Short-time-scale evidence for strong Langmuir turbulence during hf heating of the ionosphere

Collective deceleration of relativistic electrons precisely in the core of an inertial-fusion target

The energy deposition of a relativistic electron beam in a plasma can be managed through turning on or off fast beam-plasma instabilities in desirable regions. This management may enable new ways of realizing the fast-igniter scenario of inertial fusion. Collisional effects alone can decelerate electrons of at most a few MeV within the core of an inertial-fusion target. Beam-excited Langmuir turbulence, however, can decelerate even ultrarelativistic electrons in the core.

First laboratory observation of freely propagating electrostatic waves produced by intense, localized field structures

Freely propagating electrostatic waves (free modes) are observed to be produced by intense, localized field structures in laboratory measurements performed in an unmagnetized plasma in a state of strong Langmuir turbulence. The freely traveling waves conform to the Langmuir dispersion relation and have an average frequency which is approximately 11% higher than the average frequency of the localized field structures. The observations are consistent with the predictions of strong Langmuir turbulence theory.