Surface waves in laser-produced plasma double layers

The surface-tension pressure for a charged double layer is calculated. This result is used to derive the dispersion relation for surface waves. The stability criterion defines stable surface waves with wavelength lambda /sub sw/<8 pi lambda /sub D/ ( lambda /sub D/ is the Debye length) which can be obtained at the critical surface of a laser-plasma interaction system. These ripples cannot increase above the stability criterion without introducing instability turbulence.<
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