Collinear Thomson scattering diagnostic system for the detection of relativistic waves in low-density plasmas

A Thomson scattering technique is used to study relativistic plasma waves at plasma densities as low as 2x10(15) cm(-3). A spatial-spectral filter is utilized to simultaneously attenuate the probe light similar to10(9) times and collect the weak scattered light which is shifted 3-24 Angstrom from the probe wavelength. The plasma waves, excited by a two-wavelength CO2 laser pulse with intensities up to 10(15) W/cm(2), are probed by a 532 nm laser pulse in a collinear geometry. Both the red- and blueshifted sidebands of Thomson scattered light are simultaneously resolved in time and frequency. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.