Electron acceleration during the breaking of an intense plasma wave in an inhomogeneous plasma

We investigate the dynamics of the electron acceleration when an intense plasma wave breaks near resonance at the plasma frequency (focus) in an inhomogeneous magnetized plasma. The breaking threshold has been determined. We compare our experimental dependences of the current and energy of fast electrons on the intensity of the incident wave at various times with theoretical estimates. We show that when the breaking threshold is significantly exceeded, up to 50% of the electrons at plasma resonance are captured and accelerated by the wave. (C) 2003 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".