Langmuir decay instability for localized Langmuir wave packets in two-dimensional inhomogeneous plasmas

Yongxin Li; Yong Chen; Han Wen; Shang Tan; Yugu Chen; Chengzhuo Xiao

doi:10.1063/5.0314537

Volume 11 Issue 4

Jul. 2026

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Yongxin Li, Yong Chen, Han Wen, Shang Tan, Yugu Chen, Chengzhuo Xiao. Langmuir decay instability for localized Langmuir wave packets in two-dimensional inhomogeneous plasmas[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2026, 11(4): 047403. doi: 10.1063/5.0314537

Citation:

Yongxin Li, Yong Chen, Han Wen, Shang Tan, Yugu Chen, Chengzhuo Xiao. Langmuir decay instability for localized Langmuir wave packets in two-dimensional inhomogeneous plasmas[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2026, 11(4): 047403. doi: 10.1063/5.0314537

Citation:

Yongxin Li, Yong Chen, Han Wen, Shang Tan, Yugu Chen, Chengzhuo Xiao. Langmuir decay instability for localized Langmuir wave packets in two-dimensional inhomogeneous plasmas[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2026, 11(4): 047403. doi: 10.1063/5.0314537

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Langmuir decay instability for localized Langmuir wave packets in two-dimensional inhomogeneous plasmas

doi: 10.1063/5.0314537

Yongxin Li^1
,,
Yong Chen^{2
,
,},
Han Wen^1
,,
Shang Tan^1
,,
Yugu Chen¹,
Chengzhuo Xiao^{1
,
,}

1.
School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
2.
School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui 232001, China

More Information

Corresponding author: a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: xiaocz@hnu.edu.cn
Received Date: 2025-11-30
Accepted Date: 2026-05-05

Available Online: 2026-07-24

Publish Date: 2026-07-24

Abstract

Abstract

The Langmuir decay instability (LDI) is a key saturation mechanism for stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in inertial confinement fusion plasmas. However, a quantitative characterization of the two-dimensional angular spectrum of LDI in such inhomogeneous environments, particularly its dependence on the pump-wave incidence angle, remains limited. Here, we combine a k-space theoretical model with two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations to study a localized Langmuir wave packet in a linear density gradient. Our results show that although the density gradient suppresses the overall strength of LDI, the backscattering channel (φ ≈ 180°) remains the dominant decay mode across all tested pump incidence angles. These results help clarify the multidimensional evolution of LDI in inhomogeneous plasmas and may be useful for developing more predictive models of SRS saturation in laser-fusion schemes.

The authors have no conflicts to disclose.
Conflict of Interest
Yongxin Li: Conceptualization (lead); Data curation (lead); Formal analysis (lead); Investigation (lead); Methodology (lead); Software (lead); Validation (lead); Visualization (lead); Writing – original draft (lead); Writing – review & editing (lead). Yong Chen: Formal analysis (supporting); Writing – review & editing (supporting). Han Wen: Formal analysis (supporting); Writing – review & editing (supporting). Shang Tan: Formal analysis (supporting); Writing – review & editing (supporting). Yugu Chen: Formal analysis (supporting); Writing – review & editing (supporting). Chengzhuo Xiao: Conceptualization (lead); Funding acquisition (lead); Project administration (lead); Writing – review & editing (lead).
Author Contributions
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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References(48)

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