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Laser plasma instabilities (LPI) reduce driver-target coupling, alter implosion symmetry, and therefore can fundamentally limit fusion performance in inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Developing a predictive modeling capability for LPI effects can critically advance the success of the field. We perform vector particle-in-cell simulations of multi-speckled laser beams undergoing stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) at various densities and intensities relevant to mainly indirectly driven and a subset of parameter space for directly driven ICF systems, focusing on the regimes with intensities above the onset of electron trapping. Based on the wavenumber of the SRS daughter electron plasma wave, we identify several regions with underpinning SRS saturation physics: the electron-trapping dominated region with intermediate k λ D values, the strong Landau damping region at larger k λ D values, and the region where the Langmuir decay instability arises at lower k λ D values. We develop a nonlinear SRS reflectivity model that features the base trapping-dominated scaling of (k λ D) − 4 and its modifications. Electron trapping deforms the initialized electron distribution functions, and we have developed a new δf-Gaussian-mixture algorithm for an accurate characterization of the trapped hot electron population. With this SRS hot electron description, we construct a nonlinear energy deposition model and a hot electron source model—based on a modified Manley–Rowe relation—suitable for including SRS effects as a sub-grid module in a high-fidelity ICF design code. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that the use of laser bandwidth may mitigate the growth of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in laser plasma interaction experiments, in particular, when the spectrum of the driving (or pump) laser is composed of uniformly distributed frequency components with a well-chosen bandwidth [for example, Luo et al., Phys. Plasmas 29, 032102 (2022); Wen et al., ibid. 28, 042109 (2021); and Follett et al., ibid. 26, 062111 (2019)]. Here, we investigate the effects of frequency chirp in the pump laser on backward SRS in inhomogeneous plasmas, taking into account kinetic effects associated with the nonlinear detuning of the parametric resonance due to high-amplitude electron plasma waves (EPW). Through theoretical considerations and numerical simulations, using a multi-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) code, it is shown that positive frequency chirp rates lead to a displacement of the resonance in the plasma profile. For a sufficiently strong positive chirp rate, such that the resonance displacement is faster than the EPW group velocity, the EPWs prove to remain limited in amplitude such that SRS is suppressed. The required frequency chirp rate corresponds to a laser bandwidth of about 1%–2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, simulation study of electron stochastic heating arising from the Raman backscatter radiations during the interaction of the laser pulse with the nitrogen atoms is presented by use of a massively parallel particle-in-cell code. For this purpose, the self-consistent evolutions of the laser pulse via the time–space Fourier transforms of transvers vector potential are investigated at the different times of propagation. It is shown that since the ionization has effect on the emission of the Raman backscattered radiation; it noticeably contributes on the stochastic heating threshold of the electrons. According to our results, it has been found that, when there is the long rise time laser pulse (here 100 fs), the Raman backscattered radiations are seeded by a strong initial noise at the earlier times. Therefore, by considering the ionization, the necessary condition for chaos threshold is met sooner, which, in turn, causes the electron stochastic heating start quickly compared to the case the laser pulse is propagated in the pre-plasma. As a result, in agreement with chaotic nature of the motion, the electrons gain more energy through the stochastic mechanism in the field-ionized plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new fluid model describing backward stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) is presented based on parametric three-wave coupling in multidimensional geometry. It takes into account kinetic effects in the description of the plasma wave via a nonlinear frequency shift due to trapped electrons. This model is valid in the regime of hot and weakly inhomogeneous plasmas under conditions relevant for inertial confinement fusion with the plasma parameter k L λ D e ⩾ 0.25 (where kL stands for the plasma wave number and λDe for the Debye length). Benchmarks of the model have been performed against the Maxwell-particle-in-cell (PIC) code Emi2D in order to calibrate the adjustable parameters controlling the nonlinear frequency shift. Two major configurations have been tested, one in a homogeneous plasma, with the onset of laser pump depletion, and the other in an inhomogeneous plasma, producing auto-resonant growth. Good agreement between fluid and PIC simulations has been found for both configurations, in particular, for the growth of SRS, and further on in time for the average backscatter level. This model is a promising tool to be implemented in multi-dimensional laser-plasma interaction packages coupled to hydrodynamics codes in order to compute SRS in mm-size volumes, usually inaccessible with PIC codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possibility of suppressing effectively parasitic Raman amplification of plasma noise by creating a plasma in front of the seed pulse is studied. Such plasma can be created by injecting an additional ionizing laser pulse co-directionally with seed one and slightly ahead of it. It is shown that the efficiency of Raman amplification and compression will be high (about 80% of pump energy), if a delay between the ionization front and the seed laser pulse is less than or equal to two inverse increments of the Raman amplification. This conclusion is valid for both high and low plasma densities, when the nonlinear frequency shift due to the nonlinear dispersion of the plasma wave is significant. This result is confirmed by three-dimensional numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency transfer from the pump to the seed of stimulated Raman backscattering in plasma was optimized at a pump intensity below 1014 W/cm2. Two ways were employed to obtain high-quality but low-intensity pump beams. First, the pump focus was moved away from the plasma entrance to optimize guiding the uniform part of the beam in the plasma channel. The seed was amplified from 50 μJ to 1.1 mJ after 2-mm interaction, with an effective Raman transfer efficiency over 4.7%. Second, an aperture was set to make the pump focus pass through the plasma channel. An output seed energy of 1.02 mJ was obtained when the pump energy decreased to 20 mJ, showing a transfer efficiency of 5.1%. The experimental results indicate that the transfer efficiency may be mainly suppressed by plasma heating but not spontaneous Raman scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of Raman plasma amplifier has been proposed using a stimulated Raman near-backscattering scheme with a pulse-front-tilted pump. In order for the seed to overlap spatiotemporally with the pump, the propagation angle of the pump with respect to the seed path is set at twice the angle of the pulse-front tilt. The length of the pump passing each point of a plasma is dependent on the angle of the tilt. As a result, the tilt angle can be tuned to control the plasma temperature as well as the Raman spontaneous radiation growth length, which can be optimized for the seed amplification and significantly suppress the precursors growing from the plasma noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Backward Raman Amplifier (BRA) is proposed as a possible scheme for improving laser driven plasma wakefields. One- and two-dimensional particle-in-cell code simulations and a 3-Wave coupling model are presented and compared to demonstrate how the BRA can be applied to the laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA) in the non-relativistic regime to counteract limitations such as pump depletion and diffraction. This article provides a discussion on optimal parameters for the combination of BRA and LWFA and a prescription for a BRA pump frequency chirp to ensure coupling beyond the particle dephasing limit. Simulation results demonstrate a reduction or alleviation of the effects of diffraction and an increase in wake amplitude and sustainability and provide direct insights into new methods of controlling plasma wakes in LWFA and other applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

REFERENCES 1 D. Stark, L. Yin, T. Nguyen, G. Chen, L. Chacon, B. Haines, and L. Green, Phys. The definition of the I i parameter in the reflectivity scaling had a typo in Sec. Erratum: "Nonlinear models for coupling the effects of stimulated Raman scattering to inertial confinement fusion codes" [Phys. [Extracted from the article]

Seed amplification via Brillouin backscattering of a long pump pulse is considered. Similar to Raman amplification, several obstructive effects may occur during short-pulse Brillouin amplification. One is the spontaneous Raman backscattering of the pump before interacting with the seed. Preforming the plasma and/or chirping the pump will reduce unwanted pump backscattering. Optimized regions for low-loss pump propagation were proposed already in conjunction with Raman seed amplification. Hence, the influence of the chirp of the pump during Brillouin interaction with the seed becomes important and will be considered here. Both, the linear as well as the nonlinear evolution phases of the seed caused by Brillouin amplification under the action of a chirped pump are investigated. The amplification rate as well as the seed profiles are presented as function of the chirping rate. Also the dependence of superradiant scaling rates on the chirp parameter is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backward Raman amplification (BRA) in plasmas has been promoted as a means for generating ultrapowerful laser pulses. For the purpose of achieving the maximum intensities over the shortest distances, an envelope matching between the seed pulse and the amplification gain is required, i.e., the seed pulse propagates at the same velocity with the gain such that the peak of the seed pulse can always enjoy the maximum gain. However, such an envelope matching is absent in traditional BRA because in the latter the amplification gain propagates at superluminous velocity while the seed pulse propagates at the group velocity, which is less than the speed of light. It is shown here that, by using self-ionizing plasmas, the speed of the amplification gain can be well reduced to reach the envelope matching regime. This results in a favorable BRA process, in which higher saturated intensity, shorter interaction length and higher energy-transfer efficiency are achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments about the observations of stimulated Raman backscatter (SRS) and stimulated Brillouin backscatter (SBS) in Hohlraum were performed on Shenguang-III (SG-III) prototype facility for the first time in 2011. In this paper, relevant experimental results are analyzed for the first time with a one-dimension spectral analysis code, which is developed to study the coexistent process of SRS and SBS in Hohlraum plasma condition. Spectral features of the backscattered light are discussed with different plasma parameters. In the case of empty Hohlraum experiments, simulation results indicate that SBS, which grows fast at the energy deposition region near the Hohlraum wall, is the dominant instability process. The time resolved spectra of SRS and SBS are numerically obtained, which agree with the experimental observations. For the gas-filled Hohlraum experiments, simulation results show that SBS grows fastest in Au plasma and amplifies convectively in C5H12 gas, whereas SRS mainly grows in the high density region of the C5H12 gas. Gain spectra and the spectra of backscattered light are simulated along the ray path, which clearly show the location where the intensity of scattered light with a certain wavelength increases. This work is helpful to comprehend the observed spectral features of SRS and SBS. The experiments and relevant analysis provide references for the ignition target design in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free electron lasers (FEL) play major roles in the Raman Regime, due to the charge and current densities of the beam self-field. The method of perturbation has been applied to study the influence of self-electric and self-magnetic fields. A dispersion relation for two-stream free electron lasers with a helical wiggler and an axial magnetic field has been found. This dispersion relation is solved numerically to investigate the influence of self-fields on the FEL coupling and the two-stream instability. It was found that self-fields can produce very large effects on the FEL coupling, but they have almost negligible effects on two-stream instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents overviews of a number of processes and applications associated with high-power, high-intensity lasers, and their interactions. These processes and applications include: free electron lasers, backward Raman amplification, atmospheric propagation of laser pulses, laser driven acceleration, atmospheric lasing, and remote detection of radioactivity. The interrelated physical mechanisms in the various processes are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-intense and ultra-short laser pulses may be generated up to the exawatt-zetawatt regime due to parametric processes in plasmas. The minimization of unwanted plasma processes leads to operational limits which are discussed here with respect to filamentation. Transverse filamentation, which originally was derived for plane waves, is being investigated for seed pulse propagation in the so called π-pulse limit. A three-dimensional (3D) three-wave-interaction model is the basis of the present investigation. To demonstrate the applicability of the three-wave-interaction model, the 1D pulse forms are compared with those obtained from 1D particle in cell and Vlasov simulations. Although wave-breaking may occur, the kinetic simulations show that the leading pumped pulse develops a form similar to that obtained from the three-wave-interaction model. In the main part, 2D and 3D filamentation processes of (localized) pulses are investigated with the three-wave-interaction model. It is shown that the leading pulse front can stay filamentation-free, whereas the rear parts show transverse modulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work revisits the subjects of mixing, saturation, and space-charge effects in free-electron lasers. Use is made of the compressibility factor, which proves to be a helpful tool in the related systems of charged beams confined by static magnetic fields. The compressibility allows to perform analytical estimates of the elapsed time until the onset of mixing, which in turn allows to estimate the saturated amplitude of the radiation field. In addition, the compressibility helps to pinpoint space-charge effects and the corresponding transition from Compton to Raman regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raman shifted third harmonic generation of upper hybrid radiation is proposed and studied. In the presence of ambient magnetic field, the plasma wave present in the system produces electron density ripple (perturbation) which couples with the velocity imparted by the nonlinear ponderomotive force at twice the laser frequency producing the Raman shifted third harmonic field. The wave vector of the plasma wave provides the uncompensated momentum necessary for phase matching condition. The applied magnetic field can be adjusted to have the phase matching for the given plasma frequency. The energy conversion ratio from pump to the Raman shifted third harmonic generation of upper hybrid radiation is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We perform 1D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations using OSIRIS, which model a short-duration (∼500ω0-1 FWHM) scattered light seed pulse in the presence of a constant counter-propagating pump laser with an intensity far below the absolute instability threshold. The seed undergoes linear convective Raman amplification and dominates over fluctuations due to particle discreteness. Our simulation results are in good agreement with results from a coupled-mode solver when we take into account special relativity and the use of finite size PIC simulation particles. We present linear gain spectra including both effects. Extending the PIC simulations past when the seed exits the simulation domain reveals bursts of large-amplitude scattering in many cases, which does not occur in simulations without the seed pulse. These bursts can have amplitudes several times greater than the amplified seed pulse, and we demonstrate that this large-amplitude scattering is the result of kinetic inflation by examining trapped particle orbits. This large-amplitude scattering is caused by the seed modifying the distribution function earlier in the simulation. We perform some simulations with longer duration seeds, which lead to parts of the seeds undergoing kinetic inflation and reaching amplitudes several times more than the steady-state linear theory results. Simulations with continuous seeds demonstrate that the onset of inflation depends on seed wavelength and incident intensity, and we observe oscillations in the reflectivity at a frequency equal to the difference between the seed frequency and the frequency at which the inflationary stimulated Raman scattering grows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a Raman plasma amplifier, the aim is to create plasma conditions in which Raman backscattering is the fastest growing instability, outrunning all competing effects so that it is possible to amplify and compress a laser beam to unprecedented unfocused intensities by utilizing that instability. However, achieving high efficiencies via this scheme has proven very difficult experimentally. Recent data show the simultaneous occurrence of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), and stimulated electron-acoustic scattering (SEAS). The appearance of SEAS is indicative of strong particle trapping, the existence of which is hard to justify without highlighting the interplay between SRS and SBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In inertial confinement fusion experiments, stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) occurs when electron density fluctuations are amplified resonantly by the incident laser beams and scattered light. These beams comprise several thousands of individual laser speckles. We have found in single-speckle studies that electron trapping lowers the threshold intensity for SRS onset to a value below that from linear theory and enhances scattering. The trapping-induced plasma-wave frequency shift leads to wave-front bowing and filamentation processes that saturate SRS and limit scattering within a speckle. With large-scale simulations, we have now examined how laser speckles interact with one another through three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of two interacting speckles and 2D PIC simulations of ensembles of laser speckles (hundreds of speckles). Our work shows that kinetic trapping physics also governs the onset and saturation of SRS in ensembles of speckles. Speckles interact in a manner that is nonlinear and nonlocal: An intense speckle can destabilize its neighbors through transport of hot electrons and SRS waves, resulting in enhanced emission of particles and waves that, in turn, act upon the original speckle. In this manner, speckles below threshold when in isolation can be above the threshold in multi-speckled beams under conditions for laser-driven fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and ensembles of speckles are thus found to collectively lower the SRS onset threshold. Simulations of the hohlraum interior where laser beams overlap show that multi-speckled laser beams at low average intensity (a few times 1014 W/cm2) have correspondingly lower thresholds for enhanced SRS and that the sub-ps bursts of SRS saturate through trapping induced nonlinearities. Because of electron trapping effects, SRS reflectivity grows slowly with average laser intensity. While SRS reflectivity saturates under NIF conditions, SRS hot electron energy increases with increasing laser intensity and may contribute to capsule preheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we derive coupled envelope equations modeling the growth of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in a multi-dimensional geometry and accounting for nonlinear kinetic effects. In particular, our envelope equations allow for the nonlinear reduction of the Landau damping rate, whose decrease with the plasma wave amplitude depends on the rate of side-loss. Account is also made of the variations in the extent of the plasma wave packet entailed by the collisionless dissipation due to trapping. The dephasing between the electron plasma wave (EPW) and the laser drive, as well as the self-focussing of the plasma wave, both induced by the EPW nonlinear frequency shift, are also included in our envelope equations. These equations are solved in a multi-dimensional geometry using our code dubbed BRAMA, whose predictions regarding the evolution of Raman reflectivity as a function of the laser intensity are compared against previously published particle in cell results, thus illustrating the ability of BRAMA simulations to provide the correct laser threshold intensity for SRS as well as the right order of magnitude of Raman reflectivity above threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shortest duration and the largest non-focused intensity of laser pulses produced by means of backward Raman amplification (BRA) in plasmas are calculated. These limits occur in moderately undercritical plasmas and are imposed by combined effects of moderately small group velocity dispersion and relativistic electron nonlinearity of the amplified pulses. The efficient BRA range covered by this theory is broader than one known previously. This can be useful for BRA of x-ray pulses in regular or compressed solids and ultra-powerful optical pulses in the lowest density solids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A non local theory of Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) coupled to decay instability in a plasma channel is developed. The primary Langmuir wave, produced in the Raman backscattering process, decays into a secondary Langmuir wave of longer wavelength and an ion acoustic wave. This diversion of energy, along with linear Landau damping of the primary Langmuir wave, slows down the Raman process. The nonlocal effects cause further reduction in the growth rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we compare two recent models [N. A. Yampolsky and N. J. Fisch, Phys. Plasmas 16, 072104 (2009); D. Bénisti, D. J. Strozzi, L. Gremillet, and O. Morice, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 155002 (2009)] introduced to predict the nonlinear growth of stimulated Raman scattering in the kinetic regime, and providing moreover a nonlinear description of the collisionless, Landau-like, damping rate of the driven electron plasma wave. We first recall the general theoretical framework common to these two models, based on the derivation of the imaginary part of the electron susceptibility, χi, and then discuss in detail why the two approaches differ. By comparing the theoretical predictions for χi to those derived from test particle or Vlasov simulations, we moreover discuss the range of validity of the two models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was proposed recently that powerful optical laser pulses could be efficiently compressed through backward Raman amplification in ionized low density solids, in spite of strong damping of the resonant Langmuir wave. It was argued that, even for nonsaturated Landau damping of the Langmuir wave, the energy transfer from the pump laser pulse to the amplified seed laser pulse can nevertheless be highly efficient. This work numerically examines such regimes of strong damping, called quasitransient regimes, within the simplest model that takes into account the major effects. The simulations indicate that compression of powerful optical laser pulses in ionized low density solids indeed can be highly efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed description of stimulated Raman backscattering and related processes for the purpose of inertial confinement fusion requires multi-dimensional kinetic simulations of a full speckle in a high-temperature, large-scale, inhomogeneous plasma. In particular for the shock-ignition scheme operating at high laser intensities, kinetic aspects are predominant. High- (Iλo2~5×1015Wμm2/cm2) as well as low-intensity (Iλo2~1015Wμm2/cm2) cases show the predominance of collisionless, collective processes for the interaction. While the two-plasmon decay instability and the cavitation scenario are hardly affected by intensity variation, inflationary Raman backscattering proves to be very sensitive. Brillouin backscattering evolves on longer time scales and dominates the reflectivities, although it is sensitive to the intensity. Filamentation and self-focusing do occur for all cases but on time scales too long to affect Raman backscattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Gaussian laser beam, propagating as an eigenmode through a low density plasma channel in the presence of an axial magnetic field, undergoes stimulated Raman back scattering, producing an upper hybrid wave and a radially localized electromagnetic sideband wave. The channel may be self created by the laser due to ponderomotive force or by a pre-pulse. The radial width of sideband is ≈a and Langmuir wave of extent b≈(aλD)1/2<

Recent experiments conducted at the National Ignition Facility achieved two main goals: providing radiation drive and symmetry suitable for subsequent ignition experiments. Of the many diagnostics fielded, one provided a time-resolved wavelength spectrum of light reflected from the target by stimulated Raman scatter (SRS). SRS occurs when incident light reflects off self-generated electron plasma waves. Analyses indicate that synthetic SRS spectra better match those of experiments when an atomic physics model with greater emissivity is utilized in target modeling, along with less inhibited electron transport (higher flux, with, ideally, nonlocal electron transport). With these models, SRS occurs in a target region where nearest-neighbor quads of laser beams significantly overlap the diagnosed quad. This increases SRS gain at lower density (lower wavelength), a feature consistent with experimental results. Inclusion of this effect of multiple quads sharing a reflected SRS light wave has resulted in improved capabilities used to successfully predict (preshot) the SRS spectrum from the first target driven with 1.25 MJ of laser energy. Additional resonant amplification of SRS light in the overlap intensity region is demonstrated in beam propagation simulations. Such effects will be reduced in a target optimized for these less dense and cooler plasma conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through resonant backward Raman scattering, the plasma wave mediates the energy transfer between long pump and short seed laser pulses. These mediations can result in pulse compression at extraordinarily high powers. However, both the overall efficiency of the energy transfer and the duration of the amplified pulse depend upon the persistence of the plasma wave excitation. At least with respect to the recent state-of-the-art experiments, it is possible to deduce that at present the experimentally realized efficiency of the amplifier is likely constrained mainly by two effects, namely, the pump chirp and the plasma wave wavebreaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most classic analytical models of linear stimulated scatter, light diffraction is omitted, a priori. However, modern laser optic typically includes a variant of the random phase plate [Y. Kato et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 53, 1057 (1984)], resulting in diffraction limited laser intensity fluctuations-or localized speckles-which may result in explosive reflectivity growth as the average laser intensity approaches a critical value [H. A. Rose and D. F. DuBois, Phys. Rev. Lett. 72, 2883 (1994)]. Among the differences between stimulated Raman scatter (SRS) and stimulated Brillouin scatter is that the SRS scattered light diffracts more strongly than the laser light with increase of electron density. This weakens the tendency of the SRS light to closely follow the most amplified paths, diminishing gain. Let G0 be the one-dimensional power gain exponent of the stimulated scatter. In this paper we show that differential diffraction gives rise to an increase of G0 at the SRS physical threshold with increase of electron density up to a drastic disruption of SRS as electron density approaches one fourth of its critical value from below. For three wave interaction lengths not small compared to a speckle length, this is a physically robust Raman gap mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of binary Coulomb collisions on trapped particle nonlinearities related to stimulated Raman scatter (SRS) in a single laser speckle is examined using one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Binary Coulomb collisions are incorporated using a numerical particle-pairing algorithm that reproduces a collision integral of the Landau form. The onset of nonlinearly enhanced levels of SRS reflectivity is shown to coincide with electron trapping in the daughter plasma wave and is sensitive to the collisional scattering rate. Relaxation of trapping-induced perturbations to the electron velocity distribution via collisional velocity space diffusion is predicted to have the largest effect on the onset of SRS when the amplitude of the daughter plasma wave is smallest, and trapping-induced perturbations to the electron velocity distribution function are also small. In the absence of higher dimensional detrapping mechanisms (e.g., electron side-loss), it is shown that the onset threshold for enhanced SRS reflectivity is determined predominantly by the parallel diffusion of trapped electrons scattering from bulk thermal electrons, and that for the conditions studied here, the contribution to detrapping from perpendicular diffusion is non-negligible. Additionally, inverse bremsstrahlung heating of the bulk electrons is shown to shift the daughter plasma wave spectrum upward along the Stoke's resonance to larger wave frequency and smaller wave number, changing the linear parametric coupling conditions to SRS backscatter as a function of time. The reduction in SRS reflectivity from binary Coulomb collisions is greatest for laser intensities near the collisionless onset threshold, ulimately leading to an increase in the onset threshold laser intensity for enhanced SRS reflectivity in the kinetic regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of a static magnetic field on the Raman scattering of a millimeter pump wave propagating through periodic nanoparticles is studied. Formulas for the growth rate of the scattered electromagnetic wave and the electrostatic wave are derived and analyzed. It is found that the growth rate for the backscattering case is larger than that of forward scattering and the growth rate is increased by the static magnetic field. A resonance in the dispersion relation of the electromagnetic wave is found as a combination of the cyclotron and plasma frequency. However, no instability was found for this lower branch of the dispersion curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of spatial autoresonance on backward stimulated Raman scattering in inhomogeneous plasmas is investigated in the regime where the dominant nonlinear frequency shift of the Langmuir wave is due to kinetic effects. By numerically solving the coupled mode equations, the spatial growth of the Langmuir wave is observed to self-adjust so as to cancel the detuning from resonance due to inhomogeneity, giving rise to phase-locked solutions to the electron plasma wave equation. For a single resonant point in a linear density profile, the envelope of the electron plasma wave is characterized by a growth that begins at the resonant point and is proportional to the square of distance propagated. In the more physical case where the scattered light is seeded with a broadband noise, autoresonance may lead to a reflectivity well above the level predicted by the usual Rosenbluth gain factor [M. N. Rosenbluth, Phys. Rev. Lett. 29, 565 (1972)]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-wave model has been developed to investigate the influence of wavebreaking and thermal effects on the Raman amplification in plasma. This has been benchmarked against a particle-in-cell code with positive results. A new regime, the 'thermal chirp' regime, has been identified and illustrated. Here the shift in plasma resonance due to heating of the plasma by a monochromatic pump allows a probe pulse to be amplified and compressed without significant pump depletion. In regimes where damping dominates, it is found that inverse bremsstrahlung dominates at high densities, and improved growth rates may be achieved by preheating the plasma. At low densities or high pump intensities, wavebreaking acts to limit amplification. The inclusion of thermal effects can dramatically reduce the peak attainable intensity because of the reduced wavebreaking limit at finite temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plasma wave produced in a stimulated Raman back scattering process in plasma is seen to be effective in the resonant Raman upshifted third harmonic generation of the same laser or of another laser of a slightly lower frequency. The process requires plasma density slightly lower than the quarter critical density corresponding to the first laser frequency. The electron density perturbation due to the plasma wave beats with the drift velocity imparted by the second harmonic ponderomotive force to produce a density perturbation at Raman upshifted second harmonic. This perturbation couples with the oscillatory electron velocity due to the laser to produce Raman upshifted third harmonic current density and radiation field. The phase matching condition in cold plasma is satisfied when a plasma density is quarter critical. Thermal effects lower the requisite electron density a bit. The energy conversion efficiency from the pump to the Raman upshifted third harmonic could be quite large when the laser intensity exceeds 1016 W/cm2. The plasma inhomogeneity, however, is a significant limiting factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimentally observed decay rate of the long wavelength Langmuir wave in metals and dense plasmas is orders of magnitude larger than the prediction of the prevalent Landau damping theory. The discrepancy is explored, and the existence of a regime where the forward Raman scattering is stable and the backward Raman scattering is unstable is examined. The amplification of a x-ray pulse in this regime, via the backward Raman compression, is computationally demonstrated, and the optimal pulse duration and intensity is estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present our nonlinear kinetic modeling of stimulated Raman scattering in a uniform and collisionless plasma using envelope equations. We recall the derivation of these equations, as well as our theoretical predictions for each of the nonlinear kinetic terms, the precision of which having been carefully checked against Vlasov simulations. We particularly focus here on the numerical resolution of these equations, which requires the additional concept of 'self-optimization' that we explain, and we describe the envelope code BRAMA that we used. As an application of our modeling, we present one-dimensional BRAMA simulations of stimulated Raman scattering which predict threshold intensities, as well as time scales for Raman growth above threshold, in very good agreement with those inferred from Vlasov simulations. Finally, we discuss the differences between our modeling and other published ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the following work, we analyze one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) full particle-in-cell simulations of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and study the evolution of Langmuir waves (LWs) in the kinetic regime. It is found that SRS reflectivity becomes random due to a nonlinear frequency shift and that the transverse modulations of LWs are induced by (i) the Weibel instability due to the current of trapped particles and (ii) the trapped particle modulational instability (TPMI) [H. Rose, Phys. Plasmas 12, 12318 (2005)]. Comparisons between 1D and 2D cases indicate that the nonlinear frequency shift is responsible for the first saturation of SRS. After this transient interval of first saturation, 2D effects become important: a strong side-scattering of the light, caused by these transverse modulations of the LW and the presence of a nonlinear frequency shift, is observed together with a strong transverse diffusion. This leads to an increase of the Landau damping rate of the LW, contributing to the limiting of Raman backscattering. A model is developed that reproduces the transverse evolution of the magnetic field due to trapped particles. Based on a simple 1D hydrodynamic model, the growth rate for the Weibel instability of the transverse electrostatic mode and magnetic field is estimated and found to be close to the TPMI growth rate [H. Rose et al., Phys. Plasmas 15, 042311 (2008)]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonlinear group velocity of an electron plasma wave is investigated numerically using a Vlasov code, and is found to assume values which agree very well with those predicted by a recently published theory [D. Bénisti et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 155002 (2009)], which we further detail here. In particular we show that, once Landau damping has been substantially reduced due to trapping, the group velocity of an electron plasma wave is not the derivative of its frequency with respect to its wave number. This result is moreover discussed physically, together with its implications in the saturation of stimulated Raman scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production and physical characteristics of moving electron density gratings (MEDGs) are investigated by analytical model and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. When the frequency difference of two counterpropagating pump pulses is equal to the electron plasma frequency, large amplitude electron plasma wave is resonantly excited in the plasma. As a result, electrons are excited to form a moving, gratinglike structure in the interfering region of pump pulses, while the ions keep at rest. The spatial period and velocity of the MEDG are obtained by solving the electron density modulation equation, which agrees well with one-dimensional PIC simulation results. When a short signal laser pulse is scattered on the MEDG, the frequency of the backscattering wave shifts due to the stimulated Raman scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of laser-plasma interaction experiments is presented using gas-filled hohlraums that shed light on the behavior of stimulated Raman scattering and stimulated Brillouin scattering at various plasma conditions encountered in indirect drive ignition designs. Detailed experimental results are presented that quantify the density, temperature, and intensity thresholds for both of these instabilities. In addition to controlling plasma parameters, the National Ignition Campaign relies on optical beam smoothing techniques to mitigate backscatter and the results presented show that polarization smoothing is effective at controlling backscatter. These results provide an experimental basis for the forthcoming experiments on National Ignition Facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one dimensional particle-in-cell study of the kinetic effects involved in plasma-based backward Raman amplification is presented for nonrelativistic laser pulses interacting in underdense thermal plasmas. Simulations are performed to study how effects such as particle heating and trapping, frequency modulations, and wave breaking of the plasma wave can change with different plasma conditions. The result of this parametric scan of plasma density and temperature is the identification of optimal plasma conditions for amplification of an ultrashort seed laser pulse by a pump laser of nonrelativistic intensity. The relevance of this study to possible experimental scenarios is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pondermotive potential in the x-ray Raman compression can generate an electron band gap, which suppresses the Landau damping. The regime is identified where a Langmuir wave can be driven without damping in the stimulated Raman compression. It is shown that the partial wave breaking and the frequency detuning due to the trapped particles would be greatly reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results are reported of a one-dimensional simulation study comparing the modeling capability of a recently formulated extended three-wave model [R. R. Lindberg, A. E. Charman, and J. S. Wurtele, Phys. Plasmas 14, 122103 (2007); Phys. Plasmas 15, 055911 (2008)] to that of a particle-in-cell (PIC) code, as well as to a more conventional three-wave model, in the context of the plasma-based backward Raman amplification (PBRA) [G. Shvets, N. J. Fisch, A. Pukhov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 4879 (1998); V. M. Malkin, G. Shvets, and N. J. Fisch, Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 4448 (1999); Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 1208 (2000)]. The extended three-wave model performs essentially as well as or better than a conventional three-wave description in all temperature regimes tested, and significantly better at the higher temperatures studied, while the computational savings afforded by the extended three-wave model make it a potentially attractive tool that can be used prior to or in conjunction with PIC simulations to model the kinetic effects of PBRA for nonrelativistic laser pulses interacting with underdense thermal plasmas. Very fast but reasonably accurate at moderate plasma temperatures, this model may be used to perform wide-ranging parameter scans or other exploratory analyses quickly and efficiently, in order to guide subsequent simulation via more accurate if intensive PIC techniques or other algorithms approximating the full Vlasov–Maxwell equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progress on developing a plasma amplifier/compressor based on stimulated Raman scattering of nanosecond laser pulses is reported. Generation of a millijoule seed pulse at a wavelength that is redshifted relative to the pump beam has been achieved using an external Raman gas cell. By interacting the shifted picosecond seed pulse and the nanosecond pump pulse in a gas jet plasma at a density of ∼1019 cm-3, the upper limit of the pump intensity to avoid angular spray of the amplified seed has been determined. The Raman amplification has been studied as a function of the pump and seed intensities. Although the heating of plasma by the nanosecond pump pulse results in strong Landau damping of the plasma wave, an amplified pulse with an energy of up to 14 mJ has been demonstrated, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest output energy so far by Raman amplification in a plasma. One-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations indicate that the saturation of amplification is consistent with onset of particle trapping, which might be overcome by employing a shorter seed pulse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A suite of three-dimensional (3D) VPIC [K. J. Bowers et al., Phys. Plasmas 15, 055703 (2008)] particle-in-cell simulations of backward stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in inertial confinement fusion hohlraum plasma has been performed on the heterogeneous multicore supercomputer, Roadrunner, presently the world’s most powerful supercomputer. These calculations reveal the complex nonlinear behavior of SRS and point to a new era of “at scale” 3D modeling of SRS in solitary and multiple laser speckles. The physics governing nonlinear saturation of SRS in a laser speckle in 3D is consistent with that of prior two-dimensional (2D) studies [L. Yin et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 265004 (2007)], but with important differences arising from enhanced diffraction and side loss in 3D compared with 2D. In addition to wave front bowing of electron plasma waves (EPWs) due to trapped electron nonlinear frequency shift and amplitude-dependent damping, we find for the first time that EPW self-focusing, which evolved from trapped particle modulational instability [H. A. Rose and L. Yin, Phys. Plasmas 15, 042311 (2008)], also exhibits loss of angular coherence by formation of a filament necklace, a process not available in 2D. These processes in 2D and 3D increase the side-loss rate of trapped electrons, increase wave damping, decrease source coherence for backscattered light, and fundamentally limit how much backscatter can occur from a laser speckle. For both SRS onset and saturation, the nonlinear trapping induced physics is not captured in linear gain modeling of SRS. A simple metric is described for using single-speckle reflectivities obtained from VPIC simulations to infer the total reflectivity from the population of laser speckles of amplitude sufficient for significant trapping-induced nonlinearity to arise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The propagation of light waves in an underdense plasma is studied using one-dimensional Vlasov–Maxwell numerical simulation. It is found that the backward stimulated Raman scattering will be enhanced by electron-ion collisions. With appropriate electron-ion collision rate the Langmuir waves, driven via SRS, can be made to propagate for a long distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A periodic lattice of nanoparticles supports an electrostatic mode of space charge oscillations with frequency lying in a narrow band and varying periodically around [formula] with the wave number, where ωpe is the plasma frequency of electrons inside a nanoparticle. A laser impinged on such a lattice undergoes stimulated Raman scattering producing backward sideband electromagnetic radiation. The growth rate is maximum around the pump frequency ω0=0.75ωpe, and then decreases gradually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new formulation of the kinetic (collisionless) electron plasma wave (EPW) damping rate in a relativistic thermal equilibrium plasma is presented, and evaluated for such waves in both forward and backward stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in laser plasma interactions (LPI) in the temperature regime (5–15 keV) of current and near-future deutirium-tritium (DT) fusion plasma experiments. For LPI at typical values of (n0/ncr), the relativistic damping of the EPW in SRS in this temperature range, particularly for forward SRS, is found to be orders of magnitude smaller than one would predict from a nonrelativistic calculation of Landau damping for those EPW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theory of autoresonant three-wave interactions is generalized to more than one space and/or time variation of the background medium. In the most general case, the three waves propagate in a four-dimensional (4D) slowly space-time varying background, with an embedded 3D linear resonance hypersurface, where the linear frequency and wave-vector matching conditions of the three waves are satisfied exactly. The autoresonance in the system is the result of weak nonlinear frequency shifts and nonuniformity in the problem and is manifested by satisfaction of the nonlinear resonance conditions in an extended region of space-time adjacent to the resonance surface despite the variation of the background. The threshold condition for autoresonance is found and further discussed in application to stimulated Raman scattering in a 1D, time-dependent plasma case. Asymptotic description of the autoresonant waves far away from the resonance surface is obtained. The theory is illustrated and tested in 2D numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]