ISSN:
1432-0630
Keywords:
Self-interaction of a laser beam
;
Strongly ionized moving plasma
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
,
Physics
Notes:
Abstract The steady state and transient self-interaction of a laser beam with a strongly ionized plasma flowing transverse to the direction of propagation have been investigated by a phenomenological approach using perturbation theory, WKB and paraxial ray approximations. The effect of the transverse motion of the plasma has been included by a convection term in the energy balance equation and is found to result in the non-symmetrical heating of electrons. As a result the beam is shifted towards the direction of transverse flow of the plasma by an amount that increases with the flow velocity. The extent of asymmetry in self-focusing along the transverse directions is, however very small. In a typical case of 7.6×105 watt laser of ω=104 GHz and initial beam widthr 0=0.05 cm the transverse shiftx p=0.1r 0 is predicted in a distance of propagationz=0.34 cm in a strongly ionized plasma of electron densityN e=1016 cm−3 and transverse flow velocityW 0=107 cm/sec.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00936023
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