Incoherent harmonic emission from strong electromagnetic waves in plasmas

The work of E.S. Sarachik and G.T. Schappert (Phys. Rev. D, vol.1, pp.2738-2753, 1970) on higher-order or harmonic Thomson/Compton scattering is reexamined, with a view to its evaluation as a useful diagnostic for the interaction of weakly relativistic laser light with low-density plasma. Some consideration is given to plasma effects not mentioned in the original single-electron model (electron plasma oscillation and electron filamentation effects). While relative power scattering measurement can still be made, these plasma effects will seriously complicate or compromise any attempts to use the Doppler shift content of the single-electron harmonic scattering, although plasma oscillations of some sort may well be inferred