FIRST MEASUREMENT OF SHORT LENGTH-SCALE DENSITY FLUCTUATIONS IN A LARGE LASER PLASMA

The technique of near forward laser scattering is used for the first time in an ignition-relevant laser plasma to obtain a background and laser driven fluctuation spectrum. The fluctuations cause beam spray which can affect the symmetry in an inertial confinement fusion experiment. These results provide a benchmark for developing numerical models of beam spray. [copyright] [ital 1999] [ital The American Physical Society]