THE RADIATING REGIME OF LAGRANGIAN FRAME 2-PLASMON DECAY

The two-plasmon decay instability in an abruptly bounded plasma, one f or which all wavelengths are large compared with the plasma density gr adient scale length, is investigated for p-polarized radiation in the absence of surface waves. Spatially dependent growth rate profiles and spatially dependent transit layer magnetic fields due to non-linear s urface currents are reported. When the perturbation wave number parall el to the boundary is less than the pump frequency divided by twice th e speed of light, energy radiates from the plasma boundary. It is prop osed that these emissions may serve as an experimental signature for t his mode. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.