Studies of central interactions of Si ions at 14.5 x A GeV/c in Au and Cu

Understanding the growth and saturation of parametric instabilities in laser-produced plasmas requires knowledge of the nonlinear properties of the instabilities and their interaction with each other. Nonlinear behavior of parametric instabilities, which are usually associated with unique optical features, have been evidenced in numerous experiments on a variety of laser facilities. We will discuss four examples of nonlinear behavior in laser-produced plasmas: nonlinear stimulated Brillouin scattering spectra, suppression of stimulated Raman scattering by stimulated Brillouin scattering, the parametric decay instability and the onset of turbulence, and the transition to ''bursting'' behavior of the two-plasmon decay instability. We also discuss experiments that demonstrate the nonlinear effects which occur as a consequence. 49 refs