Saturation levels of ion-acoustic-wave turbulence driven by a heat-flux and a suprathermal electron current have been calculated on the basis of perturbed-orbit theory. The levels are found to be lower than those commonly estimated from simple trapping arguments and too low to explain the thermal-flux inhibition observed in many laser-plasma experiments.

• Received 9 April 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.24.2084