On polarization of transition bremsstrahlung in a weakly gyrotropic plasma

The degree of polarization of transition bremsstrahlung (TBS) is calculated in a plasma with weak gyrotropy. The cases of weak and strong Faraday rotation in a radiation source are discussed. The distribution of polarization is shown to have no azimuthal symmetry, if the particle gyroradius is larger than the source size. We calculate the polarization degree of TBS for an ensemble of fast particles and show that polarization exceeds the respective value for transition radiation in the presence of nonthermal inhomogeneities of the plasma density.A. F. Ioffe Physical and Technical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 38, No. 9, pp. 887–892, September, 1995.     

Peculiar properties of hot plasma formation under the influence of intense femtosecond pulses on the surface of molten metal

The peculiar properties of plasma formation on the surface of different liquid metals by femtosecond laser radiation have been studied. It is shown that plasma formation and generation of hard X-radiation on the surface of molten metal depends substantially on the contrast and weakly on the polarization of laser radiation, which clearly distinguishes the plasma produced in our experiments from the plasma generated on the surface of a solid target.     

On the problem of polarization characteristics of radio waves in a randomly inhomogeneous magnetoactive plasma

Expressions for the Stokes parameters when radio waves propagate in a turbulent magnetoactive plasma have been obtained using a refractive scattering method. The problem of the spatial coherence of polarized radiation is considered. Expressions for the correlation functions and fluctuation dispersions of the Stokes parameters are found in the case of saturated wave field fluctuation. It is shown that the fluctuation of the circular polarized component will be observed in the received radiation even if the circular polarization is absent in the radiation that is incident on the magnetoactive plasma slab. A method is proposed to define the preference orientation of the magnetic field in the inhomogeneous layer of space plasma, which is biased on the simultaneous measurement of the space correlation functions of the I, V Stokes parameter fluctuation and Faraday rotation of the radiation polarization plane from the source with known polarization characteristics.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 39, No. 8, pp. 1007–1013, August, 1996.This work was supported in part by the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research under Project No. 96-02-18632.     

Polarization of coherent synchrotron radiation from an electron beam rotating in a plasma

After eliminating reflections from the walls of the plasma container, we observed polarization of the coherent synchrotron radiation from a relativistic electron beam rotating in a plasma. Several features of the polarization agree well with calculations based on the single particle synchrotron radiation theory. A particular polarization ratio (Fig. 3) does not, however. We deduce from this direct diffraction of the radiation by the beam electrons. This is strong evidence for beam-particle bunches of size cm. Also, there must be some absorption of the extraordinary wave to account for the observations. We suggest a way to apply these results to measure the pitch angle of the beam.Work supported by Army Research Office.     

Polarization of the high harmonics of radiation in a laser plasma

The polarization of the high harmonics generated in plasmas by the bremsstrahlung of electrons oscillating under the influence of high-power plasma-heating electromagnetic radiation is described on the basis of a simple model of a cold plasma. It is shown that when the polarization of the heating radiation differs from plane polarization by a small but finite amount, the high harmonics are generated with almost perpendicular polarization, and the degree of circular polarization of the harmonics increases with the number of the harmonic. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 5, 313–316 (10 March 1998)     

Classical and quantum theories of the polarization bremsstrahlung in the local electron density model

Classical and quantum theories of polarization bremsstrahlung in a statistical (Thomas-Fermi) potential of complex atoms and ions are developed. The basic assumptions of the theories correspond to the approximations employed earlier in classical and quantum calculations of ordinary bremsstrahlung in a static potential. This makes it possible to study on a unified basis the contribution of both channels in the radiation taking account of their interference. The classical model makes it possible to obtain simple universal formulas for the spectral characteristics of the radiation. The theory is applied to electrons with moderate energies, which are characteristic for plasma applications, specifically, radiation from electrons on the argon-like ion KII at frequencies close to its ionization potential. The computational results show the importance of taking account of the polarization channel of the radiation for plasma with heavy ions.     

Polarization of radio emission of the turbulent plasma of solar flares

We present a mechanism for the appearance of circular polarization due to the scattering of electromagnetic radiation by the turbulent pulsations of a plasma with a magnetic field. The application of this mechanism to the turbulent plasma of solar flares is discussed.     

Scaling law and polarization of second harmonic emission from laser generated plasma

Measurements are described of the intensity and polarization of the second harmonic emission from a plasma generated by 1.054 μm, 35 ps laser pulses at oblique incidence. It is shown that the measured scaling cannot be explained by a simple power law and that at high intensities the degree of polarization of the second harmonic radiation does not depend on the polarization of the incident laser light.     

超强激光-等离子体相互作用过程中的辐射阻尼效应

基于包含辐射阻尼效应的电子运动方程,通过坐标变换,分析了圆极化和线极化超强激光在等离子体中传播时,辐射阻尼效应对电子运动的影响。结果表明:两种极化情况下,辐射阻尼效应都随等离子体密度的增大而增强;在圆极化激光中,激光强度在1023~1026 W/cm2范围(对应于不同的等离子体密度)时,辐射阻尼效应将对电子的运动产生显著的反作用,而对于线极化激光,只有当激光强度远大于极限光强时,辐射阻尼效应才对电子的运动有明显的作用。     

纳秒激光诱导空气等离子体射频辐射特性研究

开展了波长为532 nm、脉宽为8 ns的纳秒激光诱导空气等离子体射频电磁辐射特性实验研究,基于锥形天线探测空气等离子体在30-800 MHz频谱范围有较强的射频电磁辐射,是等离子体内电偶极子振荡变速运动造成的.实验结果表明:随激光能量增加,30-200 MHz范围内射频辐射强度逐渐变强,但360-600 MHz频率范围射频辐射强度逐渐变弱.等离子体射频辐射的空间分布依赖于入射激光的偏振方向,当激光偏振方向与天线放置方向一致时,该方向上空气等离子体的射频辐射强度高,谱线较丰富.射频辐射总功率随激光能量先增加后降低,采用等离子体电子密度变化对等离子体频率及等离子体衰减系数影响(制约)关系,对射频辐射总功率随激光能量的变化规律进行了解释.     

Radiation loss of electrons under scattering by a Thomas-Fermi atom

A universal theory and calculation results for the bremsstrahlung of electrons on complex atoms are presented. The theory accounts for the dynamic polarization of the core in the energy range from 0.5 to 10 keV, which is characteristic of radiation energy losses in a hot plasma with heavy ions. The treatment is based on the statistical atom model and the quasi-classical approximation of the incident electron. The model accounts for the penetration of the incident electron into the atomic core, which affects the relationship between the polarization and static radiation channels. The contribution of the polarization channel in both the spectral and the total radiation loss of electrons at various frequencies, nucleus charges, and energies of the incident particle is analyzed. It is shown that the contribution of the polarization channel is comparable with that of the static channel (which was calculated elsewhere) in a wide range of parameters. The results obtained are in a reasonable quantitative agreement with the detailed quantum-mechanical calculation carried out for individual atoms.     

On bremsstrahlung radiation of accelerated electrons in solar flares

We have calculated the spectrum and polarization of the bremsstrahlung hard X-ray radiation produced by nonrelativistic electrons that are accelerated during a solar flare. The distribution function of accelerated electrons is taken from the self-consistent solution of the kinetic equation allowing for Coulomb collisions and an electric field of reverse current in plasma. The computed polarization of the hard X-ray polarization is shown to be appreciably lower than the value given by simplified thick-target models without considering the reverse current.     

Collisional change in the polarization characteristics of an ensemble of excited Ti(XXI) ions in a plasma

Collisional change in the polarization characteristics of an ensemble of excited ions whose lifetime is much shorter than the average collision time is considered. The obtained dependences of the Stokes parameter on the ion drift velocity make it possible to perform diagnostics of the plasma parameters by the polarization characteristics of radiation.     

Modulation of terahertz generation in dual-color filaments by an external electric field and preformed plasma

Terahertz generation driven by dual-color filaments in air is demonstrated to be remarkably enhanced by applying an external electric field to the filaments. As terahertz generation is sensitive to the dual-color phase difference, a preformed plasma is verified efficiently in modulating terahertz radiation from linear to elliptical polarization. In the presence of preformed plasma, a dual-color filament generates terahertz pulses of elliptical polarization and the corresponding ellipse rotates regularly with the change of the preformed plasma density. The observed terahertz modulation with the external electric field and the preformed plasma provides a simple way to estimate the plasma density and evaluate the photocurrent dynamics of the dual-color filaments. It provides further experimental evidence of the photo-current model in governing the dual-color filament driven terahertz generation processes.     

Diagnostics of drift velocities of electrons in a laser plasma by spectropolarimetry of the plasma emission

Expressions are obtained for the rate constants of the induction of ordering of angular momenta in an ensemble of ions formed as a result of trapping of electrons in a laser plasma. Dependences of the degree of polarization of plasma radiation on the drift energy of free electrons of the plasma are obtained. Drift energies of electrons at different distances from the target are determined on the basis of experimental data.     

Polarization fluctuations in the radiation from cosmic sources due to scattering in a random inhomogeneous magnetoactive plasma

We use Feynman integrals along the trajectories to obtain expressions for the fourth-order statistical moments of polarized radiation propagating through a random inhomogeneous plasma. We write down the correlation functions and dispersion of the fluctuations in the Stokes parameters for the case of small fluctuations in the wave filed. We analyze the correlation functions of the Stokes parameters as a function of the polarization of the radiation from the source and the characteristics of the inhomogeneous plasma. We show that for each of the normal waves, the amplitudes and the phases experience different amounts of decorrelation in a random inhomogeneous magnetoactive plasma. As a result, fluctuations occur in the circular polarization.Radio Astronomical Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 34, No. 7, pp. 738–747, July, 1991     

Polarization diagnostics of plasma in an electric field

A polarization diagnostics method for Stark states is presented, and it is applied to determining the electric field in a plasma. The theoretical basis of the method is given and the latter is compared with other spectroscopic methods. An apparatus is described for measuring the polarization characteristics of plasma radiation from pulsed discharges. Measurements were made in a beam-type plasma of the relative intensities of the =3964 and 4911 Å allowed and forbidden helium lines and of their degree of linear polarization. The results of the measurements were used to calculate the electric field distribution in the accelerating gap.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 26–33, January, 1995.     

Plasma mechanisms of pulsed terahertz radiation generation

We present the results on generating terahertz radiation in the plasma of an optical discharge arising in the atmosphere during the focusing of femtosecond laser radiation. Different generation schemes related to focusing of the optical radiation by spherical and axicon lenses, with a constant electric field imposed on the laser spark region, as well as with the use of bichromatic laser radiation, are studied. Directivity patterns and polarization distributions of the terahertz radiation are analyzed in detail for different generation techniques. Comparison with the experimental results obtained by other research groups is given. Possible nonlinear mechanisms of the terahertz radiation generation are discussed.     

Determination of the electron density distribution function in a plasma by a polarization spectroscopy method

The application of the method of polarization spectroscopy of Stark states to calculating the electron distribution function in a plasma is considered. A formula is obtained which relates the polarization tensors to the parameters of a model distribution function describing a group of fast electrons with beam properties. It is suggested that the polarization tensor can be found by using radiation from resonance levels displaying a marked Stark effect. State University, Tomsk. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 73–77, August, 1997.     

Investigations of aluminum films with synchrotron radiation of wavelengths 500 to 1000 Å

Measurements of the photocurrent from thin Al cathodes in a windowless electron multiplier as a function of wavelength, polarization, angle of incidence, and film thickness have been carried out in the extreme vacuum ultraviolet. A normal incidence monochromator utilizing synchrotron radiation provided highly polarized light. A marked difference is found between the photocurrent measured during irradiation of thin films with “s” and “p” polarized light at wavelengths near the Al plasma wavelength (835 Å). For films thicker than about 500 Å pronounced interference effects are found in both “p” and “s” light at wavelengths less than the plasma wavelength. The observations can be explained by assuming the photocurrent is related to the photon density (electromagnetic energy density) in the photocathode. Calculations of the energy density in films irradiated with light give the structure found in the measured photocurrent. The measurements indicate our monochromator yields light with a degree of polarization consistent with the calculated polarization of the synchrotron radiation incident upon our grating (about 85%).