Ponderomotive force driven mechanism for electrostatic wave excitation and energy absorption of electromagnetic waves in overdense magnetized plasma

The excitation of electrostatic waves in plasma by laser electromagnetic (EM) pulse is important as it provides a scheme by which the power from the laser EM field can be transferred into the plasma medium. The paper presents a fundamentally new ponderomotive pressure-driven mechanism of excitation of electrostatic waves in an overdense magnetized plasma by a finite laser pulse. Particle-in-cell simulations using the EPOCH-4.17.10 framework have been utilized for the study of a finite laser pulse interacting with a magnetized overdense plasma medium. The external magnetic field is chosen to be aligned parallel to the laser propagation direction. In this geometry, the EM wave propagation inside the plasma is identified as whistler or R and L waves. The group velocity of these waves being different, a clear spatial separation of the R and L pulses are visible. In addition, excitation of electrostatic perturbation associated with the EM pulses propagating inside the plasma is also observed. These electrostatic perturbations are important as they couple laser energy to the plasma medium. The excitation of electrostatic oscillations are understood here by a fundamentally new mechanism of charge separation created by the difference between the ponderomotive force (of the EM pulse) felt by the two plasma species, viz., the electrons and the ions in a magnetized plasma.

Automated summary

This paper investigates a novel ponderomotive pressure-driven mechanism for exciting electrostatic waves in overdense magnetized plasma utilizing a finite laser pulse. Particle-in-cell simulations were used to study the interaction between the laser pulse and the plasma medium, with observed spatial separation of R and L pulses and excitation of electrostatic perturbations associated with the laser pulses.