INCOHERENT HARMONIC EMISSION FROM STRONG ELECTROMAGNETIC-WAVES IN PLASMAS

This is a reexamination of the work of Sarachik and Schappert on highe r-order or harmonic Thomson/Compton scattering, with a view to its eva luation as a useful diagnostic for the interaction of weakly relativis tic laser light with low density plasma. Some consideration is given t o plasma effects not mentioned in the original single-electron model ( electron plasma oscillation and electron filamentation effects). While relative power scattering measurement can still be made, these plasma effects will seriously complicate or compromise any attempts to use t he Doppler shift content of the single-electron harmonic scattering, a lthough plasma oscillations of some sort may well be inferred.