Investigation of ion-acoustic-decay-instability thresholds in laser-plasma interactions

K. Mizuno; P. E. Young; W. Seka; R. Bahr; J. S. De Groot; R. P. Drake; K. G. Estabrook

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.65.428

Investigation of ion-acoustic-decay-instability thresholds in laser-plasma interactions

K. Mizuno, P. E. Young, W. Seka, R. Bahr, J. S. De Groot, R. P. Drake, and K. G. Estabrook

Phys. Rev. Lett. 65, 428 – Published 23 July 1990

Abstract

The ion acoustic decay instability has been studied by monitoring the Stokes sideband of the second-harmonic emission from a laser-produced plasma. The intensity threshold decreased as the laser spot size increased. It reached homogeneous-plasma collisional values in planar plasmas produced using large laser spot sizes (D≳600 μm), for laser wavelengths of either 1.06 or 0.53 μm. These observations show that the ion acoustic decay instability may well play a more important role in laser fusion that had been generally believed.

Received 11 September 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.65.428

Authors & Affiliations

K. Mizuno, P. E. Young, W. Seka, R. Bahr, J. S. De Groot, R. P. Drake, and K. G. Estabrook

Plasma Physics Research Institute, University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 99550
Department of Applied Science, University of California, Davis, California 95616
Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 99550