Observation of near-forward stimulated Brillouin scattering from a laser-produced plasma.

The first experimental measurements of near-forward scattering from a plasma at wavelengths near the pump wavelength are presented. Simultaneous, time-resolved spectra from several oblique forward angles show the characteristic wavelength shift associated with scattering from an ion wave. Energy measurements show that forward scattering is stronger than backscattering. The angular distribution of forward scattered energy is in qualitative agreement with the simple convective-instability theory of stimulated Brillouin scattering