Kinetic effects in laser-plasma coupling: Vlasov theory and computations

Abstract
Recent experimental results from the Trident laser confirm the importance of kinetic effects in determining laser reflectivities at high intensities. Examples observed include SRS off low frequency electron acoustic waves (SEAS), and the first few stages of a cascade towards turbulence through the Langmuir Decay Instbility (LDI). An interpretive and predictive computational capability in this area requires the development of Vlasov codes. Vlasov codes offer high velocity space resolution in high energy regions of particle phase space, and do not require analytical pre-processing of the fundamental equations. A direct Vlasov solver has been developed which is capable of resolving these kinetic processes, and early results are presented.