Self-trapping of strong electromagnetic beams in relativistic plasmas.

ABSTRACT

Interaction of an intense electromagnetic (em) beam with a relativistic electron-positron (e-p) plasma is investigated. It is shown that the thermal pressure brings about a fundamental change in the dynamics-localized, high amplitude, em field structures, not accessible to a cold (but relativistic) plasma, can now be formed under well-defined conditions. The possibilities of trapping em beams in self-guiding regimes to form stable two-dimensional solitonic structures in a pure e-p plasma are worked out.