Transverse modulational instability of collinear waves

Journal Article · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of the Optical Society of America, Part B: Optical Physics; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSAB.7.001125· OSTI ID:6845482

Luther, G G; McKinstrie, C J ^[1]

---

1. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623 (US)

The transverse modulational instability, or filamentation, of two collinear waves is investigated using a coupled nonlinear Schro ;udinger-equation model. For infinite media it is shown that the presence of the second laser field increases the growth rate of the instability and decreases the scale length of the most unstable filaments. Systems of two copropagating waves are shown to be convectively unstable and systems of two counterpropagating waves are shown to be absolutely unstable, even when the ratio of backward- to forward-wave intensity is small. For two counterpropagating waves in finite media, the threshold intensities for the absolute instability depend only weakly on the ratio of wave intensities. The general theory is applied to the pondermotive filamentation of two light waves in homogeneous plasma.

• DOE Contract Number: FC03-85DP40200
• OSTI ID: 6845482
• Journal Information: Journal of the Optical Society of America, Part B: Optical Physics; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of the Optical Society of America, Part B: Optical Physics; (USA) Vol. 7:6; ISSN JOBPD; ISSN 0740-3224
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700107 -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
700208* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Inertial Confinement Technology
BEAM PROFILES
DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FILAMENTS
FOCUSING
HOMOGENEOUS PLASMA
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
KERR EFFECT
LASER RADIATION
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
MODULATION
NONLINEAR OPTICS
OPTICS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PONDEROMOTIVE FORCE
RADIATIONS
WAVE PROPAGATION