RESONANCE-ABSORPTION BY NONLINEAR ELECTRON-PLASMA WAVES

By solving the Vlasov equation in the capacitor model approximation it is shown that the linear theory of resonance absorption yields the correct conversion factors for laser intensities at which the electron plasma wave is highly nonlinear ormay even break. At Nd-laser wavelength and 1 ke V plasma temperature the linear limit si exceeded at least by a factor of 200 in intensity. Over a wide range the structure of the nonlinear Langmuir wave is governed by a fluidlike behaviour on which strong nonlinear Landau damping is imposed.