An application of the method of geometrical optics to the scattering of plane electromagnetic waves off cylindrically confined cold plasmas

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In this paper we apply the method of geometrical optics to study the scattering of plane electromagnetic waves off a cylindrically confined cold plasma. For simplicity, we assume two types of incident polarization. In both cases scalar second order elliptic partial differential equations describe the fields. These problems are studied in the asymptotic limit aω/c→∞ (where a is the radius of the cylinder, ω is the frequency of the incident plane wave, and c is the velocity of light in free space). We furthermore assume a quadratic plasma density. This allows us to calculate explicitly the rays, amplitudes, caustics, and other features which arise in the geometrical optics approach. The assumed density also gives rise to the interesting cutoff and resonance phenomenon. Thus the amplification of the electromagnetic fields is observed. This phenomenon may have applications in laser fusion.

This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit: