Coherent Rayleigh-Brillouin Scattering in High Intensity Laser Fields

Coherent Rayleigh-Brillouin scattering (CRBS) line shapes have been experimentally and numerically investigated for the first time in the high laser intensity regime (>1x10(16) W/m(2)) for molecular nitrogen at 300 K. All narrowband pumps were used to generate deep, monochromatic potential wells in the experiment allowing for direct comparison with a DSMC numerical approach. Both results show a line shape narrowing compared to previous low intensity CRBS line shape models due to energy and momentum deposition from the laser field to the gas. The DSMC results indicate a temperature increase along the center of the laser pulse of 51 K and an induced bulk motion of 100 m/s.