WEIBEL INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH INVERSE BREMSSTRAHLUNG ABSORPTION OF INTENSE ELECTROMAGNETIC-RADIATION

We investigate the Weibel instability in a plasma with a nonstationary three-temperature electron distribution generated by inverse bremsstr ahlung of an intense elliptically polarized electromagnetic wave. We s how that electron-ion collisions in this strong high frequency field a re simultaneously the cause of the development of the instability and the reason it is suppressed. We find plasma and radiation parameters f or which spontaneous quasistationary solenoidal electromagnetic fields can increase by many times. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.