Detuning of relativistic Langmuir waves in the beat-wave accelerator

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Phys. Fluids; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.866521· OSTI ID:6833020

McKinstrie, C J; Forslund, D W

In the beat-wave accelerator, a large-amplitude Langmuir wave is produced by the beating of two laser beams whose frequencies differ by approximately the plasma frequency. The growth of this Langmuir wave saturates because of a nonlinear shift in its natural frequency. At present, there are three different formulas for the nonlinear frequency shift in the literature. By taking all relevant nonlinearities into account, the original result of Akhiezer and Polovin (Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 102, 919 (1955)) is shown to be correct. The maximum amplitude of the Langmuir wave depends on the incident laser intensity and the frequency mismatch, which is the difference between the beat frequency of the incident waves and the plasma frequency. Two different studies have produced contradictory conclusions on the ''optimum'' frequency mismatch. The reasons for this contradiction are discussed and the result of Tang, Sprangle, and Sudan (Phys. Fluids 28, 1974 (1985)) is shown to be essentially correct. However, the requirements for effective beam loading make practical use of the optimum configuration impossible.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6833020
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 30:3; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700108* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Wave Phenomena
ACCELERATORS
AMPLITUDES
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
COLD PLASMA
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS OF MOTION
FERMIONS
FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE
LASER RADIATION
LEPTONS
MULTI-PHOTON PROCESSES
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PLASMA
PLASMA WAVES
RADIATION TRANSPORT
RADIATIONS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
RESONANCE
SATURATION