Nonlinear evolution of stimulated scattering near 1/4 critical density

Abstract

Based on particle-in-cell simulations, the propagation of intense long pulse lasers in non-uniform plasma, and particularly, the formation of plasma density cavities caused by the nonlinear evolution of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) near the quarter critical density, and its effects on parametric instabilities have been studied. It is found that the stimulated Raman scattering instability developed near the quarter critical density leads to the trapping of scattered light and subsequent formation of a local electromagnetic solitary wave. Its amplitude increases with the development of the SRS instability, which pushes surrounding electrons and ions to form a quasi-neutral density cavity. When the first density cavity is formed, the plasma density evolves in such a way that more density cavities are formed during the laser interaction and subsequently the plasma is split into a few discontinuous portions. This new density profile finally tends to suppress the development of both SRS and the stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) instabilities considerably.