Intensity dependence of free-free absorption

Abstract

The net absorption coefficient allowing for stimulated emission in a nonrelativistic plasma is calculated using the cross sections found by Bunkin and Fedorov. The computations range over many values of their two parameters, which are determined by the initial electron velocity and the frequency and intensity of the electromagnetic field. The energy absorbed is found at strong enough flux to decrease with increasing flux and to be primarily determined by single photon processes for all parameter values considered.