• Report Number(s): AD-A-149688/4/XAB; NRL-MR-5324
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
ACCELERATION
DYNAMICS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITATION
LASERS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MECHANICS
PLASMA ACCELERATION
PLASMA WAVES
POWER
SPACE CHARGE
TIME DEPENDENCE
VELOCITY