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Title: Controlling two plasmon decay instability in intense femtosecond laser driven plasmas

Abstract

We investigate the onset of the two-plasmon-decay (TPD) instability in intense femtosecond laser-solid interaction. In particular, this instability, originating at the quarter critical electron density surface in the inhomogeneous plasma, is explored for a wide range of laser parameters-energy, pulse duration, and intensity contrast. By varying these laser parameters, we demonstrate ways to excite and control the growth of the TPD process. The pulse duration scan carried out under a constant laser fluence reveals the pulse width dependent nature of TPD growth. The spectral splitting of the TPD induced three-halves harmonic emission is used to infer the electron temperature near the quarter critical density surface. Moreover, by varying the laser contrast over four orders of magnitude, we find that the intensity threshold of three-halves harmonic emission increases by nearly two orders of magnitude. This contrast dependent intensity threshold for the emission of three-halves harmonic can be a useful diagnostic of the laser contrast.

Authors:
; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400005 (India)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22489870
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 22; Journal Issue: 11; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; CONTROL; DECAY INSTABILITY; ELECTRON DENSITY; ELECTRON TEMPERATURE; EMISSION; INHOMOGENEOUS PLASMA; INTERACTIONS; LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA; PLASMONS; PULSES; SOLIDS

Citation Formats

Singh, Prashant Kumar, Adak, Amitava, Lad, Amit D., Chatterjee, Gourab, Ravindra Kumar, G., E-mail: grk@tifr.res.in, Brijesh, P., and UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Mumbai 400098. Controlling two plasmon decay instability in intense femtosecond laser driven plasmas. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4935909.
Singh, Prashant Kumar, Adak, Amitava, Lad, Amit D., Chatterjee, Gourab, Ravindra Kumar, G., E-mail: grk@tifr.res.in, Brijesh, P., & UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Mumbai 400098. Controlling two plasmon decay instability in intense femtosecond laser driven plasmas. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4935909
Singh, Prashant Kumar, Adak, Amitava, Lad, Amit D., Chatterjee, Gourab, Ravindra Kumar, G., E-mail: grk@tifr.res.in, Brijesh, P., and UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Mumbai 400098. 2015. "Controlling two plasmon decay instability in intense femtosecond laser driven plasmas". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4935909.
@article{osti_22489870,
title = {Controlling two plasmon decay instability in intense femtosecond laser driven plasmas},
author = {Singh, Prashant Kumar and Adak, Amitava and Lad, Amit D. and Chatterjee, Gourab and Ravindra Kumar, G., E-mail: grk@tifr.res.in and Brijesh, P. and UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Mumbai 400098},
abstractNote = {We investigate the onset of the two-plasmon-decay (TPD) instability in intense femtosecond laser-solid interaction. In particular, this instability, originating at the quarter critical electron density surface in the inhomogeneous plasma, is explored for a wide range of laser parameters-energy, pulse duration, and intensity contrast. By varying these laser parameters, we demonstrate ways to excite and control the growth of the TPD process. The pulse duration scan carried out under a constant laser fluence reveals the pulse width dependent nature of TPD growth. The spectral splitting of the TPD induced three-halves harmonic emission is used to infer the electron temperature near the quarter critical density surface. Moreover, by varying the laser contrast over four orders of magnitude, we find that the intensity threshold of three-halves harmonic emission increases by nearly two orders of magnitude. This contrast dependent intensity threshold for the emission of three-halves harmonic can be a useful diagnostic of the laser contrast.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4935909},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22489870}, journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
issn = {1070-664X},
number = 11,
volume = 22,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Sun Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}