Filamentation of high-frequency radiation in a turbulent plasma

A theory of the filamentation of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation i n a plasma with ion acoustic turbulence is developed. The threshold radiati on flux density required to drive filamentation is determined under conditi ons such that the squared filament size is larger than the product of the e lectron-electron mean free path and the mean free path of the electrons wit h respect to their scattering by turbulent fluctuations of the charge densi ty. The radiation flux densities required to drive filamentation in a turbu lent plasma are shown to be lower than those in a laminar plasma. The absol ute value of the threshold radiation flux density is found to be very sensi tive to the angle between the wave vector of filamentary perturbations and the anisotropy axis of turbulent noises.