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Donald Umstadter Publications
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Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
7-28-1998
Abstract
The two-dimensional wave-breaking of relativistic plasma waves driven by a ultrashort high-power lasers, is described within a framework of cold 2-D fluid theory. It is shown that the transverse nonlinearity of the plasma wave results in temporally increasing transverse plasma oscillation in the wake of the laser pulse, inevitably inducing wave-breaking below the 1-D threshold. A condition for wavebreaking is obtained and evaluated. A preformed density channel is found to partially cancel the effect and increase the length of wakefield that survives before wavebreaking occurs.
Comments
Advanced Accelerator Concepts: Eighth Workshop, W. Lawson, C. Bellamy, and D. Brosius,eds., AIP Conference Proceedings (AIP Press, New York, 1999),vol. 472 p. 404. Copyright 1999. Permission to use.