Trapped-particle Instability Leading to Bursting in Stimulated Raman Scattering Simulations
Authors: S. Brunner and E. Valeo
Date of PPPL Report: November 2001
Published in: Phys. Rev. Lett. 93 (1 October 2004) Article 145003.
Nonlinear, kinetic simulations of Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) for laser-fusion-relevant conditions present a bursting behavior. Different explanations for this regime has been given in previous studies: Saturation of SRS by increased nonlinear Landau damping [K. Estabrook et al., Phys. Fluids B 1 (1989) 1282] and detuning due to the nonlinear frequency shift of the plasma wave [H.X. Vu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 86 (2001) 4306]. Another mechanism, also assigning a key role to the trapped electrons, is proposed here: The break-up of the plasma wave through the trapped-particle instability.