Enhanced forward scattering in the case of two crossed laser beams interacting with a plasma
The nonlinear enhancement of large-angle forward scattering of two identical laser beams propagating in a preformed plasma has been observed experimentally. The spectral analysis of the forward-scattered light shows two components, one which is unshifted with respect to the initial laser light frequency, and the other which is redshifted by a few angstroms. The redshifted component is found to be strongly enhanced in the case of crossed beam interaction in comparison with that of one beam illumination. Two-dimensional numerical simulations show that this enhancement is due to large-angle forward stimulated Brillouin scattering in which each beam serves as seed for the forward scattering of the other.
Labaune
C
Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation des Lasers Intenses, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France.
Baldis
HA
Schifano
E
Bauer
BS
Maximov
A
Ourdev
I
Rozmus
W
Pesme
D