Spatio-temporal dynamics of the resonantly excited relativistic plasma wave driven by a CO2 laser

The dynamics of a relativistic plasma wave ~RPW! resonantly excited by a two frequency CO2 laser pulse and the effects of this wave on a co-propagating relativistic electron beam were studied through experiments and supporting simulations. The amplitude of the RPW and its harmonics were resolved in time and space with a Thomson scattering diagnostic. In addition, the plasma wave amplitude-length product and temporal duration were independently measured through time and frequency resolved forward scattering. The transverse electric and magnetic fields associated with the RPW were studied by the scattering of a 2 MeV electron beam, and the eventual heating of the plasma after the breakup of the RPW was measured from the x-ray radiation spectrum. The experiments and simulations show that the RPW reaches a peak amplitude of approximately 30%, with the amplitude limited by plasma blowout driven by the radial ponderomotive forces of the plasma wave. © 1997 American Institute of Physics. @S1070-664X~97!00804-5#