Analysis of Plasma Emission Experiments and ‘Dips’

Abstract

It has been claimed that recent experiments using high-powered lasers have identified dip structures in spectral line profiles in plasmas and that these were successfully used to reliably infer both plasma parameters and information on high and low-frequency turbulence. The analysis of those experiments relies on a flawed theory. In the present work, we computed the line spectra correctly using the parameters inferred in the original papers. The results bear little resemblance to the experimental profiles. The only way to reconcile the parameters deduced in these experiments is to invoke very broadband turbulence, with the relevant distribution functions that are neither known nor measured playing critical roles. Furthermore, the dip positions are shown to be sensitive to details such as field directionality and variations in the frequency and field amplitude. Hence, dips cannot be used to reliably diagnose such plasmas.