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Characterization of plasma and laser conditions for single hot spot experiments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 1999

D.S. MONTGOMERY ,
R.P. JOHNSON ,
J.A. COBBLE ,
J.C. FERNÁNDEZ ,
E.L. LINDMAN ,
H.A. ROSE  and
K.G. ESTABROOK
D.S. MONTGOMERY
Affiliation:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, Mexico, USA 87545
R.P. JOHNSON
Affiliation:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, Mexico, USA 87545
J.A. COBBLE
Affiliation:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, Mexico, USA 87545
J.C. FERNÁNDEZ
Affiliation:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, Mexico, USA 87545
E.L. LINDMAN
Affiliation:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, Mexico, USA 87545
H.A. ROSE
Affiliation:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, Mexico, USA 87545
K.G. ESTABROOK
Affiliation:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA 94551
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Abstract

The TRIDENT laser system at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is being used for fundamental experiments which study the interaction of self-focusing, stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in a near-diffraction-limited (single) laser hot spot in order to better understand the coupling between these plasma instabilities. The diffraction limited beam mimics a single hot spot found in speckle distributions that are typical of random or kinoform phase plates (RPP or KPP) used for spatial smoothing of laser beams. A long scale length, hot plasma (∼1 mm, ∼0.6 keV) is created by a separate heater beam, and the single hot spot beam is used to drive parametric instabilities. The focal plane distribution and wave-front of the interaction beam are characterized, and its intensity can be varied between 1014–1016 W/cm2. The plasma density, temperature, and flow profiles are measured using a gated imaging spectroscopy of collective Thomson scattering from the heater beam. Results of the laser and plasma characterization, and initial results of backscattered SRS, SBS, and beam steering in a flowing plasma are presented.

Type
Research Article
Information
Laser and Particle Beams , Volume 17 , Issue 3 , July 1999 , pp. 349 - 359
Copyright
1999 Cambridge University Press

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