Dynamics of ponderomotive self-focusing in plasmas

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Physics of Fluids B; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.859872· OSTI ID:5830242

Cohen, B I; Lasinski, B F; Langdon, A B; Cummings, J C ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, Livermore, California 94550 (US)

The space-time evolution of nonlinear self-focusing of a coherent electromagnetic beam in a plasma is calculated. Parameters are considered for which the dominant nonlinearity is the ponderomotive force and the plasma response is hydrostatic. A simple nonlinear wave equation with a saturable, exponential nonlinearity is presented and solved in the paraxial limit. Nondimensional scaled variables are introduced, and both steady-state and time-dependent numerical solutions of the scaled equation are calculated in the limit of cylindrical symmetry. Self-focusing can be important both for high-power lasers in inertial-confinement-fusion applications and for heating of magnetically confined plasmas with intense, pulsed free-electron lasers.

• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5830242
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids B; (USA), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids B; (USA) Vol. 3:3; ISSN PFBPE; ISSN 0899-8221
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
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CONFINEMENT
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EQUATIONS
FREE ELECTRON LASERS
HEATING
HYDROSTATICS
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
LASER RADIATION
LASERS
MAGNETIC CONFINEMENT
NONLINEAR OPTICS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
OPTICS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PLASMA
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA HEATING
PULSES
RADIATIONS
SATURATION
SCALING LAWS
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
SYMMETRY
TIME DEPENDENCE
WAVE EQUATIONS