Evidence for whole-beam self-focusing of induced spatially incoherent laser light in large underdense plasma

Journal Article · Sun Feb 16 23:00:00 EST 1992 · Physical Review Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.68.942· OSTI ID:7233870

Afshar-rad, T; Gizzi, L A; Desselberger, M; Khattak, F; Willi, O ^[1]; Giulietti, A ^[2]

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1. The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science and Technology, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ (United Kingdom)
2. Istituto di Fisica Atomica e Molecolare, Piza (Italy)

The propagation of an intense electromagnetic pulse in a large underdense plasma has been investigated using spatially and temporally incoherent laser light. Spatial incoherence was obtained using the induced spatial incoherence (ISI) technique. The first observation of the occurrence of thermal whole-beam self-focusing with ISI laser light is presented. Thermal imaging with a multiframe x-ray camera (140 ps gate time) was used to record the propagation characteristics of the interaction beam through the plasma. A direct measurement of the self-focusing growth length has been made.

• OSTI ID: 7233870
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review Letters; (United States) Vol. 68:7; ISSN PRLTA; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700320 -- Plasma Diagnostic Techniques & Instrumentation-- (1992-)
700350* -- Plasma Production
Heating
Current Drive
& Interactions-- (1992-)
ALUMINIUM
CAMERAS
DATA
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXPLODING WIRES
IMAGES
INFORMATION
LASER RADIATION
MEASURING METHODS
METALS
NUMERICAL DATA
PLASMA
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
RADIATIONS
THERMOGRAPHY
WAVE PROPAGATION
WIRES
X-RAY EQUIPMENT