Nonlinear Generation of Intense Localized Electric Fields in Plasmas.

Abstract : Over the past year several theoretical studies, computer simulations, and laboratory experiments have established that sharply localized electric fields of high intensity can be nonlinearly generated in plasmas under a wide variety of conditions. In this paper the authors present a brief survey of the physics underlying the formation of these localized electric fields, examine the experimental evidence which supports their existence, and sketch briefly the relevance of these structures to the problem of laser fusion and the theory of strong plasma turbulence.