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Electromagnetic solitary waves in the saturation regime of stimulated Brillouin backscattering

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2006

M. LONTANO
Affiliation:
Istituto di Fisica del Plasma “P. Caldirola,” CNR, Milano, Italy
M. PASSONI
Affiliation:
Istituto di Fisica del Plasma “P. Caldirola,” CNR, Milano, Italy Dipartimento di Ingegneria Nucleare, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
C. RICONDA
Affiliation:
CELIA, UMR 5107 CNRS, Université Bordeaux 1, CEA, Talence, France
V.T. TIKHONCHUK
Affiliation:
CELIA, UMR 5107 CNRS, Université Bordeaux 1, CEA, Talence, France
S. WEBER
Affiliation:
CELIA, UMR 5107 CNRS, Université Bordeaux 1, CEA, Talence, France

Abstract

Recent particle-in-cell simulations of the stimulated Brillouin backscattering (SBBS) of electromagnetic radiation have shown that even at sub-relativistic intensities (Iλ2 = 1016 Wμm2/cm2) non-drifting solitary waves, “solitons” for short, are easily produced, and remain almost unchanged all along the simulation time, typically for several thousands of optical cycles. They appear in the form of stable local concentrations of electromagnetic radiation trapped inside quasi-neutral density holes. The plasma density inhomogeneity associated with their presence disrupts the resonant SBBS amplification. The cavitation process is accompanied by strong electron and ion heating. The physical characteristics of such solitons are discussed and they are compared with the theoretical predictions of an analytical model for localized solution of the Maxwell equations in warm plasma.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2006 Cambridge University Press

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