Laser Propagation in Underdense Plasmas

The following sections are included:

• Nonlinear Plane Waves in a Cold Plasma

• Wavebreaking

• Wakefield Generation

  • Small pump strengths

  • The quasistatic approximation

  • Arbitrary pump strengths

  • Beat waves

• Instabilities

  • Forward Raman scattering

  • Backward Raman scattering

• Harmonic Generation in Underdense Plasmas

• Propagation of Finite-Width Laser Pulses

  • Geometric optics picture of self-focusing

  • The nonlinear Schrödinger equation

  • Ponderomotive channel formation

• Dynamics of Relativistic Self-Focusing

  • Numerical solutions of the wave-envelope equation

  • Guiding of short pulses

  • Particle-in-cell simulations

• Experiments on Relativistic Laser Propagation

  • Homogeneous plasmas

  • Preformed, inhomogeneous plasmas

• Magnetic Field Generation