Nonlinear relativistic interaction of an ultrashort laser pulse with a cold plasma

Journal Article · Fri May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Physics of Fluids B; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.860087· OSTI ID:7105061

Rax, J M; Fisch, N J ^[1]

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1. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)

The nonlinear, relativistic dynamics that results when intense (10{sup 18} W/cm{sup 2} and above) and ultrashort (one plasma period or shorter) laser pulse travels through a cold underdense plasma is investigated. Using a Lagrangian analysis of the plasma response, it can be demonstrated that the nonlinear wake, the collective dissipation, the nonlinear Compton losses, and the harmonic generation, are all determined by a finite set of integrated scalar quantities. This result holds for one-dimensional, short pulses of arbitrary amplitude, shape, and polarization, so that these very short intense laser pulses in a plasma can be viewed essentially as a quasiparticle characterized by a small set of global parameters.

• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• OSTI ID: 7105061
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids B; (United States), Vol. 4:5; ISSN 0899-8221
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
COLD PLASMA
LASER-RADIATION HEATING
PHOTON-ION COLLISIONS
COMPTON EFFECT
HARMONIC GENERATION
LASER RADIATION
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PHOTON-ELECTRON INTERACTIONS
PLASMA WAVES
POLARIZATION
RELATIVISTIC PLASMA
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
BASIC INTERACTIONS
COLLISIONS
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY RANGE
FREQUENCY MIXING
HEATING
INTERACTIONS
ION COLLISIONS
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
PHOTON COLLISIONS
PHOTON-LEPTON INTERACTIONS
PLASMA
PLASMA HEATING
RADIATIONS
SCATTERING
700350* - Plasma Production
Heating
Current Drive
& Interactions- (1992-)