Saturation of Beat-Excited Plasma Waves by Electrostatic Mode Coupling

Authors

C. Darrow, University of California, Los Angeles
Donald P. Umstadter, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
T. Katsouleas, University of California, Los Angeles
W.B. Mori, University of California, Los Angeles
C.E. Clayton, University of California, Los Angeles
C. Joshi, University of California, Los Angeles

Date of this Version

6-16-1986

Comments

Published by American Physical Society. Physical Review Letters 56 2629 (1986). http://prl.aps.org. Copyright © 1986 American Physical Society. Permission to use.

Abstract

The nature of plasma waves which are resonantly excited when two laser beams beat in a rippled-density plasma is explored both theoretically and experimentally. A theoretical model is presented which, for commonly encountered experimental parameters, predicts rapid saturation of the high—phase-velocity beat wave at an amplitude below that expected for relativistic detuning. Results of experimental studies of this process are presented.