Electromagnetic scattering from turbulent plasmas.

Abstract

A self-consistent multiple-scattering theory of vector electromagnetic waves scattered from a turbulent plasma is presented. This approach provides a general and systematic treatment to all orders in turbulence of the scattering of electromagnetic waves in terms of the properties of the turbulent structure of the scattering system and is applicable in the full regime from underdense to overdense plasmas. To illustrate the theory, a plasma consisting of a finite number density of discrete scatterers with a simple geometry and statistical properties is chosen. In this approach the exact solution for a single scatterer is obtained first. From it the configuration-dependent solution for N scatterers is constructed. Rather than solving explicitly for this solution and then averaging, the averaging operation will be taken first in order to find an approximate equation obeyed by the mean or coherent field. The coherent and incoherent scattering are then determined in terms of the coherent field and the backscatter is evaluated. The coherent and incoherent scattering, our principal results, are expressed in a plane-wave basis in a form suitable for numerical computation. A number of interesting phenomena which may readily be incorporated into the theory are indicated.