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Title: Dynamics of ponderomotive self-focusing and periodic bursts of stimulated Brillouin backscattering in plasmas

Journal Article · · Physics of Fluids B; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.860787· OSTI ID:6364915
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Plasma Theory Division, Institute for High Temperatures of RAS, Izhorskaya St., 13/19, Moscow 127412 (Russian Federation)
  2. Plasma Theory Division, Lebedev Physics Institute of RAS, Leninsky Pr. 53, Moscow 117924 (Russian Federation)
  3. Computer Center, People's Friendship University, Ordzonikidze St. 3, Moscow 117923 (Russian Federation)
  4. Calculation Structures Laboratory, Institute for Informatics and Automatization of RAS, 14th Line, 39, Saint Petersburg 199178 (Russian Federation)

The space--time evolution of ponderomotive self-focusing of electromagnetic beams in a plasma is investigated. The quasineutral, hydrodynamic plasma response to the ponderomotive force is considered. The set of coupled quasioptic and acoustic equations is solved both analytically and numerically for slab and cylindrical beams. It is shown that the transient process of self-focusing has the form of a nonlinear wave propagating along the beam axis from boundary into the interior of a plasma with velocity considerably higher than the ion-sound velocity. Mutual dynamics of self-focusing and stimulated Brillouin backscattering (SBBS) is computed. It is shown that self-focusing results in the high intensity periodical bursts of SBBS. However, the time average level of scattered radiation is quite low.

OSTI ID:
6364915
Journal Information:
Physics of Fluids B; (United States), Vol. 5:7; ISSN 0899-8221
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English