Abstract
Brillouin scattering of a high-power Gaussian laser beam from a hot collisionless plasma has been investigated. The pump (ω0, k0) interacts with a preexcited ion-acoustic wave (ω,k), generating a backscattered wave (ω0−ω, k0−k). The transverse intensity gradient of the pump generates a ponderomotive force, which modifies the plasma-density profile transverse to the beam axis. Consequently, the pump beam is self-focused and it also leads to the focusing of the ion-acoustic and the backscattered electromagnetic waves, provided appropriate conditions are satisfied. It is seen that self-focusing of the waves results in enhanced backscattering.
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