Self-modulation of high-intensity laser pulses in underlense plasmas and plasma channels

The analysis is carried out for the basic regimes of the self-modulational instability of high-intensity (I∼1017-1018W/cm2) laser pulses in underdense (ω0>ωp) plasmas. The conditions under which these basic regimes dominate, growth rates corresponding to these regimes, and phase velocity of the plasma wave excited due to the instability are discussed in relation to the previous and possible future experiments on laser acceleration of electrons in the configuration utilizing the self-modulation of laser pulses. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics