Relativistic Self-Focusing of Short-Pulse Radiation Beams in Plasmas
- 1 April 1987
- journal article
- Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science
- Vol. 15 (2), 145-153
- https://doi.org/10.1109/tps.1987.4316677
Abstract
An envelope equation is derived which describes the radial evolution of a radiation beam propagating through a plasma. The radiation envelope equation contains a defocusing term due to diffraction spreading and a focusing term due to relativistic oscillations of the plasma electrons. The case of a constant density background plasma is analyzed in detail and an expression for a critical laser power is derived. For powers exceeding the critical power, the radiation envelope oscillates and does not diffract. Under certain conditions the radiation beam propagates through the plasma with a constant radius envelope.Keywords
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