Evangelos Siminos

Effect of electron heating on self-induced transparency in relativistic-intensity laser-plasma interactions

The effective increase of the critical density associated with the interaction of relativistically intense laser pulses with overcritical plasmas, known as self-induced transparency, is revisited for the case of circular polarization. A comparison of particle-in-cell simulations to the predictions of a relativistic cold-fluid model for the transparency threshold demonstrates that kinetic effects, such as electron heating, can lead to a substantial increase of the effective critical density compared to cold-fluid theory. These results are interpreted by a study of separatrices in the single-electron phase space corresponding to dynamics in the stationary fields predicted by the cold-fluid model. It is shown that perturbations due to electron heating exceeding a certain finite threshold can force electrons to escape into the vacuum, leading to laser pulse propagation. The modification of the transparency threshold is linked to the temporal pulse profile, through its effect on electron heating.

Direct observation of the injection dynamics of a laser wakefield accelerator using few-femtosecond shadowgraphy

We present few-femtosecond shadowgraphic snapshots taken during the nonlinear evolution of the plasma wave in a laser wakefield accelerator with transverse synchronized few-cycle probe pulses. These snapshots can be directly associated with the electron density distribution within the plasma wave and give quantitative information about its size and shape. Our results show that self-injection of electrons into the first plasma-wave period is induced by a lengthening of the first plasma period. Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations support our observations.

Nonlinear group velocity of an electron plasma wave

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. Benisti 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.

Nonlinear kinetic description of Raman growth using an envelope code, and comparisons with Vlasov simulations

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.

Relativistic breather-type solitary waves with linear polarization in cold plasmas

Linearly polarized solitary waves, arising from the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a plasma, are investigated. Localized structures, in the form of exact numerical nonlinear solutions of the one-dimensional Maxwell-fluid model for a cold plasma with fixed ions, are presented. Unlike stationary circularly polarized solitary waves, the linear polarization gives rise to a breather-type behavior and a periodic exchange of electromagnetic energy and electron kinetic energy at twice the frequency of the wave. A numerical method based on a finite-differences scheme allows us to compute a branch of solutions within the frequency range Ωmin<Ω<ωpe, where ωpe and Ωmin are the electron plasma frequency and the frequency value for which the plasma density vanishes locally, respectively. A detailed description of the spatiotemporal structure of the waves and their main properties as a function of Ω is presented. Small-amplitude oscillations appearing in the tail of the solitary waves, a consequence of the linear polarization and harmonic excitation, are explained with the aid of the Akhiezer-Polovin system. Direct numerical simulations of the Maxwell-fluid model show that these solitary waves propagate without change for a long time.

Saturation mechanisms of backward stimulated Raman scattering in a one-dimensional geometry

In this paper, we investigate the saturation mechanisms of backward stimulated Raman scattering (BSRS) induced by nonlinear kinetic effects. In particular, we stress the importance of accounting for both the nonlinear frequency shift of the electron plasma wave and the growth of sidebands, in order to understand what stops the coherent growth of Raman scattering. Using a Bernstein-Greene-Kruskal approach, we provide an estimate for the maximum amplitude reached by a BSRS-driven plasma wave after the phase of monotonic growth. This estimate is in very good agreement with the results from kinetic simulations of stimulated Raman scattering using both a Vlasov and a Particle in Cell code. Our analysis, which may be generalized to a multidimensional geometry, should provide a means to estimate the limits of backward Raman amplification or the effectiveness of strategies that aim at strongly reducing Raman reflectivity in a fusion plasma.

Stability of nonlinear Vlasov-Poisson equilibria through spectral deformation and Fourier-Hermite expansion.

We study the stability of spatially periodic, nonlinear Vlasov-Poisson equilibria as an eigenproblem in a Fourier-Hermite basis (in the space and velocity variables, respectively) of finite dimension, N. When the advection term in the Vlasov equation is dominant, the convergence with N of the eigenvalues is rather slow, limiting the applicability of the method. We use the method of spectral deformation introduced by Crawford and Hislop [Ann. Phys. (NY) 189, 265 (1989)] to selectively damp the continuum of neutral modes associated with the advection term, thus accelerating convergence. We validate and benchmark the performance of our method by reproducing the kinetic dispersion relation results for linear (spatially homogeneous) equilibria. Finally, we study the stability of a periodic Bernstein-Greene-Kruskal mode with multiple phase-space vortices, compare our results with numerical simulations of the Vlasov-Poisson system, and show that the initial unstable equilibrium may evolve to different asymptotic states depending on the way it was perturbed.

Quasiperiodic oscillations and homoclinic orbits in the nonlinear nonlocal Schrödinger equation

Quasiperiodic oscillations and shape-transformations of higher-order bright solitons in nonlinear nonlocal media have been frequently observed numerically in recent years, however, the origin of these phenomena was never completely elucidated. In this paper, we perform a linear stability analysis of these higher-order solitons by solving the Bogoliubov–de Gennes equations. This enables us to understand the emergence of a new oscillatory state as a growing unstable mode of a higher-order soliton. Using dynamically important states as a basis, we provide low-dimensional visualizations of the dynamics and identify quasiperiodic and homoclinic orbits, linking the latter to shape-transformations.

Relativistic solitary waves modulating long laser pulses in plasmas

This paper discusses the existence of solitary electromagnetic waves trapped in a self-generated Langmuir wave and embedded in an infinitely long circularly polarized electromagnetic wave propagating through a plasma. From a mathematical point of view they are exact solutions of the one-dimensional relativistic cold fluid plasma model with nonvanishing boundary conditions. Under the assumption of travelling wave solutions with velocity V and vector potential frequency ω, the fluid model is reduced to a Hamiltonian system. The solitary waves are homoclinic (grey solitons) or heteroclinic (dark solitons) orbits to fixed points. Using a dynamical systems description of the Hamiltonian system and a spectral method, we identify a large variety of solitary waves, including asymmetric ones, discuss their disappearance for certain parameter values and classify them according to (i) grey or dark character, (ii) the number of humps of the vector potential envelope and (iii) their symmetries. The solutions come in continuous families in the parametric V–ω plane and extend up to velocities that approach the speed of light. The stability of certain types of grey solitary waves is investigated with the aid of particle-in-cell simulations that demonstrate their propagation for a few tens of the inverse of the plasma frequency.

Relativistic Vlasov-Maxwell modelling using finite volumes and adaptive mesh refinement

Abstract The dynamics of collisionless plasmas can be modelled by the Vlasov-Maxwell system of equations. An Eulerian approach is needed to accurately describe processes that are governed by high energy tails in the distribution function, but is of limited efficiency for high dimensional problems. The use of an adaptive mesh can reduce the scaling of the computational cost with the dimension of the problem. Here, we present a relativistic Eulerian Vlasov-Maxwell solver with block-structured adaptive mesh refinement in one spatial and one momentum dimension. The discretization of the Vlasov equation is based on a high-order finite volume method. A flux corrected transport algorithm is applied to limit spurious oscillations and ensure the physical character of the distribution function. We demonstrate a speed-up by a factor of 7 × in a typical scenario involving laser pulse interaction with an underdense plasma due to the use of an adaptive mesh. Graphical abstract