The ion acoustic wave and harmonics driven by stimulated Brillouin scattering are probed by space- and time-resolved ruby-laser Thomson scattering. Corresponding to the 6% backscatter observed, the ion wave is seen to saturate at (5-10)% amplitude, a level quantitatively predictable from the nonlinear frequency shift caused by ion trapping.

• Received 18 August 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.51.1656