title: Observation of stimulated electron-acoustic-wave scattering.
abstract: A diffraction-limited laser interacts with a plasma whose conditions are uniform on the scale of the focused laser spot. Two distinct, narrow waves are observed in the backscattered spectrum with phase velocities of v(phi)/v(e) = 1.4+/-0.08 and 4.2+/-0.1, where v(e) is the electron thermal speed. The high-velocity wave is ordinary stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) from a Langmuir wave. The low-velocity wave corresponds to stimulated scattering from an electron-acoustic wave (SEAS), and implies strong electron trapping. Previous SRS data from low-density plasmas are reinterpreted in terms of SEAS.
authors.affiliation: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Focia
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cobble
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Johnson