Resonance between heat-carrying electrons and Langmuir waves in inertial confinement fusion plasmas

Abstract

In ignition scale hot plasmas, temperature gradients and thermal transport modify electron distributions in a velocity range resonant with Langmuir waves typical of those produced by stimulated Raman scattering. We examine the resultant changes to the Landau damping experienced by these Langmuir waves and the levels of thermal plasma fluctuations. The form factor and Thomson scattering cross-section in such plasmas display unique characteristics of the background conditions. A theoretical model and high-order Vlasov-Fokker-Planck simulations are used in our analysis. An experiment to measure changes in thermal plasma fluctuation levels due to a thermal gradient is proposed.