title: Laser hosing in relativistically hot plasmas.
abstract: Electron response in an intense laser is studied in the regime where the electron temperature is relativistic. Equations for laser envelope and plasma density evolution, both in the electron plasma wave and ion acoustic wave regimes, are rederived from the relativistic fluid equations to include relativistic plasma temperature effect. These equations are used to study short-pulse and long-pulse laser hosing instabilities using a variational method approach. The analysis shows that relativistic electron temperatures reduce the hosing growth rates and shift the fastest-growing modes to longer wavelengths. These results resolve a long-standing discrepancy between previous nonrelativistic theory and simulations or experiments on hosing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physics and Astronomy and Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ren