Journal of Plasma Physics

Table of Contents - 2005 - Volume 71, Issue 04  


Papers

Wave-kinetic description of nonlinear photons

MATTIAS MARKLUND a1a2, PADMA K. SHUKLA a1a2, GERT BRODIN a3 and LENNART STENFLO a3
a1 Institut für Theoretische Physik IV, Fakultät für Physik und Astronomie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D–44780 Bochum, Germany
a2 Department of Electromagnetics, Chalmers University of Technology, SE–412 96 Göteborg, Sweden (marklund@elmagn.chalmers.se)
a3 Department of Physics, Umeå University, SE–901 87 Umeå, Sweden

Article author query
marklund m   [Google Scholar] 
shukla pk   [Google Scholar] 
brodin g   [Google Scholar] 
stenflo l   [Google Scholar] 
 

Abstract

The nonlinear interaction, due to quantum electrodynamical effects, between photons is investigated using a wave-kinetic description. Starting from a coherent wave description, we use the Wigner transform technique to obtain a set of wave-kinetic equations, the so called Wigner–Moyal equations. These equations are coupled to a background radiation fluid, whose dynamics are determined by an acoustic wave equation. In the slowly varying acoustic limit, we analyse the resulting system of kinetic equations, and show that they describe instabilities, as well as Landau-like damping. The instabilities may lead to the break-up and focusing of ultra-high-intensity multi-beam systems, which in conjunction with the damping may result in stationary strong field structures. The results could be of relevance for the next generation of laser–plasma systems.

(Published Online July 22 2005)
(Received March 15 2004)
(Accepted July 30 2004)