Laser plasma coupling in long pulse, long scale length plasmas

Abstract
Laser plasma coupling under near reactor‐size target conditions is studied at Iλ2≂1014 W/cm2 μm2 with 1‐mm size plasmas, 3‐kJ, 3‐ns irradiations on the 1.064‐μm Shiva laser. Evidence for the occurrence of parametric processes, such as stimulated Brillouin sidescatter and the two‐plasmon decay instability, is observed.