Beam crossing studies in a Megajoule laser

In the framework of laser-plasma interaction, this PhD thesis presents the studies on the effects produced by the intersection of two laser beams. This study is motivated by the CEA Megajoule laser project in which 240 beams cross at input holes of the enclosure containing the fusible target. Especially, the beating of two coherent laser beams create an interference figure, which, by the ponderomotive force, produces an ion acoustic wave. This specific acoustic wave is a Bragg grating in which each beam is diffracted in the exact direction of the other. It is an energy transfer mechanism between the two beams. This mechanism is modeled in two dimensions and is resolved analytically and numerically. The application of this easy model is qualitatively satisfying. In order to be nearer to the experimental conditions, the optical smoothing by slides of random phases has to be taken into account. This leads us to a statistical approach of exchanges and tends to confirm the hypothesis in which they are governed by hot spots. Simultaneously, stimulated Brillouin scattering and the intersection of two beams of the same frequencies have been treated. In our simulations appear a competition between Bragg diffraction and Brillouin scattering, this last one being modified compared to Brillouin scattering for an only one beam. We conclude in indicating some extrapolations for the Megajoule laser. (O.M.)