SCATTERING OF ELECTROMAGNETIC-WAVES BY DRIFT TURBULENT VORTICES IN A PLASMA

We consider the scattering of electromagnetic waves from drift turbulent vortices in a plasma. The polarization and wavevector of the incident wave are assumed arbitrary, and the vortices are described by exact solutions of the Hasegawa-Mima equation. An exact expression for the scattering cross section is derived, within the framework of single-scattering perturbation theory. An equivalent electric charge for the drift vortex is derived and the case of an incident ordinary wave is considered in detail. The possible implications of this theoretical model for the interpretation of laser scattering experiments in tokamaks are briefly discussed.