Ajay K. Upadhyaya

Self-focusing of intense laser beam in magnetized plasma

In this paper, evolution of spot size of an intense laser beam in cold, underdense, magnetized plasma has been studied. The plasma is embedded in a uniform magnetic field perpendicular to both, the direction of propagation and electric vector of the radiation field. Nonlinear current density is set up and the source dependent expansion method is used to determine the evolution of the spot size of a laser beam having a Gaussian profile. It is shown that transverse magnetization of plasma enhances the self-focusing property of the laser beam leading to reduction in critical power required to self-focus the beam.

Modulation instability of laser pulse in magnetized plasma

Modulation instability of a laser pulse propagating through transversely magnetized underdense plasma is studied. It is observed that interaction of laser radiation with plasma in the presence of uniform magnetic field results in an additional perturbed transverse plasma current density along with the relativistic and ponderomotive nonlinear current densities, thus affecting the modulational interaction. In the plane wave limit it is observed that modulational interaction is more stable for magnetized plasma as compared to the unmagnetized case. The analysis shows that there is a significant reduction in the growth rate of modulation instability over a given range of unstable wave numbers due to magnetization of plasma.

Self-focusing and channel-coupling effects on short laser pulses propagating in a plasma channel

Nonparaxial, nonlinear propagation of a relativistic laser pulse in a preformed plasma channel having a parabolic density profile is analyzed. Nonlinearity arises due to relativistic motion of plasma electrons and their coupling with plasma channel. The effect of nonlinearities on betatron oscillations is analyzed and the nonlinear critical channel depth required for propagation of a matched laser pulse is evaluated. Mismatch due to nonlinear effects and additional condition for matched pulse propagation are obtained. Amplitude of the matched, as well as mismatched, beam is derived and finite pulse effects are studied.

Relativistic and ponderomotive effects on laser plasma interaction dynamics

The combined effect of relativistic and ponderomotive nonlinearities on the propagation characteristics and modulation instability of a laser beam propagating through partially stripped plasma is studied. Under the present approach it is seen that the ponderomotive nonlinearity tends to defocus the laser beam as against the nonlinear relativistic self-focusing phenomenon. Also density perturbation arising due to the ponderomotive nonlinearity when combined with relativistic nonlinearity tends to increase the modulation instability of the laser beam. The peak growth rate is enhanced in comparison to the case where ponderomotive nonlinearity is neglected.

Propagation of an intense laser beam in a tapered plasma channel

Propagation characteristics and modulation instability of an intense laser beam propagating in an axially tapered plasma channel, having a parabolic radial density profile, are studied. Using the source-dependent expansion technique, the evolution equation for the laser spot is set up and conditions for propagation of the laser beam with a constant spot size (matched beam) are obtained. Further, the dispersion relation and growth rate of modulation instability of the laser pulse as it propagates through linearly and quadratically tapered plasma channels, have been obtained.

Relativistic and ponderomotive effects on stimulated Raman scattering of intense laser radiation in plasma

The effects of relativistic nonlinearities on stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) of mildly relativistic laser radiation propagating through preionized underdense plasma is studied. The nonlinear mode coupling equations and linearized growth rates of Raman instabilities in presence of combined effects of relativistic and ponderomotive nonlinearities are derived. The temporal evolution of SRS process is then studied and analyzed using numerical techniques in presence of the two nonlinearities. It is observed that relativistic effects now taken into account significantly affect the growth rates and the nonlinear evolution of SRS process as compared to the case where they are neglected. The study shows that inclusion of relativistic nonlinearities along with the ponderomotive nonlinearities destabilizes SRS process