Journal of Plasma Physics

Table of Contents - 1982 - Volume 28, Issue 03  

Research Article

Stochasticity in plasmas with electromagnetic waves

J. T. Mendonçaa1* and F. Doveila1

a1 Laboratoire de Physique des Milieux Ionisés, Groupe de Recherche du C.N.R.S., École Polytechnique, 91128 Pelaiseau, France

Abstract

The interaction of an electron with two electromagnetic waves propagating in an isotropic plasma is studied. It is shown, by numerical calculations, that the electron behaves stochastically, above a given threshold of the wave field amplitudes. The numerical threshold is compared with those given by analytical criteria. The results might be relevant to the laser-plasma interaction problem.

(Received December 16 1981)

Footnotes

* Permanent address: Centro de Electrodinâmica, Instituto Superior Técnico, 1000–Lisboa, Portugal.