Stimulated Raman side and backscatter instabilities of crossed laser beams in plasma

Abstract

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) instability due to two nonlinearly coupled laser beams propagating in homogeneous, thermal plasma is analyzed. The temporal evolution equations for pump, scattered and Langmuir waves excited due to the interaction are set up. Using numerical techniques temporal evolution of amplitudes of pump, scattered and resultant Langmuir waves for side and back SRS instabilities have been obtained in the non-relativistic regime. The temporal growth rate, saturation time and saturation amplitude of waves excited by two crossed (perpendicular) lasers are studied and compared with the single beam case. The model considers pump depletion to be the dominant saturation mechanism. The study points towards a new concept for generation of high amplitude Langmuir waves.