Measurements of the Parametric Decay of Co-Laser Radiation into Plasma Waves at Quarter-Critical Density Using Ruby-Laser Thomson Scattering

J. J. Schuss; T. K. Chu; L. C. Johnson

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.40.27

Measurements of the Parametric Decay of Co-Laser Radiation into Plasma Waves at Quarter-Critical Density Using Ruby-Laser Thomson Scattering

J. J. Schuss, T. K. Chu, and L. C. Johnson

Phys. Rev. Lett. 40, 27 – Published 2 January 1978; Erratum Phys. Rev. Lett. 40, 350 (1978)

Abstract

We report the results of small-angle ruby-laser Thomson-scattering measurements of the parametric excitation of plasma waves by C $O_{2}$ -laser radiation at quarter-critical density in a laser-heated gas-target plasma. From supplementary data obtained from interferometry and large-angle ruby-laser scattering we infer that the threshold conditions for a convective decay are satisfied.