ENERGY-TRANSFER BETWEEN CROSSING LASER-BEAMS

Induced scattering between crossing laser beams is considered, includi ng the effects of long-wavelength modulations in the plasma. This fund amental process can impact the choice of beam-smoothing techniques for laser-driven hohlraums. Study of this process is an ideal way to quan tify stimulated scattering instabilities, since one can independently vary the intensity, polarization, and frequency separation of the cros sing beams. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.