  Recent experimental results from the Trident laser confirm the importance of
kinetic effects in determining laser reflectivities at high intensities.
Examples observed include scattering from low frequency electron acoustic waves
(EAWs), and the first few stages of a cascade towards turbulence through the
Langmuir decay instability. Interpretive and predictive computational
capability in this area is assisted by the development of Vlasov codes, which
offer high velocity space resolution in high energy regions of particle phase
space, and do not require analytical pre-processing of the fundamental
equations. A direct Vlasov solver, capable of resolving these kinetic
processes, is used here to address fundamental aspects of the existence and
stability of the electron acoustic wave, together with its collective
scattering properties. These simulations are extended to realistic laser and
plasma parameters characteristic of single hot-spot experiments. Results are in
qualitative agreement with experiments displaying both stimulated Raman and
stimulated electron acoustic scattering. The amplitude of simulated EAWs is
greater than that observed experimentally, and is accompanied by a higher phase
velocity. These minor differences can be attributed to the limitations of a
one-dimensional collisionless model.
